For anyone who is interested in my writing, here are links to free versions of all of my books. Just tap the book title to access a free PDF file on Google Drive.
Little Green Book of Tennis (3rd edition) A new 2023 digital-only version of the Little Green Book edited to only tennis related writing, including some new chapters from the past few years. You can also download the3rd edition— a revised edition. Play is Where Life is is the first book I wrote.
Em Ole Coaches Lessons learned from my family, friends, and colleagues over my career. This book is a personal collection of insights from some of my favorite people.
A Level of Thinking A collection of essays on a wide variety of subjects including sports, politics, and American culture.
Helping A collection of essays on tennis and coaching, many of which are posted here on the blog. The second half of the book chronicles the impact of international players on college tennis.
Thanksgiving A collection of personal thoughts, stories, and pictures. Many of the essays were also posted here on my blog.
Nearly Fifty For almost fifty years, my closest friends gathered once a year for a men’s weekend. This book collects some of my favorite stories and pictures from this tradition. If you would like a copy of this book, please email me.
A Ferrol Sam’s character, providing a bed in his home to a destitute acquaintence, offered ” …IF YOU NEED ANYTHING CALL ME, AND I WILL TALK YOU OUT OF NEEDING IT.”
Last spring small alligators appeared in a few of our community’s 10 ponds.
The Wildlife’s Alligator Man spoke to our group. For an hour he tried to sell two points: 1. The small ones we had spotted can’t hurt us and 2. When they grow to a dangerous size Wildlife would relocate them.
The problem was earlier he had extolled the amazing ability of grown Gators to remember, and often return to, their origins.
Say What?
Trump snuck igconito on to plane 2. He sent J. D. and Mario and the others on the “safe one.”
Make/Model: AMI Model F40 F80 F120 Year: 1954 Selections: F40 – 40 78 RPM / F80 – 80 45 RPM / F120 – 120 45 RPM Amplifier: R145 Stepper: 40 Select uses S40 Stepper, 80 select used S80 Stepper for W80 wallbox, 120 select used the S120 for the w120 wallbox
AMI Model F was offered both with the older mechanism 40 select 78RPM, but also with their new mechanism supporting 80/120 selections for 45 RPM only. the S120 and W120 wallboxes can be used with the 80 select unit but the higher selections wont do anything and the stepper might be a tight fit with the extra connections. This year saw an update the the mechanism carriage to a more robust turntable and tone arm system. Was also the last known year for the 40 select 78 rpm, even though 1955 advertised it, no known are to exist.
ITS HISTORY (From PLAY IS WHERE LIFE IS by Tom Parham )
The Juke Box
My first job paid $4600 a year in 1964. The only affordable housing I could find was a back room at Mae Hollowell’s Beauty Shop. A plumber named Luther Gott occupied the other rented room. Luther like philosophy aided by ancient age; “Sex won’t kill you, but running after it will wear you down.”
Joe Robinson, Carolina tight-end in the 1963 Gator Bowl, was rooming with a Tar Heel family. They charged him $5 a week. Joe and I decided to look for an affordable bachelor’s pad.
I found one. In a new concept for Wilson, North Carolina, Briarcliff Apartments were new and quite nice. My good friend, Jean Peake, suggested I move in with a guy named Phil Nordan. Phil was a liquor salesman.
We were having a great time, car, Briarcliff, twenty-six years old and coaching. I was paid little. Sometimes that bothered me, but mostly I was doing okay.
Then a bump. Joe got drafted. Phil got married. I was back on the street.
I moved into all I could afford. Varita Court, downtown Wilson. I slept on a chaise lounge until Jean heard about me. She sold me two single beds for $12.50 each from hospital storage. The beds and the jukebox were my only furniture.
The juke box featured a green light bulb. I located it so I could sit on the fire escape an throw beer cans at the Shell Station chimney located below me. “Like a Rolling Stone” was #1, “ A Whiter Shade of Pale”, “Since I Lost My Baby,” “Mr. Tambourine Man” and other great 60’s music were my roomies. I was lonely. The total utility bill was $3.48 one month.
I was the only male in the three story building, in apartment “R”. There was an elevator with a stroke-ridden black man named Jesse sitting in it all day. Most of the tenants were widows. They peered out their doors as I put the jukebox on Jesse’s elevator. Jesse giggled.
Everyone ought to live alone for some period in their lives. It’s not all bad, but I didn’t like it in Varita Court.
Excerpt from “Play is Where Life Is”
The jukebox mentioned in this passage was a “god-send” of sorts.
One of the basketball stars was a young man named Larry Jones. Jones was called “Chief” because he was a handsome, “Indian-looking,” 6 foot 5 inch, 210 pound stud from Mt. Olive. I casually mentioned that I would like to find a jukebox. Maybe that would help with my loneliness in Varita Court. Jones said, “I’ll find you a jukebox.”
A week later he said he’d found one. “How much do they want for it?” I asked.
Surprised he asked, “You want to pay for it?!”
We did find one, to buy, for $100 from a black guy named Kay Wooten in Fremont, North Carolina. It was a 1954 AMI Wooden. Not the Wurlitzer Double (?) Circler (?) but it would play. Loud. It was too big to mount in a Corvette, but I do believe that I could have competed with the Wilson “Boom Boxes of 1968”.
I painted it red and kept it throughout my kids’ stay with us. When they left, I sold it to my good friend Bill Morningstar, the golf coach at Elon. “Star” is a pinhook, he’ll buy anything. Mostly old cars. He painted it black. Macho. And he still has it.
You could rotate 40 records. The list below are some of the AMI Selections of 1968-1988.
1. Like a Rolling Stone-Bob Dylan 2. Cleo’s Mood-Jr. Walker and the All-Stars 3. Whiter Shade of Pale-Procol Harem 4. SInce I Lost My Baby-The Temptations 5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down-Joan Baez 6. Yesterday-Ray Charles 7. The Weight-Jackie DeShannon 8. Light My Fire-Jose Feliciano 9. Any Day Now-Chuck Jackson 10. Ain’t That Loving You Baby-Jimmy Reed 11. Silver Threads and Golden Needles- 12. Walk On By-Dionne Warwick 13. I’ll Be Doggone-Marvin Gaye 14. Hey Joe-Jimi Hendrix 15. Sweet Baby James-James Taylor 16. Rescue Me-Fontella Bass 17. Baby Love-The Supremes 18. Good Golly Miss Molly-Little Richard 19. Don’t Be Cruel-Elvis Presley 20. Fire Lake-Bob Seger 21. What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am-The Tams 22. Born to Run-Emmylou Harris 23. Get Rhythm-Johnny Cash 24. Get Back-The Beatles 25. Honky Tonk Women-The Rolling Stones 26. I Still Miss Someone-Emmylou Harris 27. He Stopped Loving Her Today-George Jones 28. Knock On Wood-Eddie Floyd 29. Take Out Some Insurance-Jimmy Reed 30. Little Help From My Friends-Joe Cocker 31. Lay, Lady, Lay-Bob Dylan 32. Roll Me Away-Bob Seger 33. Still the Same-Bob Seger 34. Stand By Me-Ben King 35. America-Ray Charles 36. Georgia-Ray Charles 37. Busted-Ray Charles 38. Maybeline-Chuck Berry 39. Somewhere Over the Rainbow-Jerry Lee Lewis 40. I’m Walking-Fats Domino 41. Jim Dandy-Lavern Baker 42. Rave On-Buddy Holly
“Music can save your very soul.” -Don McLean, “American Pie”
“IF YOU EVER CHANGE YO MIND ABOUT LEAVING, LEAVING ME BEHIND,
THEN BRING YO SWEET LOVING, BRING IT ON HOME TO ME” eddie floyd
This has been a lot of fun. It is TOUCHY and not many can fix it. I know such a person and have the manual that goes with it.
