Lee McAlpin
Songwriter, Pianist and Recording Artist
Inducted by Shawn Pitts, McNairy County Music Hall of Fame Chairman
June 8, 2024
Lee McAlpin got his start playing music on a homemade bass fiddle, cobbled together with a wooden flour barrel, and whatever else he could find. That Pocahontas, Tennessee, do-it-yourself spirit of creativity would serve Lee well over the years.
That first band was a family affair called Sonny Lee and the Loafers, and the lineup included his brother Don, sister Lila, and various other family members. The McAlpin siblings came by music honestly. Their mother, uncle and grandmother were all talented musicians who, though sometimes short on financial resources, always ensured that music was available in the home. Despite their humble origins, Sonny Lee and the Loafers would soon find themselves carrying their novelty act—everyone but Don, on acoustic guitar, played homemade instruments—to Memphis for TV appearances on the popluar Slim Rhodes Show. From there, it was off to the races.
When he wasn’t making appearance with the Loafers, Lee’s intense interest in the keyboard often motivated him to practice on his grandmother’s old pump organ or a borrowed piano at a nearby church. The influences of Fats Domino, Floyd Cramer, Piano Red and Jerry Lee Lewis were unmistakable in his style, a style which soon landed Lee in Larry Brinkley’s up and coming rockabilly band. Touring the country, cowriting the bands material, and recording with Brinkley got him noticed and opened new doors for Lee’s budding piano career.
He had met Carl Perkins at gigs with Brinkley’s band, but when Carl’s oldest son, Stan—a gifted musician in his own right—was recruited to play drums for Brinkley, it put Lee in regular contact with the rockabilly icon. Larry and Lee often wound up at the Perkins home, talking music and jamming with Carl. In 1976, Carl invited Lee to join his band, the CP Express, which turned into more than a decade touring Europe and the North America with one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll. By his own conservative estimate Lee performed in all but eight US States and more than a dozen European countries–a man loses count after a while.
Along the way, Lee met or shared the stage with a who’s who list of American music greats including: Johnny Cash, Jeff Beck, Fats Domino, Loretta Lynn, Bo Diddley, George Jones, The Statler Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Willians Jr., Charlie Daniels, Buck Owens, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, T.G. Shepherd, The Oak Ridge Boys, Don Williams, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Asleep At The Wheel, The Kentucky Headhunters, Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Sammy Kershaw, Jerry Reed, and the list goes on and on.
But songwriting was always closer to Lee’s heart, and far more gratifying to him than rubbing elbows with celebrities. In 1965 Lee’s tune, “I Had One Too Many,” recorded by the Wilburn Brothers, cracked the top 10 on the country music charts. Not a bad start for a first outing. Since then, Lee's songs have been recorded by Carl Perkins, Eddy Arnold, Loretta Lynn, Norma Jean and dozens of other national and international country, rock, and rockabilly artists.
Lee's band 10-0-C is still active and in demand for festivals and concert series around the region. And though he's recorded for a number of labels, with various artists over the years, he's as proud of the CDs he made with his friend, David Pulse, and their 10-0-C bandmates, as anything he's ever done. The band's name is even derived from one of Lee's favorite Carl Perkins stories. When Perkins was visiting Sir Paul McCartney in Montserrat, McCartney's kids would affectionately refer to him as Mr. Tenn-o-see, echoing Carl's rounded Southern drawl. Lee thought 10-0-C would make a fine name for a band, and so it has.
Nowadays, Lee can be found at his private studio on a shady street a few blocks from downtown Middleton, writing and pitching new songs. He's still got plenty of music in him. Just a few miles southeast of his home and studio, a stretch of rural Highway 57 runs through his beloved Pocahontas, Tenn-o-see. All those years ago, when Lee was dragging a flour barrel bass up and down that road, you might never have convinced the young musician that it would one day bear the name, "The Lee McAlpin Rock 'n' Roll Highway."
June 8, 2024
Lee McAlpin got his start playing music on a homemade bass fiddle, cobbled together with a wooden flour barrel, and whatever else he could find. That Pocahontas, Tennessee, do-it-yourself spirit of creativity would serve Lee well over the years.
That first band was a family affair called Sonny Lee and the Loafers, and the lineup included his brother Don, sister Lila, and various other family members. The McAlpin siblings came by music honestly. Their mother, uncle and grandmother were all talented musicians who, though sometimes short on financial resources, always ensured that music was available in the home. Despite their humble origins, Sonny Lee and the Loafers would soon find themselves carrying their novelty act—everyone but Don, on acoustic guitar, played homemade instruments—to Memphis for TV appearances on the popluar Slim Rhodes Show. From there, it was off to the races.
When he wasn’t making appearance with the Loafers, Lee’s intense interest in the keyboard often motivated him to practice on his grandmother’s old pump organ or a borrowed piano at a nearby church. The influences of Fats Domino, Floyd Cramer, Piano Red and Jerry Lee Lewis were unmistakable in his style, a style which soon landed Lee in Larry Brinkley’s up and coming rockabilly band. Touring the country, cowriting the bands material, and recording with Brinkley got him noticed and opened new doors for Lee’s budding piano career.
He had met Carl Perkins at gigs with Brinkley’s band, but when Carl’s oldest son, Stan—a gifted musician in his own right—was recruited to play drums for Brinkley, it put Lee in regular contact with the rockabilly icon. Larry and Lee often wound up at the Perkins home, talking music and jamming with Carl. In 1976, Carl invited Lee to join his band, the CP Express, which turned into more than a decade touring Europe and the North America with one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll. By his own conservative estimate Lee performed in all but eight US States and more than a dozen European countries–a man loses count after a while.
Along the way, Lee met or shared the stage with a who’s who list of American music greats including: Johnny Cash, Jeff Beck, Fats Domino, Loretta Lynn, Bo Diddley, George Jones, The Statler Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Willians Jr., Charlie Daniels, Buck Owens, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, T.G. Shepherd, The Oak Ridge Boys, Don Williams, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Asleep At The Wheel, The Kentucky Headhunters, Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Sammy Kershaw, Jerry Reed, and the list goes on and on.
But songwriting was always closer to Lee’s heart, and far more gratifying to him than rubbing elbows with celebrities. In 1965 Lee’s tune, “I Had One Too Many,” recorded by the Wilburn Brothers, cracked the top 10 on the country music charts. Not a bad start for a first outing. Since then, Lee's songs have been recorded by Carl Perkins, Eddy Arnold, Loretta Lynn, Norma Jean and dozens of other national and international country, rock, and rockabilly artists.
Lee's band 10-0-C is still active and in demand for festivals and concert series around the region. And though he's recorded for a number of labels, with various artists over the years, he's as proud of the CDs he made with his friend, David Pulse, and their 10-0-C bandmates, as anything he's ever done. The band's name is even derived from one of Lee's favorite Carl Perkins stories. When Perkins was visiting Sir Paul McCartney in Montserrat, McCartney's kids would affectionately refer to him as Mr. Tenn-o-see, echoing Carl's rounded Southern drawl. Lee thought 10-0-C would make a fine name for a band, and so it has.
Nowadays, Lee can be found at his private studio on a shady street a few blocks from downtown Middleton, writing and pitching new songs. He's still got plenty of music in him. Just a few miles southeast of his home and studio, a stretch of rural Highway 57 runs through his beloved Pocahontas, Tenn-o-see. All those years ago, when Lee was dragging a flour barrel bass up and down that road, you might never have convinced the young musician that it would one day bear the name, "The Lee McAlpin Rock 'n' Roll Highway."
Charles Cox
Old-time Fiddler and Classical Violinist
Inducted by Ross Mitchell, Arts in McNairy President
June 8, 2024
Charles Cox was a most unusual fiddler by McNairy County standards. He grew up in McNairy and Chester Counties near the McNairy and Woodville communities, adopting fiddle as his primary instrument at an early age. Charlie was steeped in the old-time, western swing and bluegrass music popular in the area, but was once described by Hall of Fame legend, Wayne Jerrolds, as, "not your average country fiddler.” Even at an early age, his fellow musicians recognized something different in Charlies touch and timing.
Perhaps it was this open-minded view of musical possibilities that caused Charlie to spot, and appreciate, the talents of a young Carl Perkins. Perkins made his first documented recordings in 1951 at Eastview, Tennessee with one of Charlie's early bands, The Southern Playboys. Stanton Littlejohn captured the Playboys, with Perkins on guitar and vocals, performing the Eddy Arnold country classic, There's Been a Change in Me, and the old-time fiddle standard, Devil's Dream. Charlie easily held his own in those sessions, toggling between lyrical musicality to complement the vocals on the country tune, and red-hot fiddling on the old-time breakdown. The recordings are widely regarded as the first of Perkins illustrious career, and they might never have occurred had Charlie Cox not seen something in an unconventional young guitarist looking for a break.
Cox would make the rare transition from self-taught fiddler to classical violinist, performing through the 1960s and 70s with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, where he was respected by classically trained orchestra members as a peer with an extraordinary work ethic and uncanny musical versatility. Charlie’s wide-ranging musical exploration and a towering talent were appreciated by old-time dancers at the storied Five Points Dance in Chester County, concertgoer at the Latta Ford Jams in McNairy County, patrons of the symphony in Madison County, and beyond. With the international release of the LP/CD set, Discovering Carl Perkins in 2019, Charlie’s music has now been heard by a worldwide audience.
June 8, 2024
Charles Cox was a most unusual fiddler by McNairy County standards. He grew up in McNairy and Chester Counties near the McNairy and Woodville communities, adopting fiddle as his primary instrument at an early age. Charlie was steeped in the old-time, western swing and bluegrass music popular in the area, but was once described by Hall of Fame legend, Wayne Jerrolds, as, "not your average country fiddler.” Even at an early age, his fellow musicians recognized something different in Charlies touch and timing.
Perhaps it was this open-minded view of musical possibilities that caused Charlie to spot, and appreciate, the talents of a young Carl Perkins. Perkins made his first documented recordings in 1951 at Eastview, Tennessee with one of Charlie's early bands, The Southern Playboys. Stanton Littlejohn captured the Playboys, with Perkins on guitar and vocals, performing the Eddy Arnold country classic, There's Been a Change in Me, and the old-time fiddle standard, Devil's Dream. Charlie easily held his own in those sessions, toggling between lyrical musicality to complement the vocals on the country tune, and red-hot fiddling on the old-time breakdown. The recordings are widely regarded as the first of Perkins illustrious career, and they might never have occurred had Charlie Cox not seen something in an unconventional young guitarist looking for a break.
Cox would make the rare transition from self-taught fiddler to classical violinist, performing through the 1960s and 70s with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, where he was respected by classically trained orchestra members as a peer with an extraordinary work ethic and uncanny musical versatility. Charlie’s wide-ranging musical exploration and a towering talent were appreciated by old-time dancers at the storied Five Points Dance in Chester County, concertgoer at the Latta Ford Jams in McNairy County, patrons of the symphony in Madison County, and beyond. With the international release of the LP/CD set, Discovering Carl Perkins in 2019, Charlie’s music has now been heard by a worldwide audience.
The Brown & Armstrong Family String Band
Influential Old-time Music Artists
Calip Armstrong Circa 1936
Inducted by LaShell Moore, Arts in McNairy Vice President and Diversity Chair
June 10, 2023
Rockabilly Highway Mural III, by muralist Brian Tull (class of 2013), completed an outstanding trilogy of world class public art installations in downtown Selmer. The first two images were seen by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide—perhaps even millions—and the 2023 addition rounded out an important narrative about who we, the residents of McNairy County, are as a people. RHM III tells a fuller story of the music we have made and valued, as one community. And it is a music that changed the world.
At the turn of the century the Browns and Armstrongs, interconnected families from the Pebble Hill Community of southern McNairy County, produced some of the area’s most notable musicians. John Brown (guitar) and his two sons Earl (banjo) and Archie “Doc” Brown (guitar), formed one of the most popular string bands in the region. County historian, and old-time buck dance champion, E.D. Richard, recalled the Brown and Armstrong families playing to great acclaim at mixed race house parties and public events through the first half of the twentieth century. Richard was particularly impressed by Earl Brown’s unique banjo style.
The matriarch of the Brown family, Fanny Armstrong Brown, had a talented brother by the name of Calip Armstrong who joined in, and was also regarded as one of the best banjoist from southeast McNairy County. Earl Brown undoubtedly learned many of his banjo skills from his uncle Calip.
The string band tradition of McNairy and surroundings counties was deeply influenced by these musicians. The Browns’ popularity was a direct result of the high quality musicianship they displayed and the familiarity of local audiences with their repertoire. Many of the tunes that survive in the modern bluegrass and old-time traditions were shaped by African American banjo and fiddle styles dating to the early 1800s. Families like the Browns and Armstrongs preserved important techniques and tunes that stylistically impacted their white contemporaries. Those influences can be heard in the music of legendary, Hall of Fame musicians such as Elvis Black (class of 2014 ) and Waldo Davis (class of 2016), among others.
And it goes without saying that without African American influence there would be no Rockabilly. No Elvis, no Carl Perkins or Jerry Lee Lewis. No Rock ’n’ Roll. No serious historian or musicologist would argue otherwise.
Rockabilly Highway Mural III pays homage to the depths of African American music heritage in McNairy County, and two families who were at the heart of that tradition. Several descendants of the Brown and Armstrong families still reside in McNairy and Alcorn County Mississippi and we are pleased to recognize Calip Armstrong, John Brown, Earl Brown and Archie Brown with honorary induction into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in 2023.
June 10, 2023
Rockabilly Highway Mural III, by muralist Brian Tull (class of 2013), completed an outstanding trilogy of world class public art installations in downtown Selmer. The first two images were seen by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide—perhaps even millions—and the 2023 addition rounded out an important narrative about who we, the residents of McNairy County, are as a people. RHM III tells a fuller story of the music we have made and valued, as one community. And it is a music that changed the world.
At the turn of the century the Browns and Armstrongs, interconnected families from the Pebble Hill Community of southern McNairy County, produced some of the area’s most notable musicians. John Brown (guitar) and his two sons Earl (banjo) and Archie “Doc” Brown (guitar), formed one of the most popular string bands in the region. County historian, and old-time buck dance champion, E.D. Richard, recalled the Brown and Armstrong families playing to great acclaim at mixed race house parties and public events through the first half of the twentieth century. Richard was particularly impressed by Earl Brown’s unique banjo style.
The matriarch of the Brown family, Fanny Armstrong Brown, had a talented brother by the name of Calip Armstrong who joined in, and was also regarded as one of the best banjoist from southeast McNairy County. Earl Brown undoubtedly learned many of his banjo skills from his uncle Calip.
The string band tradition of McNairy and surroundings counties was deeply influenced by these musicians. The Browns’ popularity was a direct result of the high quality musicianship they displayed and the familiarity of local audiences with their repertoire. Many of the tunes that survive in the modern bluegrass and old-time traditions were shaped by African American banjo and fiddle styles dating to the early 1800s. Families like the Browns and Armstrongs preserved important techniques and tunes that stylistically impacted their white contemporaries. Those influences can be heard in the music of legendary, Hall of Fame musicians such as Elvis Black (class of 2014 ) and Waldo Davis (class of 2016), among others.
And it goes without saying that without African American influence there would be no Rockabilly. No Elvis, no Carl Perkins or Jerry Lee Lewis. No Rock ’n’ Roll. No serious historian or musicologist would argue otherwise.
Rockabilly Highway Mural III pays homage to the depths of African American music heritage in McNairy County, and two families who were at the heart of that tradition. Several descendants of the Brown and Armstrong families still reside in McNairy and Alcorn County Mississippi and we are pleased to recognize Calip Armstrong, John Brown, Earl Brown and Archie Brown with honorary induction into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in 2023.
Dr. Shawn Pitts
Musician, Arts Advocate and Preservationist
Inducted by Jack Martin (Board Representative) and Russell Ingle (cofounder McNairy Music Hall of Fame)
September 10, 2022
Shawn Pitts is a native of McNairy County, a musician, a community arts advocate, an avocational folklorist and a historic and cultural preservationist.
He began playing organized music at the age of ten, and has played drums in various bands and ensembles ever since, covering a wide range of musical styles from jazz, to rock, blues, classical, country and rockabilly. In high school, he was a student of Hall of Fame band director, Frank Congiardo Jr., and was recognized with the John Philip Sousa Award for outstanding musicianship and leadership in Congiardo’s band program. Shawn is also handy at a piano and with a number of stringed instruments, playing often with friends and family, or for his own enjoyment.
In 2001, Shawn cofounded Arts in McNairy, the first countywide nonprofit arts agency. As the organization’s original Music Chair, he brought a variety of musical genres to local stages for public performances; organized and played for the McNairy County Community Band; and acted as orchestra coordinator and percussionist for numerous musical theatre productions.
In his role as Arts in McNairy’s Traditional Arts Chair, Shawn has made a profound impact on the county’s musical culture. Beginning in 2006, he began documenting the region’s rich musical history, resulting in the rediscovery and digital preservation of the Stanton Littlejohn archive. For this work, he was awarded by the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. To date, he has produced three media releases associated with the Littlejohn material: a short film titled Homegrown: Music in McNairy; a local “best of” CD titled, The Littlejohn Sessions Vol. I; and the international release of Discovering Carl Perkins: Eastview, Tennessee 1952-53, a critically acclaimed LP/CD set by Bear Family Records.
Shawn has also been active speaking and writing about the region’s music with essays appearing in prestigious journals such as Southern Cultures from University of North Carolina Press and the Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin. Popular online and print periodical such as The Bitter Southerner, Salvation South, Y’all Magazine and The Daily Yonder, among others, have published his music writing. He has presented on local music culture for many conferences and panels including events for The Tennessee Folklore Society, Jackson Madison County Library Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, West Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee Association of Museums, Freed Hardeman University and many others.
In 2015 Shawn played a pivotal role in acquiring and preserving a collection of seven Tennessee music boxes, a rare and endangered folk instrument native to the counties of southwest and south middle Tennessee. His research has added four previously unknown instruments to the collection and provided documentation for several others. The Ellis Truett Jr. collection, now owned by Arts in McNairy, is one of the largest and most significant assemblages of Tennessee music boxes in the world. Additionally, the Arts in McNairy Cultural Collection, curated and managed by Shawn’s Traditional Arts Committee, houses hundreds of photos, videos, documents and recordings preserving a lasting record of many aspects of McNairy County musical history.
Shawn, along with County Mayor Jai Templeton, was the driving force behind the acquisition and preservation of the Latta Visitors and Cultural Center in downtown Selmer. He spent five years coordinating local and state efforts to restore the property, while thoroughly documenting the history of the building as a cultural space. The Latta, as it is now affectionately known, opened as a hub for arts programming, cultural tourism, and economic development in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Shawn became cofounder of the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame and Trail of Music Legends, and he has acted as primary organizer and producer of the annual induction ceremony and tribute concert for more than a decade. In cooperation with the Arts in McNairy Visual Arts Committee, he commissioned artist, Brian Tull, to complete the iconic Rockabilly Highway Murals which pay homage to many of the facets of local music history Shawn has worked to preserve.
Shawn's wife, Joanna, is a gifted vocalist, actor, director, visual and textile artist. The couple raised their daughters Emily Pitts Donahoe and Allie Pitts Miller in this community, and both are deeply creative and musical in their own right. As a family, the Pittses have etched a deep mark in McNairy County's cultural history with their advocacy for local arts and music.
September 10, 2022
Shawn Pitts is a native of McNairy County, a musician, a community arts advocate, an avocational folklorist and a historic and cultural preservationist.
He began playing organized music at the age of ten, and has played drums in various bands and ensembles ever since, covering a wide range of musical styles from jazz, to rock, blues, classical, country and rockabilly. In high school, he was a student of Hall of Fame band director, Frank Congiardo Jr., and was recognized with the John Philip Sousa Award for outstanding musicianship and leadership in Congiardo’s band program. Shawn is also handy at a piano and with a number of stringed instruments, playing often with friends and family, or for his own enjoyment.
In 2001, Shawn cofounded Arts in McNairy, the first countywide nonprofit arts agency. As the organization’s original Music Chair, he brought a variety of musical genres to local stages for public performances; organized and played for the McNairy County Community Band; and acted as orchestra coordinator and percussionist for numerous musical theatre productions.
In his role as Arts in McNairy’s Traditional Arts Chair, Shawn has made a profound impact on the county’s musical culture. Beginning in 2006, he began documenting the region’s rich musical history, resulting in the rediscovery and digital preservation of the Stanton Littlejohn archive. For this work, he was awarded by the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. To date, he has produced three media releases associated with the Littlejohn material: a short film titled Homegrown: Music in McNairy; a local “best of” CD titled, The Littlejohn Sessions Vol. I; and the international release of Discovering Carl Perkins: Eastview, Tennessee 1952-53, a critically acclaimed LP/CD set by Bear Family Records.
Shawn has also been active speaking and writing about the region’s music with essays appearing in prestigious journals such as Southern Cultures from University of North Carolina Press and the Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin. Popular online and print periodical such as The Bitter Southerner, Salvation South, Y’all Magazine and The Daily Yonder, among others, have published his music writing. He has presented on local music culture for many conferences and panels including events for The Tennessee Folklore Society, Jackson Madison County Library Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, West Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee Association of Museums, Freed Hardeman University and many others.
In 2015 Shawn played a pivotal role in acquiring and preserving a collection of seven Tennessee music boxes, a rare and endangered folk instrument native to the counties of southwest and south middle Tennessee. His research has added four previously unknown instruments to the collection and provided documentation for several others. The Ellis Truett Jr. collection, now owned by Arts in McNairy, is one of the largest and most significant assemblages of Tennessee music boxes in the world. Additionally, the Arts in McNairy Cultural Collection, curated and managed by Shawn’s Traditional Arts Committee, houses hundreds of photos, videos, documents and recordings preserving a lasting record of many aspects of McNairy County musical history.
Shawn, along with County Mayor Jai Templeton, was the driving force behind the acquisition and preservation of the Latta Visitors and Cultural Center in downtown Selmer. He spent five years coordinating local and state efforts to restore the property, while thoroughly documenting the history of the building as a cultural space. The Latta, as it is now affectionately known, opened as a hub for arts programming, cultural tourism, and economic development in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Shawn became cofounder of the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame and Trail of Music Legends, and he has acted as primary organizer and producer of the annual induction ceremony and tribute concert for more than a decade. In cooperation with the Arts in McNairy Visual Arts Committee, he commissioned artist, Brian Tull, to complete the iconic Rockabilly Highway Murals which pay homage to many of the facets of local music history Shawn has worked to preserve.
Shawn's wife, Joanna, is a gifted vocalist, actor, director, visual and textile artist. The couple raised their daughters Emily Pitts Donahoe and Allie Pitts Miller in this community, and both are deeply creative and musical in their own right. As a family, the Pittses have etched a deep mark in McNairy County's cultural history with their advocacy for local arts and music.