Best-selling and award winning master storyteller Randy Willis—books about adventure, family, and faith.
Dolly Parton: A Streetcar Named Desire
by Randy Willis
Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire. For a novel, I researched “The Desire Line” at the height of streetcar use in New Orleans. We all ride that streetcar―some never get off. ― Randy Willis
A Streetcar Named Desire Mardi Gras, New Orleans 1974
On March 2, 1974, Dolly Parton and Johnny Rodriguez performed at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was a package show which also featured Billy “Crash” Craddock.
Dolly’s first number-one hit, Joshua, was in February 1971, followed by Coat of Many Colors later that year.
On the day of their show at LSU, Dolly’s song Jolene peaked at number one! Four months before, Johnny’s song Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico reached number one. It was his second number-one single.
Both of Johnny’s #1s were produced by Jerry Kennedy, the head of Mercury Records. Jerry Kennedy is my cousin. I’ve written much about him. Here is a link to one of those articles: Jerry Kennedy – Randy Willis: Short Stories & Biographies
The week before, Johnny called me to see if I could meet him in Baton Rouge. I lived near Wimberley, Texas. I recently rented a small red-brick house on Belmont Avenue for $150 per month. It was within walking distance of City Park and close to LSU. I rented it to study for my MBA and be near my grandmother in Forest Hill, Louisiana. She was in poor health.
When Johnny and I arrived at LSU for a soundcheck, Dolly’s bus soon arrived. Dolly and her best friend since childhood and personal assistant, Judy Ogle, dropped by Johnny’s bus. A local country music disc jockey knocked on the bus door within minutes. “May I have a brief interview?” he asked. He hit “pay dirt” with Dolly onboard.
We watched as he looked around the bus’s main cabin. We weren’t sure what he was focused on because he was cross-eyed. When he left the bus, no one said a word. Johnny finally broke the silence. “He certainly has a face for radio.”
“Johnny, bless his heart, we should pay to have that corrected,” Dolly said.
“I don’t have that much money,” Johnny replied.
The evening started with two hayseed cowboys from South Texas. They were joined by two much more sensitive and classy young women from East Tennessee. It was the perfect “cocktail” for fun on a grand scale. The one thing we had in common was that we all had been “dirt poor” not many months ago.
We hung out until after Billy “Crash” Craddock set, and Johnny’s road manager, Phil Jones, said, “It’s showtime, Johnny.”
During Johnny’s set, Dolly said, “Come on, Randy; I want to show you my new bus decorated with butterfly wallpaper.” Dolly loved butterflies. In her autobiography, Dolly says she was fascinated with anything that flew as a child. Butterflies were her favorite. Even today, they are her go-to design on stage.
Between sets, I asked Dolly and Judy if they would like to go with Johnny and me to Mardi Gras. Johnny and I had planned the trip the week before. “It would be a great way to celebrate your number one, Jolene, too!” I said. Dolly and Judy loved the idea.
We stopped by my place near the LSU campus on our way to the French Quarter in New Orleans. We needed to change clothes, so we began the 90-minute trip. We stopped at a 7-Eleven on Perkins Road, known as the Country Corner, today. We bought a bottle of wine to start the celebration.
On the way to New Orleans, I played an 8-track demo of a tune titled “Louisiana 1927” by Randy Newman. Neither had heard of Randy Newman. I was a fan.
Johnny said, “That gives me an idea for a song.” Newman’s song was sad about the devastating 1927 Mississippi River flood. However, it’s a powerful song. I sometimes listen to it on YouTube today. My grandmother often spoke of the devastation caused by the 1927 Red River flood in Alexandria, Louisiana. Johnny decided to write a light-hearted song about Louisiana.
On the way to New Orleans, Dolly asked if we would like to ride on her bus the next day. She was going to Alexandria to perform. She and Johnny might even co-write a song. She added that she had agreed to visit a children’s hospital, and perhaps Johnny might like to go too. So, of course, he said, “Sure!” In Nashville, they say, “It all begins with a song.” We had no idea what that would soon entail.
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I pointed to several famous sites as we arrived in New Orleans around midnight. The first was A Streetcar Named Desire, which inspired Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece of the same name.
I wanted to write a novel about my ancestors in Louisiana. Because of Tennessee Williams’ writings, I researched “The Desire Line” at the height of streetcar use in New Orleans. The route ran down Royal Street and through the French Quarter. It continued to Desire Street and returned to Canal Street.
Canal Street has three lanes of traffic in both directions, with a pair of streetcar tracks in the center. It is one of the boundaries of the French Quarter and terminates at the Mississippi River. Walking to the French Quarter, Dolly asked me, “How tall are you?”
“Six-five,” I said.
“I thought so; my husband Carl is tall like you. I’m five-three.”
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Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare saw Johnny sing at Alamo Village near Brackettville, Texas, encouraging him to try Nashville.
My cousin Jerry Kennedy was Mercury Records’ Vice President of A&R for Country Music. Jerry headed Mercury Records in Nashville. I was fetched up as a boy in Longleaf, Louisiana. I knew several of Jerry’s aunts and cousins. Jerry was born in Shreveport. We are descendants of Rev. Joseph Willis, a Baptist preacher who swam the Mississippi River on a mule in 1798 to enter the Louisiana Territory. He was the first Protestant preacher West of the Mississippi River.
Jerry Kennedy was Vice President of A&R for Country Music at Mercury Records. Johnny arrived in Nashville with $14 and a guitar in a plastic bag. Tom T. Hall gave him a job fronting his band when he discovered he was down to six bucks.
Tom T. and Johnny dropped by Mercury. Tom T. had business with Jerry. While Jerry and Tom T. visited in another room, Roy Dea asked Johnny to sing some songs.
Johnny sang two cover tunes. He performed Don Gibson’s I Can’t Stop Loving You. He also sang a song by Merle Haggard. Johnny then sang If I Had Left It Up To You. Merle Haggard was Johnny’s and my favorite singer.
Roy Dea was impressed with Johnny’s bilingual rendition of I Can’t Stop Loving You in English and Spanish. Roy said he had never heard a country artist do that. He signed Johnny on the spot. Jerry and Roy produced all of Johnny’s Mercury sides.
Ken Burns’s film COUNTRY MUSIC aired on PBS in 2019. I Can’t Stop Loving You, produced by Jerry Kennedy, was the song they chose for the episode that showcased Johnny.
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Neither Dolly nor Johnny had ever been to New Orleans and were curious about where we would celebrate.
We were like tourists as we drove by the above-ground tombs and mausoleums. “Does Marie Laveau’s ghost hang out there?” Johnny asked. He’d heard from his friend Bobby Bare. Bobby Bare planned to release a song about the Louisiana voodoo practitioner in a few months.
We parked on a side street off Canal Street. Then, we headed straight to Pat O’Brien’s in The Vieux Carré (French Quarter). Pat O’Brien’s is famous for its hurricane cocktail. They invented it. They are also known for their famous “dueling” pianos, where local entertainers take song requests. Their dueling piano bar was the first of its kind.
Randy Willis, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Rodriguez. Pat O’Briens, 1974
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” ― Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
Our drinks were served in hurricane glasses shaped like hurricane lamps. After a drink, I approached one of the pianos and tipped the pianist. At the beginning of the next song, the player nodded at Dolly. He said, “This one is for you, compliments of the gentleman.” As he played the Tennessee Waltz, Dolly got tears in her eyes.
Dolly then arose and tipped the pianist. He nodded at me and said, “This is from the beautiful lady.” Next, he played The Yellow Rose of Texas. Then, he played a few bars of The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You. We were like kids in a candy store.
Pat O’Brien’s dueling piano bar was the first of its kind.
We next headed down Bourbon Street to check out the legendary Al Hirt’s Club. The club and the famous Pete Fountain’s were both closed. It was very late. Johnny said, “This looks interesting, and it’s open.” The sign read, “These famous people have walked through this door.” When the waitress at “The Famous Door” approached us, she asked Dolly, “Can I ask you a question? You look just like Dolly Parton.”
“No, but I’m always asked that,” Dolly replied.
The waitress turned to Johnny and asked, “Are you Johnny Rodriguez?”
“No, but I wish I had his money.” Today, many names adorn their door, but not theirs.
We figured we should head back to Baton Rouge to rest. We wanted to make it to the children’s hospital and Dolly’s gig in Alexandria without looking half-dead.
A homeless guy stopped us as we approached my car on a side street near Canal Street. “Mister, can I have a dollar?” he asked Johnny.
“Sure,” Johnny replied. As he pulled out a roll of bills, the homeless man grabbed the entire roll. He had a 20-yard jump on Johnny as he tried to duplicate his Sabinal High School halfback days. His cowboy boots were not designed for sprinting down Canal Street.
He tackled him 50 yards away. I ran 10 yards when I heard Dolly yell, “Randy, don’t leave us.” I stopped and returned to Dolly and Judy to ensure their safety. Tough job, I know. Johnny took back his roll of cash and tipped him 20. “I would have given you a hundred,” Johnny said.
We dropped Dolly and Judy off at their hotel. It was the Holiday Inn on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. The sun rose over the Mississippi River. Then, Johnny and I crashed at my house. That afternoon, we hopped on Dolly’s bus for the trip to Alexandria.
Dolly had mentioned the evening before that she had ended her seven-year partnership with Porter Wagoner only two weeks before.
Johnny picked up his guitar as we rolled down the highway towards Alexandria. He said, “Here’s one I’m going to release later this year.” I didn’t write it; he sang “We’re Over.” Johnny then said, “Here’s another I thought of last night.” There’s a place next to my home state called Louisiana. That’s all I have so far.
“These are two new songs I’m working on; Dolly said as she began to pick and sing the first song. Then, she added, “It’s not finished yet. I am writing it about Porter.” Johnny and I looked at each other, transfixed as she sang part of I Will Always Love You. She followed that with Love is Like a Butterfly. Both songs were released that year.
About that time, Dolly’s Butterfly wallpaper began to spin for Johnny as he became “cross-eyed.” Unfortunately, he had too much to drink the night before. I was our designated driver; therefore, I only had two drinks and was bright-eyed and “bushy-tailed,” to quote Johnny.
Johnny soon discovered that his lack of restrictions would embarrass him. He felt dizzy and wanted to lie down. He dashed to the bathroom but did not make it past the hallway. Johnny threw up in Dolly’s bus hallway. I’ll never forget what Dolly said to Johnny, “I guess you didn’t like my song.”
Johnny then called his bus driver, Curtis Webb, via Dolly’s CB. “Breaker 1/9,” he mumbled, “Follow us to Dolly’s hotel.” That night, we all ate filé gumbo and jambalaya. We discussed what Hank Williams might have been experiencing when he wrote Jambalaya (On the Bayou).
Johnny was asked to judge a beauty pageant in Alexandria. He declined. He didn’t want one woman to be happy while fifty were unhappy with him. So, we decided to go fishing.
The following day, Johnny and I rented a car. We headed to the small town of Longleaf, Louisiana, twenty miles away. It was the town where I was fetched up as a boy. As we walked the banks of Barber Creek, I remembered learning to swim there. Johnny mentioned the Frio River. He learned to swim in the Frio at Garner State Park. We debated over which one was the coldest. However, we agreed both were too cold to swim in February.
After stopping by a bait and tackle shop, we decided to fish Cocodrie Lake near Longleaf. Johnny discovered a St. Croix telescope fishing machine. He’d never heard of such a thing.
He also finished that lyric in our rented wooden flat-bottom boat: “They got beauty queens and fishing machines. Ate gumbo until my dish was clean. For a Texas boy, it was a bundle of joy, Louisiana.” Tom T. Hall taught him to write about his experiences. He named the ditty Louisiana. You can also find it on YouTube. Click on the video below and hear the results.
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Dolly’s wines hit the stores a few months ago. I noticed a display with samples at an HEB Grocery. I almost said, “I know her.” However, I was afraid they would think I was drunk. I would not get a sample. I hadn’t drunk in many years, but I could not resist finding out how it tasted. It’s not bad. Why does it not surprise me that she has butterflies on her outfit and the wine bottles?
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Dolly soon played Lake Charles. I drove from Baton Rouge to the show and sat in the stands with Dolly’s best friend, Judy Ogle. I remember the part of her performance most: when Dolly sang “There is Power in the Blood.” You can find it on YouTube, too.
Dolly and Johnny soon played The Texas Prison Rodeo in Huntsville, a week apart. As Johnny and I entered the staff entrance at the rodeo arena, I heard someone yell my name. It was a good friend from Angleton High School, Mike Blumberg. No, he was not a prisoner. Mike was a Field Lieutenant at the time at Ellis 1 Unit in Huntsville, where death row was. He would one day become Warden. Mike graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. He was in charge of escorting the prison rodeo contestants for two practices before each performance. That was the first time we had seen each other since high school.
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The Johnny Rodriguez Life Enrichment Center was a domestic non-profit corporation. It was formed on November 25, 1974, by J Edward “Ed” Low. Ed convinced Johnny to lend his name and time to this event.
The Johnny Rodriguez Life Enrichment Center Telethon. Corpus Christi, Texas. Tom T. Hall, Dolly Parton, Johnny Rodriguez, and Willie Nelson.
Private citizens started the enrichment center because the government could not subsidize handicapped youth in Southwest Texas.
The Johnny Rodriguez Life Enrichment Center benefited people with cerebral palsy. A TV telethon in Corpus Christi funded it. This event occurred from March 16 to 17, 1974, a month after our Mardi Gras trip. Johnny was the MC.
Johnny asked Dolly if she would play the fund-raising telethon. She agreed. So did Tom. T. Hall, Willie Nelson, Charlie Pride, and others.
It was a magical event benefiting the youth of Southwest Texas. And lasted for several years. It ended the year Ed Low disappeared with the money. What didn’t end was Johnny’s desire to help the less fortunate.
“For a Texas boy, it was a bundle of joy, Louisiana.” Johnny Rodriguez’s Louisiana.
The 75th Anniversary of Texas Parks & Wildlife and the 76th
After the Garner State Park celebration for the 75th Anniversary of Texas Parks & Wildlife, I produced the event the next year. Here are a few more posters and newspaper articles from the two events.
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You have just read an excerpt from Johnny Rodriguez, The Rest of the Story
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Many today have just enough religion to inoculate them from knowing Christ. —Randy Willis
✯ Vaya con Dios ✯
Randy Willis Mini-Bio
Best-selling and award-winning master storyteller Randy Willis—books about adventure, family, and faith.
Randy Willis is as much at home in the saddle as he is at the computer, where he composes his family sagas.
Randy draws on his family’s heritage of explorers, settlers, soldiers, cowboys, and pastors. He carries on the tradition of loving the outdoors. Randy shares it through the adventures he creates in his short stories, biographies, and novels.
Randy Willis is the author of 19 books. These include Destiny, Beckoning Candle, Twice a Slave, Three Winds Blowing, Texas Wind, and Louisiana Wind. He also wrote The Apostle to the Opelousas. He also wrote The Story of Joseph Willis and his autobiography, “To the Best of My Recollection.
“Twice a Slave has been chosen as a Jerry B. Jenkins Select Book, alongside four other best-selling authors. Jerry Jenkins has written more than 200 books. His works have sold over 70 million copies.
This includes the best-selling Left Behind series. Twice a Slave has been adapted into a dramatic play by Dr. D. “Pete” Richardson (Associate Professor of Theater) at Louisiana Christian University.
Randy Willis owns Randy Willis Music Publishing. It is an ASCAP-affiliated music publishing company. He also owns Town Lake Music Publishing, LLC. This is a BMI-affiliated music publishing company.
Randy Willis is an ASCAP-affiliated songwriter. He was an artist manager and TV producer.
Randy Willis is a Texas Hill Country Rancher.
Randy Willis founded Operation Warm Heart in 1991. It provides food and clothing to those in need in Central Texas.
Randy Willis was a member of the Board of Directors of Our Mission Possible in Austin, Texas. This organization empowers at-risk teens to discover their greatness.
Randy Willis was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Joseph Willis Institute for Great Awakening Studies at Louisiana College (Louisiana Christian University).
Randy Willis served on the Board of Directors of the Austin Apartment Association for four years. He was on the Board of Directors of the Texas Apartment Association for the same duration.
Randy Willis was born in Oakdale, Louisiana, and lived as a boy near Longleaf, Louisiana, and Barber Creek.
Randy Willis graduated from Angleton High School in Angleton, Texas, and Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He was also a graduate student at Texas State University for six years (1980-1986).
Randy Willis was a graduate student at Texas State University for six years. He is the father of three sons and has six grandchildren.
He currently resides in the Texas Hill Country near his three sons and their families.
