Corsicana Set to Honor Billy Joe Shaver
Organizers are working on plans for original country music Outlaw Billy Joe Shaver to be honored by Corsicana, TX, the town he was born in.
Tentative plans include renaming a portion of the street Billy Joe grew up on in Corsicana to “Billy Joe Shaver Way,” as well as adding a prominent “Billy Joe Shaver Way” exit off of Interstate 45. Shaver’s dad left before he was born, and so his grandmother would watch him while his mother traveled to Waco for work. Corsicana is where he received his “8th Grade education” made famous by his hit “Georgia On A Fast Train.” (Shaver dropped out to pick cotton with his uncles.)
There’s also plans for a Billy Joe “Appreciation Day,” tentatively set for Tuesday, October 12, with “several Texas and some out of state artists who have agreed to appear.”
Billy Joe’s 2002 album Freedom’s Child includes a song called Corsicana Daily Sun in which Billy Joe recalls leaving his grandmother’s side, and later reminisces about the simple pleasures of Corsicana life.
*****UPDATE*****UPDATE*****UPDATE*****
AJ, whose been a big help with this story, just posted some additional info in the comments:
“This was the brainchild of Kris Smith, music writer for the Navarro County Times. She also said they would likely have an unveiling of the I45 signs around 4:00 in the afternoon, and then a tribute concert beginning at 6:30 (on Oct 12th, 2010).
James G. Odom said, “Billy will be there. He seemed to get a big lift when I told him about it Friday. The show will be acoustic, and participants will sing Shaver songs only. No one is being paid. Whether Billy plays is purely up to him.”
Please note: These events are still being planned and organized so details might change in the future. I’ll try to keep everyone updated when times, places, and people are set in stone.
August 23, 2010 @ 6:02 am
I sure am glad Corsicana appreciates Billy Joe, as they should!
Twang Nation » Blog Archive » News Round Up: Billy Joe Shaver To Be Honored In Home Town
August 23, 2010 @ 6:59 am
[…] Country Music posts that Texas Country Outlaw Billy Joe Shaver is set to be honored by Corsicana, TX, the town he was […]
August 23, 2010 @ 7:18 am
This was the brainchild of Kris Smith, music writer for the Navarro County Times, She also said they would likely have an unveiling of the I45 signs around 4:00 in the afternoon, and then a tribute concert beginning at 6:30. James G. Odom said, “Billy will be there. He seemed to get a big lift when I told him about it Friday.
The show will be acoustic, and participants will sing Shaver songs only. No one is being paid. Whether Billy plays is purely up to him.”
August 23, 2010 @ 7:46 am
Thanks for the update AJ, and running down this story!
Miranda Lambert Slates Acoustic DVD; Randy Travis Prepares Duet Album with McGraw, Chesney and Underwood | The 9513
August 23, 2010 @ 8:59 am
[…] Texas, the birthplace of Billy Joe Shaver, plans to honor its famous son through the renaming of a portion of 15th Street and declaring Oct. 12 Billy Joe “Appreciation […]
August 23, 2010 @ 8:48 pm
Rumor has it, when they asked Billy Joe if he could appear, he said Course I Can. Thanks for posting this Triggerman!
August 24, 2010 @ 1:25 pm
Sounds like a great time and you know we love us some Billy Joe but we hold down the Ray Wylie camp and have not heard anything about this show nor do we have it on our calendar so FYI..the Ray Wyle and probably Randy Rogers appearances are more rumor than fact at this point.
Cheers,
Mother Hubbard
August 25, 2010 @ 3:22 pm
Everybody needs to slow their roll. Organizers for the Billy Joe Shaver Tribute show had their first tentative meeting with the City of Corsicana yesterday (8-24-10) to begin discussions about whether renaming a street is even possible. It is NOT a done deal. The city seems to be very receptive, but this is a process that will take months, and we’re just at the beginning of the “let’s talk about it” stage.
The Tribute concert is scheduled for October 12, but please, let’s not get the cart before the horse on what will be presented or who will be attending, and until a press release and advertising begins.
August 26, 2010 @ 8:05 am
The tribute to Billy Joe is definite, however, the exact details are still in various stages of completion. There are several options in the planning stage. I apologize for any misinformation. I was simply alerting the members of the Shaver email list of what was in the works. No information was cleared or intended for universal publication. Some information I received may have been incomplete or misunderstood. There are several Texas and some out of state artists who have definitely agreed to appear and are talking with their friends. Other performers are being contacted or are on the “really want them there” list. The final plans will be announced with an official release within the next couple of weeks.
August 26, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
Ok, I just changed some of the specifics of this article to appease some people and to hopefully eliminate confusion. This is not something I like doing and it is very rare, esp. when some of the particulars I changed are probably correct. As I said in the article before I made the changes, all of the particulars are “tentative” and I assume that my readers are intelligent, and will not get mad or confused if particulars for an event in the distant future change.
Sorry for any confusion or problems, all I was trying to do was get info out about Billy Joe Shaver.
As you were.
August 26, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
A GIG “WHOOPS!” ON MY PART HERE, SORRY TRIGGERMAN!
August 26, 2010 @ 9:48 pm
Not at all AJ, you done fine. Sometimes things just happen.
August 27, 2010 @ 6:16 am
Hey, AJ, you and Triggerman are fine. Neither Billy nor I have any problems with it. This site is a good work. Will be one of the first places to get the official press release. Thanks for keeping country news out there.