Guy Hovis, the “other” Tupelo native whose singing talent captured national attention, passed away on Jan. 22 in Oxford at age 84. He rose to fame on the Lawrence Welk Show, combining humility, talent, enthusiasm, kindness, and generosity into a successful career and life.
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| Guy Hovis & Lawrence Welk |
He could sing anything. Guy’s talent allowed him to perform alongside Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, and Johnny Carson. I knew Guy personally during his second career as a state director for his Ole Miss classmate and Sigma Nu fraternity brother, former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, the Republican from Pascagoula.
Even at that stage of his life, Guy remained movie-star handsome, and fans of the Welk Show recognized him and were drawn to him across Mississippi and Washington. He also participated in many charity events to support causes he believed in. Guy was more comfortable in his own skin than most celebrities I’ve met. I liked him and enjoyed our encounters. One of my favorite moments with Guy was at the 2000 Neshoba County Fair, the first fair of the 21st century, on Saturday, July 22, 2000. The Fair Board wanted to start the new millennium with a celebration, so they invited Hovis, the 13-piece Jimmy Mullens Orchestra, Miss Mississippi Christy May, and The Singing Senators, which included then-U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), then-U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords (R-Vermont, and then-U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho). The 4 p.m. show took place at the NCF racetrack grandstand. Hovis emceed, performed, and helped warm up the large crowd. Since Lott was up for re-election in 2000, his staff and campaign volunteers distributed bottles of “Trent Lott Water,” specially packaged for the event. My late friend Gale Denley and I agreed it was the best campaign gimmick at Neshoba. Today, few pols working the fairgrounds don’t emulate that tactic, but Lott initiated it. The Singing Senators began in the mid-1990s as a barbershop quartet, initially performing at local events in Washington. Their 1995 Kennedy Center appearance led to similar appearances on NBC’s “Today Show” and at the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego. Their signature song was an energetic cover of the Oak Ridge Boys’ hit “Elvira,” and after the Fair, they performed with the Oaks at the Charley Pride Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
Even at that stage of his life, Guy remained movie-star handsome, and fans of the Welk Show recognized him and were drawn to him across Mississippi and Washington. He also participated in many charity events to support causes he believed in. Guy was more comfortable in his own skin than most celebrities I’ve met. I liked him and enjoyed our encounters. One of my favorite moments with Guy was at the 2000 Neshoba County Fair, the first fair of the 21st century, on Saturday, July 22, 2000. The Fair Board wanted to start the new millennium with a celebration, so they invited Hovis, the 13-piece Jimmy Mullens Orchestra, Miss Mississippi Christy May, and The Singing Senators, which included then-U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), then-U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords (R-Vermont, and then-U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho). The 4 p.m. show took place at the NCF racetrack grandstand. Hovis emceed, performed, and helped warm up the large crowd. Since Lott was up for re-election in 2000, his staff and campaign volunteers distributed bottles of “Trent Lott Water,” specially packaged for the event. My late friend Gale Denley and I agreed it was the best campaign gimmick at Neshoba. Today, few pols working the fairgrounds don’t emulate that tactic, but Lott initiated it. The Singing Senators began in the mid-1990s as a barbershop quartet, initially performing at local events in Washington. Their 1995 Kennedy Center appearance led to similar appearances on NBC’s “Today Show” and at the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego. Their signature song was an energetic cover of the Oak Ridge Boys’ hit “Elvira,” and after the Fair, they performed with the Oaks at the Charley Pride Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
The political careers of the Singing Senators didn’t quite match the catchy “um-poppa-um-poppa-mau-mau” lyrics of their “Elvira” cover. Ashcroft served one Senate term before being appointed Attorney General by President George W. Bush in 2001. His career was derailed by controversies over interrogations at Abu Ghraib prison. Craig did not seek re-election in 2008 after an arrest at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on a lewd conduct charge. Jeffords, who switched from Republican to Independent—disappointing many GOP colleagues—did not run in 2006 due to health issues and died in 2014. Lott became Senate Majority Leader, one of the most powerful roles in the U.S. government but resigned from his leadership post in 2002 after a national media firestorm over what was perceived as racially insensitive remarks during Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday celebration. He stayed in the Senate until his resignation in 2007. That day at Neshoba in 2000 there was a major campaign event for Lott in a race that was never in doubt. Lott and Hovis were strong campaigners, but Lott kept the crowd engaged with jokes, eye contact, and approachability. With Lott singing bass, Ashcroft baritone, Jeffords tenor, and Craig lead, the Singing Senators could sing and harmonize, blending Southern gospel and barbershop styles. After the show, the quartet and Hovis visited our Fair cabin porch. Denley and I agreed that Lott, Ashcroft, and Craig were born singers, but Jeffords might struggle in typical Baptist church choirs in Mississippi. Jeffords’ singing was slightly off-key, and soon after the Fair, Lott and Jeffords stopped singing together—literally and politically. All politicians took a backseat that day to Hovis, as Mississippians celebrated one of their own. Guy was truly one of a kind. Like his brother-in-law, John Lundy, Guy Hovis had a gift for storytelling and genuinely enjoyed talking with fellow Mississippians. He will be missed. Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
1 comment:
I grew up spending Saturday nights with my grandparents and the Lawrence Welk show was always on. They loved Guy and Ralna especially. We even went to the Jackson City Auditorium and when Guy and Ralna performed. Sad about Guy's death. Prayers for his family. Thankful though for the reminder of the time with my grandparents and how much they enjoyed the music. Such a simpler time.
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