Ronnie McDowell first became famous in 1977 after Elvis Presley passed away when he recorded a tribute song called “The King Is Gone”. I was a fan of his from that moment on because I was a fan of Elvis and he sounded just like him on the song. Flash forward to 1980 and I had just begun my radio career at WDSR-AM in Lake City, Florida. I got a pair of tickets to see Conway Twitty at the Old Jacksonville Coliseum and Ronnie McDowell was the opening act. I took my Brother John with me and we had backstage passes to meet Ronnie and Conway. I met Ronnie first and he became the first Country singer I met in my radio career. I didn’t see him again until the late 90’s when he performed at the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale and that is where this picture was taken as he was getting off the bus to go on stage. During the show he was singing the Hank Williams Sr song “Jambalaya” and he put the microphone up to me during the chorus and I froze and couldn’t remember the lyrics and he looked at me and glared and said “Son, You can’t be a country music DJ and not know Hank Sr!”. I took that to heart and printed out the lyrics and sang it over and over again until I learned it and performed it at an office Christmas party. I haven’t seen him since, but if I do I am singing it for him! lol.
-Lewis Stokes