Pat Terry concert, Macon, GA, 12/04/08

(This doesn't really have anything to do with archives unless you count the connections with my former place of work, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. But I still wanted to write it.)

I had the most amazing time last night. Georgia singer/songwriter Pat Terry gave a free concert at Macon's historic Douglass Theatre, the venue where Otis Redding and Little Richard got their starts. Johnny Pierce, editor of Baptists Today, invited Pat to perform in Macon, and I'm so glad he did!

I've listened to Pat's music since I was a kid; we had several of his Contemporary Christian albums at home. He sang three of my favorite of his songs last night, "I Can't Wait," "Home Where I Belong," and "That's the Way." (My former boss sang "That's the Way" at my wedding, so that one's very special to me.) But Pat's talents go beyond the realm of Christian music. He also sang several Country songs he has written through the years, songs that are better known in versions by other performers. These included "Help Me Hold On" (Travis Tritt), "Notorious" (Confederate Railroad), and "It's a Little Too Late" (Tanya Tucker). And he sang some things from his forthcoming CD, which I was able to pre-order. My only regret about the evening is that more people didn't attend the show, two fabulous hours of hearing Pat talk about his songs and then play them.

As people trickled into the theatre, I wondered if I would be the youngest person in attendance. After the show, though, I did see a kid who appeared to be about 12. (I have no idea if he knew who Pat Terry was or not.) I sat with several people from my church, and we chatted before the show. One of them asked me if I was "thirty yet." I laughed and told her I loved her, confessing that I'm almost 37. She was genuinely shocked and asked the lady next to her if she knew my age. That one said she would have guessed 32 at the most. Yay for sweet church friends! Our former pastor and his wife were also in attendance, having driven down from Atlanta. I got to visit with them after the show, so that was nice.

After the concert, Pat was happy to meet people and sign autographs. I chatted with him about having his song at my wedding and thanked him for his music and his time last night. We also talked about my former boss (FB) at the GMHF; they have met on a few occasions through the years. Pat asked about how FB was doing; he's had some health problems over the years. I thought it was cool that Pat remembered that. He was a genuinely nice guy, and I hope I'll get to hear him again sometime.