OXFORD, Miss. - Jim Weatherly, a star quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels in the 1960s before going on to enjoy an award-winning career in the music and entertainment field, will be honored with "Jim Weatherly Day" here Aug. 6-7 as part of his hometown's 2010 Bodock Festival.
Grand opening ceremonies for the Bodock Festival are set for Friday, Aug. 6, on the Pontotoc Courthouse square at 5 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. with the annual flag drop. On Saturday, official presentations are scheduled for 4 p.m. on the square, followed by a dinner in honor of Weatherly at 6 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.
Tickets for Saturday's dinner are still available for purchase ($30 for individuals and $500 for a table of eight) and may be secured by calling the Pontotoc County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Association at 662-489-5042. Proceeds from the dinner go to the Pontotoc County Youth Leadership Scholarship Program.
"We are excited about having Jim and his family back in Pontotoc to honor him not only for his professional accomplishments, but for the way he has represented the State of Mississippi," said Bodock Association Chairman Mark Bourne. "It's evident that Jim has always been proud of having been born and raised in Pontotoc and being from Mississippi. I know his many friends and fans share our pride as we pay tribute to Jim for his lifetime of personal and professional achievement."
Born in Pontotoc, Miss., on March 17, 1943, Weatherly began writing songs when he was about 12-years old. He had his own bands during high school and while attending Ole Miss, playing dates throughout the South until he moved to Los Angeles with his rock band, The Gordian Knot, in 1966.
As a quarterback at Ole Miss, Weatherly earned three letters and helped lead Coach John Vaught's Rebels to 1962 and 1963 Southeastern Conference championships and a share of the 1962 national title as he was part of the University of Mississippi's only perfect season (10-0), which concluded with a 17-13 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
During his years in Los Angeles, he wrote songs which not only became pop and R&B classics, but also crossed over to Country, Gospel and Jazz. "Neither One Of Us Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye" was a No.1 pop and soul hit and won a Grammy Award for Gladys Knight & The Pips. The next year, that song became a country hit for the late Bob Luman. Later, it became an instrumental jazz hit for David Sanborn.
"The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" was a No.1 R&B hit and a No.3 pop hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips, and later became a No.1 country hit for Ray Price. It has become a classic gospel song first recorded in that field by the Reverand James Cleveland. "Midnight Train To Georgia" was also a No.1 pop and R&B hit and helped Gladys Knight & The Pips win another Grammy Award. Weatherly was nominated for a Grammy as songwriter in the R&B Song category. Gladys Knight & The Pips also had pop and R&B hits with his "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" and "Love Finds It's Own Way."
Weatherly also had seven albums of his own as a recording artist during that time. "The Need To Be" reached No.11 on the Pop charts and No. 6 on the A/C charts during the mid-seventies. He also had a Top 10 Country record with "I'll Still Love You." He has since released three new CDs, including a Christmas album of self-penned songs.
Since moving back to the South, Weatherly has continued to enjoy success. His self-published song "Love Never Broke Anyone's Heart" which he co-wrote with Vince Gill is on Gill's "I Still Believe In You" album which has sold over five million copies. He and Gill also teamed up to write "If I Didn't Have You In My World" for the double-platinum "Pocket Full Of Gold" album.
"A Lady Like You" was No.1 on the Country charts for Glen Campbell, and "Where Shadows Never Fall" also recorded by Glen Campbell, won Weatherly his first Dove Award. New Asylum Country artist, Bryan White had his first No.1 Country hit with Weatherly's "Someone Else's Star." He also co-wrote "You Know How I Feel" with White for his debut album.
Weatherly has also had cuts by such diversified artists as Steve Wariner, Dan Seals, Linda Davis, Marie Osmond, Bill Anderson, Charley Pride, Eddy Arnold, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Ray Boltz, Peter Cetera, The Indigo Girls, Jeff Carson, Kenny Rogers, Reba McIntire, Kenny Chesney, Joan Osborne, Hall & Oates, Ed Bruce, The Temptations, The Manhattens, The Spinners, The Oak Ridge Boys, B.J. Thomas, Lynn Anderson, Tanya Tucker, Andy Williams, David Sanborn, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Reverand James Cleveland, Widespread Panic, Danny Thomas, Miles Jaye, Jennifer Hudson, David Ball, Peggy Lee, Russ Taff, and many more.
Weatherly was ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1974. He served on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Songwriters Association International for five years. In 2006, he was elected into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Mississippi Musicians
E-mail
Print