LINER NOTES
In only two weeks, I have already learned so much about the uniqueness of Taylor from community members and colleagues alike. I’m the kind of person who is obsessed with details, and I must say, I am quite enamored with the little tidbits and facts that have been shared with me about this city.
Last week I met up with a local for coffee and a briefing on Taylor history and culture. While sipping on Good Strangers’ signature Tahini latte, I learned about Tony Von — one of the only Black radio hosts in the 1950s and ‘60s for KTAE in Taylor. His show, “Tony Von Show: Live in Living Color,” was also one of the only blues radio shows in all of Central Texas at the time.
I also learned about Jimmy Heap and the Melody Masters from Tim Crow, the Taylor Independent School District’s communications and community liaison. Crow explained how Heap was a Taylor native who introduced two iconic country songs, “The Wild Side of Life” and “Release Me” to the world.
Heap even has a star in the Nashville Hall of Fame.
Crow also taught me about Carolyn Jackson, who was a Taylor High School graduate and later a renowned television personality with her own TV show, aptly called “The Carolyn Jackson Show.”
Even prior to officially being offered the position as area editor, Thomas Edwards, the executive editor of Granite Media Partners (which owns the Taylor Press), taught me about famous animator Tex Avery.
I had no clue that some of the cartoon characters that were a huge part of my childhood, like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, had come from a person native to Taylor.
I also did not realize that Taylor was such a hot spot for film production, including “Transformers 4,” “From Dusk Till Dawn” and so many more.
Not only have I learned a lot about history and pop culture, but I’ve also seen how the Taylor community cares about preserving history while continuously evolving to suit the needs of a growing population — something you do not see in every city.
These are just a few small details among the many, many more I will learn going forward, but I already know for certain there is nowhere else in the world like Taylor, Texas.
Kelley is the Centex Group area editor for Granite Media Partners Inc., which includes the Taylor Press and the Elgin Courier.
