Viola homecoming draws crowd

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

Above, Baylor Hancock, 7, checks out one of the miniature toys on display at the antique engine show. Baylor is the grandson of Hoover and Patti Hancock. Above left, Brantlee Grissom, 4, enjoys some of the great homecoming food while watching the parade.

The streets are back to normal this week in Viola. Cars aren’t parked in every nook of the downtown area. People aren’t overflowing the grandstand.

But for two days, things were completely different. Over the weekend, Viola was transformed into a hot spot for entertainment as everything from antique cars to top-class mules paraded through town for the annual Viola Valley Homecoming.

“It’s always a lot of work putting it all together and taking it all apart,” said Debbie Smartt, one of the event organizers.

But sandwiched in between all the work is plenty of fun. Bill Underwood knows a thing or two about that.

Underwood was back at his familiar spot in the On the Road Again Show, performing his popular impersonation of Ray Stevens singing “Ahad the Arab.” Underwood’s costume included a fake beard and an enormous turban. And, like the song says, he takes the stage riding a camel named Clyde.

It was a bittersweet moment for Underwood who had not performed with the On the Road Again Show since his wife, Judy, died in October of 2000.

“She was the driving force behind this show and the driving force behind me,” said Bill, who made his entire costume with Judy’s help.

With Underwood as Ahab, the sheik of the burning sand, it didn’t take long for Ahab’s romantic interest to take the stage, the notorious Fatima known for “wearing rings on her fingers and bells on her toes and a bone in her nose, ho ho.”

Over the years, you could say Fatima, played by Doug Jacobs, has lost her girlish figure. But that didn’t stop Jacobs from dancing around in a bikini much to the delight of the crowd.

After Friday night’s On the Road Again Show, festivities got under way Saturday with the traditional parade, bolstered by the booming sound of the Warren County High School band.

After the parade, there was clogging and a performance by the Pioneerettes, among other things. There were also new car displays featuring vehicles from McMinnville Ford and McMinnville Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep.

As for competition, JoJo Carr won for the seventh straight time – and possibly the last time – in the Mini Pedal Tractor Pull. By Mini Pedal Pull rules, contestants can’t weigh over 100 pounds and JoJo weighs around 90. He believes he will be over the 100-pound limit by next year, thus making this his last Mini Pedal Pull.

With JoJo winning the 81-100 pound category, the winners of the other three classes are as follows: Eli Maples, under 40 pounds; Christopher Williamson, 41-60 pounds; and Drew Tanner, 61-80 pounds. Competition was fierce, with 20 entries in the 41-60 pound class alone.

Winners of the tractor and truck pull for adults are as follows: Danny Lusk, large block hot rod; Chris Brewington, 4,000 pound antique; Danny Matheny, 4,500 pound antique, Joseph Howell, 4,500 pound farm stock; Justin Collier, 5,500 pound antique; Christy Sherrill, 5,500 pound powder puff; Jason Hillis, small block hot rod; Tim Reynolds, 6,000 pound outlaw; Kurt Sparkman, 7,500 pound tractor; Jason Lee, 5,500 pound 4×4 modified truck; Kevin Trail, 4×4 gas truck; Glen Stoner, 4×4 diesel truck.

Some of the mule show winners are as follows: Thomas Summers, four mule hitch; Gene England with driver Buddy Black, two mule hitch; Bob Cantrell, farm wagon class.