60'S Culture: Cool Guys

King Cool of the 60's
Ok folks...I want nominations. Gotta be a Forrest City guy, any age, any reason. Give Name & short reason why. (Girls and Guys both nominate)

Lin: Without a doubt the FC King of Cool in the 60's was Stevie Stevens. From the 60's until the day he died he reigns as the FC Kof C.

Anonymous: You'll get no challenges to that one! We'll have to take nominations for King Cool's Court instead. Here's a few:
Lanier Fogg - shopped in the black music store for music before it was cool; brassy brainiac; could see your underwear with all your clothes on and a coat; curley headed sultan.
Ollie Warren - Played drums in Roy Orbison's band, the Peppermint lounge in NYC, rode a motorcycle in high school, wore jeans & a white Tshirt and rolled up filterless camels in the shirt sleeve (with pennies in the camel pack), knew how to melt brass knuckles in boiling water; Paul Newman eyes.
O.C. ___ - Great African-American piano player bon vivant with a smile & a tune for everyone
William Ingram- The brave little Black man (12-13 yrs old) who came to Sam Smith Jr High each day in a cab, carrying a little briefcase, all by himself, into an all white school, the first child to do so, quietly with dignity, walking towards the entrance of an empty school yard just after the first bell, while all the kids were in their seats, staring at him out the windows. The image is sealed in my brain forever but I don't recall his name...he was so totally cool, I was in awe...
Tommy Melton The best Beatle boots & Beatle hair in 3 states
Mr Shuford So NOT cool he was cool in a weird way
Don Kessinger a six-time All-Star, was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1964.

Lin: We have to include Charley Rich and the Rev. Al Green in the FC Court of Cool. Their contributions to music have put St. Francis County on the music map.

Anonymous: I have two cool nominees: Collie Walker, who let the cheerleaders leave during study hall in his car to go downtown and sell raffle tickets, and "Flash" Harris, the coolest biology teacher ever.

Paul: Hmmmm...I've contemplated this all week...and can think of a bunch of people who should be nominated - but no one person who stands above the rest. Yes, I did think of Donnie Kessenger too. Didn't B.B. King name his guitar Lucille based on a "fire incident" at a juke joint in Twist, Arkansas?! What say you Eddie? Okay, speaking of musicians...Honorary Mention to Levon Helm (The Band...Yes THAT Band) from Helena, Phillips County (that's pretty close - and we all spent some time in Helena...for one reason or another...lol). By the way, William Ingram, who was the lone Black student to first integrate the Forrrest City School System: You have to wonder how much pressure he was under from a lot of adults in his life who some might say were using a 14 year old for their political purposes. Regardless, it took TREMENDOUS courage to come to school each day - and to stay through til the end. William Ingram finished Forrest City High School with the Class of 1968.

B.J.: ...you're right. I think his courage earned him not just our awe, but our respect as well.

Anonymous: Walter Ferguson's hello note just reminded me-- Walter was a hot musician & a cool dude

Paul: I was a bit too young to attend the dances, but Walter had a reputation as an excellent musician as well as a "wild man" - something about what he did with the microphone and cord while singing (uh, that was in the pre-wireless days kids)! lol I think Mick Jagger may have studied his performances. I vaguely remember some unique car (a convertable?) that Walter drove around - I agree, he belongs on the Cool List!

Anonymous: I was just talking about William Ingram the other day...first time I saw him come to school in front of the Jr. High...we were all waiting for the bell to ring to go in that morning...when the cab pulled up....complete silence, cab door opened, he emerged, and everyone parted like the Red Sea. I can almost hear his footsteps on the sidewalk now...my heart ached for him even then!

Anonymous: I would say Stevie or Walter were the two coolest guys to ever go to Forrest City- and I almost forgot Conrad Snyder and Ollie Warren! Too cool

Anonymous: Are you people on drugs?? [Name withheld] and [Name withheld] as the coolest??!!

Administrator: Yes, we pretty much stay on drugs all the time. We think you could use some too... or a different kind than you are using now. Play nice.