Title: Cas Walker : stories on his life and legend /
Authors: Hodge, Joshua S.,
Year: 2019
Subjects: Walker, Cas; Walker, Cas; Politicians Tennessee Knoxville Biography.; Businessmen Tennessee Knoxville Biography.; Businessmen; Politicians; Knoxville (Tenn.) Biography.; Tennessee Knoxville.
Abstract: "In collaboration with Dr. Ernest Freeberg, Josh Hodge has collected, transcribed, and converted a sequence of oral interviews into a manuscript of stories on the famous, and infamous, Cas Walker (1902-1998)--politician, businessman, music producer, and Knoxville legend. Hodge spent the majority of the summer of 2017 interviewing notable Knoxvillians who knew or remembered Walker. With Freeberg, he also spent time digging through archived news stories and speaking with reporters who covered Walker. While it would be difficult to create a seamless biography of Walker and his colorful life, this collection of memories about him will guarantee that various strands of his checkered legacy will live on"--
Contents: Introduction: Cas Walker, Knoxville, and the American century -- "I never did try to act better than anybody": scenes from Cas Walker's early life -- "if I'd thought of a few more things, I'd have stooped a little lower": selling groceries -- "Digger O'Dell-buried alive" -- "I work for Cas Walker" -- "The guy literally was everywhere": a pioneer of radio and tv -- "Cash" Walker, benefactor -- Bare-knuckle politics -- Cas on communism and civil rights -- "The ole coon hunter" -- The watchdog: "The unvarnished naked truth that can be backed up in court" -- Troubles -- Epilogue: The legacy of Cas Walker.