Hidden Treasure in Dickson County, TN

Stuball48

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A person NOT a guitar found after 39 years! First, you will need a little background.
I am a retired high school teacher and coach and began teaching in Cheatham County, TN in fall of 1970, immediately interrupted by being drafted for two years of military service in the Army. When finished military obligation came back to Cheatham County and taught there intil fall of 1977. I was offered a job in the border county of Dickson and began teaching in Dickson County in Fall of 1977.
Now, this is what I have rediscovered 41 years later.
My first year in Dickson I had a student named Johnny G. an average looking 10th grader. But this 10th grader had one goal and that was to be a GREAT guitar finger picker. He made average to below average grades but was very very intelligent. His father had died when he was 9 and his mother had remarried a man who had an alcohol addiction so lots of time to be by yourself. Occasionally, I wondered whatever happened to Johnny G but never wondered enough to look for him.
In my of ery first post as a LTG member, I said an old used tire changer had recommended I get a Guild and I got the DV52 because LTG members convinced me the DV52 was my best buy on money I had budgeted for a guitar. Well, that old "tire changer" has become a great friend and a regular Tuesday stop where he has a couple Gibsons and Martins sitting in the corner. Last Tuesday-Nov 20, 2018-I asked the old "Tire Changer" who was the best guitar player "around here" and he said, "without a doubt, Johnny G." i was surprised Johnny G was still in Dickson County. I asked did he know where he lived and he did and told me. Also told me he was living in poverty by himself. He lives in one room of a block house with no running water and one very small electric heater (he got electricity in 2016). He stores drinking water in two 5 gallon bottles like you would see in an office complex.
I decided I was going to see him and see if I remembered him and/or he remembered me. I left the old "tire changer's" place and went straight to his block house as it was in an area of the county I was familiar with. Nervously, I knocked on the door and this 57 year old unshaved and soiled clothed man came to the door. I introduced myself and he said, "I remember you-you're Coach Rye the new coach we got when I was a Sophomore." We talked and smiled for 10 minutes or so with him at his door and me standing outside. He had such a gentle spirit about him. And just out of the blues he says, "coach will you take me to get a pack of cigarettes?" I did and enjoyed talking with Johnny G. during the 6 mile trip. He has no vehicle and never has. He walks every where he goes and an old farmer gives him odd jobs so he can make a little money to continue his poverty level survival. When we got back to his "house" he asked me to come in and visit some more. I was a little nervous not having any idea what I might find inside? This is what I saw when I stepped through the front door and closed it behind me. One room he lived in was sealed off from the rest of the house and he had an old old couch with a bed spread as a couch cover and on the couch were five baby kittens nursing a mamma cat. There were two chairs-one a delapidated office chair with arms and the second chair was his "guitar playing" chair with no arms. There was a couple rescued computer speakers and the worst looking acoustic guitar leaning up against his "playing" chair. The strings had to be 2-3 years old and string height was from 1/4 to 1/2 inch, the neck was bent and bowed and held together by a tennis shoe string, 8 frets were missing (lowers strings a little more), the saddle was grooved deep and a strip of the top of the guitar -between the saddle and sound hole had been carved with a butcher knife to match- allowing strings to be lowered more, the bridge was missing one end, and freezer tape on the top held on a piece of small wire that led to the two computer speakers. He had made some kind of homemade pickup and secured it to the guitar with freezer tape. The most pitiful looking guitar I had ever seen. I would not have given $20 for it. He said, "coach a guitar does not have to be pretty to produce a pretty sound."
After he told me all about the guitar he asked me to sit down. I sat in the delapidated office chair and he sat in the "guitar" chair. Then, I asked, "do you still play" and he said, "O yeh, I play and write 2 or 3 hours every day, would you like to hear a couple?" I do not know what I was expecting, but what I saw and heard would out class 90% of the pickers in Nashville. It really was hard to believe. He sat there and finger picked 3 of his originals. I asked him if he ever played with other groups and he said not much as they would have to come get him and let him use a good guitar and I thought, "good guitar my foot-if I could make a sloppy guitar like you are playing sound that good who needs a good guitar."
At one point he told me he read only two book and he reads them daily--The Bible and the dictionary.
To which I said, "do you play any religious music?" Said he plays every kind of music and said, "coach see if you recognize this one?" He picks with all five fingers and after the fourth note, I listened to the most beautiful playing of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" I have ever heard. Simply put hehas never pursued recognition for his playing. He is, perfectly, happy living in poverty and playing his guitar. In fact, i would say he is happier than 90% of the people in Dickson county.
He knows every note of every string of every fret and his left and right hands are synchronized, perfectly.
He wants no handout but I will figure out a way to allow him to help himself.
If any members ever get close to Dickson county, I will take you to meet him--just wear dirty clothes.
His playing woul make a Guild proud.
Just deal with all misspellings and errors as I am not rechecking such a long TRUE story.
 
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richardp69

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I think this is a truly wonderful story and very much appreciate the opportunity to have read your recap. Sounds like a very cool guy and I guess it kinda proves the old adage that money can't make you happy. Good on Johnny G.
 

Stuball48

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Inspiration to me. Got to leave him a set of strings on his door. His favorites strings are light and ultra light of any brand. Not surprising with his string height.
 

Cougar

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Wow, thanks for the story, coach. I'm on an extended trip up to our new place in the Idaho panhandle. We're outfitting the place to be a vacation rental overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. We hauled so much stuff up here, I had no room to bring a guitar. After a few days guitar-less, I figured I'd go into Sandpoint and rent a guitar for a couple weeks. Well, rentals were $70 per week, so I just went ahead and bought an all lam Jay Turser dread for a little over 100 bucks. Not a bad guitar! With surprisingly good tone for such a cheap guitar. We're heading back to the Wild West next week, and I'll just leave the "Jay" here for the vacationers (if we ever get any), but I'd gladly hand it over to Johnny G if I could!
 

Stuball48

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Cougar:
Have had pm fron nice LTGer on free offer but Johnny in his "poverty chosen" life has a great deal of pride and I am working toward having him do some work around an old shop I have and offering him cash or a guitar worth triple the cash. I know what he will choose. Ha
But thanks so much and enjoy your vacation home.
 

Stuball48

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Took Johnny G some D'Addario ej16 light strings today and you wood have thought I gave him a $100 bill.
Also took some pictures. Terrible reception in our home but if anyone wants any just PM me your cell and will send you a couple tomorrow.
 

CosmicArkie

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Shel, you've got my cell, but if you would, fire the pics at the email addy, please.
 

Stuball48

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Shel, you've got my cell, but if you would, fire the pics at the email addy, please.
When you and your wife come through TN, I will take you to meet him. As he said to me, "if I was rich people would say I was eccentric but I have no money and everyone calls me weird." He is anything but.
 

Stuball48

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Update on Johnny G:
In the mail today arrived a brand new Guild D240E Limited, 3 new sets of strings, all inside a new gig bag, and all the "candy" that comes with new guitars.
Thanks to all of you who reached out to Johnny G. with offers of equipment. And I suppose it is not proper to mention the name of the kind gentleman who sent this guitar so I will not mention his name but I will mention his inititals--richardp69.
It will be Wednesday before I can get it to Johnny--stay tuned!
 

F312

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I think I'll have a Jack and Coke tonight to get in the spirit. You've done good Richard.

Ralph
 

sailingshoes72

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Way to go team LTG! :applause:

I started playing acoustic guitar in 1968. I had my guitar set-up professionally for the first time in 1992. I was truly amazed at the difference it made in the playability of the instrument. I was inspired to practice more and try new songs and new chord fingerings. I hope that Johnny G. is likewise inspired by the new guitar.
 

walrus

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Richard, that is a beautiful thing you did. Kudos! :applouse:

Stuball, looking forward to the next part of the story!

walrus
 

Stuball48

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Richard, that is a beautiful thing you did. Kudos! :applouse:

Stuball, looking forward to the next part of the story!

walrus[/QUOTE
Johnny is a very humble person who is a self-taught guitar player and writer.
I will have a full report tomorrow.
 

Stuball48

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Couldn't wait and got to Johnny's early-knocked on the door and when he came to the door and saw the Guild gig bag the first thing he said was, "you brought your guitar - we can play together." I replied, "you play it and tell me what you think." Of course he unzipped the gig bag and took the D240E Limited out and looked it over like a buyer at Churchill Downs was going to place a bid on the Ky Derby Winner. He looked over every inch and then said, "I can't remember ever playing a Guild. It's a beautiful guitar." Then he sat down in his "guitar chair" and let his thumb and other four finger pick a little. Then he turned his head sideways as if listening for foxhounds to come back in hearing of a distance run and he would tune each string to his ear's satisfaction. A unique way of tuning and I may not have seen what I thought. He gave a pluck on the string directly over the 3rd fret I think then a quick light pluck of the next string down directly over the 5th fret and when they sounded just a like he would repeat on next string. He did something different on the B and G strings. I was anxious for tuning to be over and playing to begin and it did. He has written 100s of songs but not one lyric. He says, "coach, let me play you one I wrote" and I am dying to hear him play his Guild that Richard sent him that he thinks is my Guild. He doesn't warm up he just starts playing a beautiful melody that very few have ever heard. It was two or three minutes worth of beautiful finger picking. He began heaping praise on "my" Guild. Little does he know. Ha. I asked him when he wrote that song and told me "a couple winters ago."
I will paraphrase what he told me best I can. A coupe winters ago it got down in the single digits and stayed there four or five days hoovering near zero at night. Remember the "old tire changer" who reintroduced us. Well, Johnny caught a ride to his tire shop and they were playing music together when the "old tire changer" invited Johnny to stay at his shop until the freezing weather warmed up. And Johnny stayed there day and night for the next three days. Business hours from 8--5 and local police notified and told there would be someone there at night. Johnny was in Heaven-warm and a choice of a Martin or a Gibson to play all he wanted.
Th song he played on "my" Guild was written in "the old tire changers" shop while he was staying warm. I listened to him play and tell me what a "great" guitar I had.
One side note-he had added a small pair of vise grips to help a tuner knob that had broken on his guitar. It was an electric tuning knob for the opposie side of headstock.
It was time for me to leave and I said simply and quickly, "Johnny that's not my guitar that is your guitar given to you by a gentleman named Richard Peterson from Michigan. There are lots of good people in the world." I hurried out the door. He did not have words and as I walked to get in my truck and he closed his door I heard him playing before I got my truck door open. Need I say more. Richard you deserve a special blessing.
 

bobouz

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Didn't see this until just now.

Stu, thank you for sharing Johnny's story.

And Richard, you are the best!
 
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