The Forgotten Mouth of Mississippi
By Andrew Baeuerle
He walks out on stage in a red suit, outlined with rhinestones and yellow threads, similar to nudie suits worn by 1950s country stars Buck Owens and Porter Wagoner. As he’s walking out, he towers above the audience, weighing in near or over 300 and stands around 6’ 2”. Above the cheers of the audience he shouts “Wooo! Shoot this thang,” an allusion to the story that was his claim to fame, “The Coon Huntin’ Story.” This man was known nationally as the Mouth of Mississippi and the Ambassador of Good Will, but more narrowly, his name is Jerry Clower. Clower carries a type of demeanor on the stage with him, almost that of a Southern Baptist preacher. He walks tall but quiet across the stage, but you expect him to start yelling and get rowdy at any point.
After the cheers of the crowd die down, Clower starts his performance with a story into his childhood and where he came from. These stories tell of life in Great Depression-Era Mississippi and growing up with the Ledbetter family. Then he’ll move into stories about his wife Homerline and their children Ray, Susan, Amy, and Katy.
Jerry Clower told his stories with pride, having no shame in where he came from. His southern english and ways of saying different words, like “snucked up” and “ambalances.” In some bits, he would take time to thank and praise the Lord for where he had gotten. He’d say “I start every morning with the prayer, ‘Lord, I’m all yours. You ain’t never made a mistake, and you won’t make a mistake with me.’”
Between 1970 and his 1998 death, Clower released 28 live albums for MCA Records. His first album sold over 1 million copies and MCA asked him to record at least one performance a year. His last performance, “Peaches and Possums,” was recorded just a few months before he passed away. He was dedicated to bringing clean country comedy to the world he loved. Clower always said “I don’t want to record anything that couldn’t be played in my church.”
But why isn’t much known about and played of Jerry Clower today?
Many comedians, such as George Carlin, Dave Chapelle, Richard Pryor, and Louis C.K. use a much more vulgar approach to their comedy. While it is funny, it’s not always necessary. I don’t believe in strict censorship, but comedy should be funny for all ages. My parents have never had to worry about me with Jerry Clower. I never listened to George Carlin and Richard Pryor until I was in my late teens. And because of this, many people my age do not find the simple country stories of Jerry Clower funny.
Me on the other hand, I have five of Clower’s records and a cassette that I listen to. They provide a clean escape from the modern-day hustle I find myself in. Nothing against Chapelle, Carlin, and Pryor, they’re all comedic geniuses. But sometimes I just need to hear stories from someone who is like me: A simple Mississippian.
If you ever want a breath of fresh air, with clean, funny stories, you can find many of Jerry Clower’s albums on YouTube, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music. I would recommend you listen to these albums:
Jerry Clower from Yazoo City, Mississippi Talkin’
Clower Power
Country Ham
Dogs I Have Known
Greatest Hits
Ledbetter Olympics
Jerry Clower is a Mississippi legend and his stories about the Ledbetters and Mississippi are sure to brighten your day. Also, here are the names of the Ledbetters: Uncle Versie and Aunt Pett, and their children Ardell, Burnell, Raynell, W.L., Lanell, Odell, Udell, Marcel, Claude, Newgene, and Clovis.
