Listen to Caroline Herring

I think she's terrific!

About Her:

Caroline Herring is a Canton, Mississippi-born artist whose music has been hailed for combining traditional folk and bluegrass sounds with striking, original observations of modern life and love. Thoroughly steeped in southern culture, Herring began her music career in Austin, TX, where she released her first album, “Twilight,” and won Best New Artist in both the Austin American Statesman and Austin Chronicle in 2002. Since that time, Herring has built an international following and released three more albums, including the masterpiece “Golden Apples of the Sun.”

The critical acclaim for “Golden Apples of the Sun” firmly supports Herring’s status as one of the top musical artists of her generation. The Oxford American says, “Golden Apples is the album of a woman who has come into her powers as a singer-songwriter, claiming as her stomping ground the territory where folk meets alt-country.” NPR’s All Things Considered interviewed Caroline in January 2010 about the making of the record, and Jim Allen of All Music Guide said the following: “It's not easy being a great folksinger -- Kate Wolf, Linda Thompson, and Iris DeMent are some of the names on the short list, but ‘Golden Apples of the Sun’ makes a strong case for the addition of Caroline Herring.”

Herring’s album “Lantana” (2008) received widespread acclaim as an alt-country masterpiece. The Austin Chronicle proclaimed it to be “the best modern Southern Gothic album since Lucinda Williams’ Sweet Old World,” and NPR named it one of the “ten best folk albums of 2008.” On “Lantana,” Herring writes and sings about a myriad of southern topics, from a character in a Larry Brown novel to the infanticide and racism exposed by the dark and troubled life of Susan Smith. With “Golden Apples of the Sun” Herring stakes out new terrain, exchanging the country-influenced resonance of her previous albums for a sound inspired by the iconic female folk singers and songwriters of the 1960s and 70s.

Caroline Herring lives in Atlanta, with her husband and two young children.

For a lot more of Caroline's music, go here:

A Classmate Who Has Made a DIfference

Davidson to enter Business Hall of Fame

Local businessman Marty Davidson, chairman of the board of Southern Pipe and Supply Co., Inc., has been selected for induction into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame.

Southern Pipe & Supply is headquartered in Meridian, and is one of the nation’s largest privately held, independent wholesalers of plumbing and heating and air conditioning materials. It has its roots in a company founded by Davidson’s grandfather in the early 1900's. Davidson began working alongside his father and uncle in the family business at the age of five; his first job was stocking shelves. He has worked for Southern Pipe ever since, holding positions at every level from after-school counter help to branch manager to regional manager before becoming president of the company in 1969 at the age of 28.

Under Davidson’s leadership as president, Southern Pipe grew from a company with four branches in three states to a regional industry leader with 100-plus branches in seven states. The company made significant additions to its list of manufacturers represented and added heating and air conditioning materials to its inventory. In 2003, also under Davidson’s leadership, Southern Pipe introduced its first Southern Bath & Kitchen designer showroom. With 60-plus showrooms, Southern Bath & Kitchen is Southern Pipe’s fastest-growing business.

His induction into the Business Hall of Fame is not the first time Davidson’s business acumen has been recognized. He is a recipient of the Hartley D. Peavey Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, which is presented annually to one of east Mississippi’s leading businessmen or women. He is also a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, a global organization of current and former chief executive officers with members in more than 70 countries.

Marty is a graduate of Tulane University with a MBA in Business Administration.

A Mississippi Business Journal (4/9/2007) article about

Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc.

Among his many other contributions to Meridian, he has established the Linda and Marty Davidson Endowment with the MCC (Meridian Community College)Foundation.

On the Passing of Kate Griffin – R.I.P.

Kate Griffin Junior High

At the close of the school day on December 18, 2009, the old rusty doors of Kate Griffin Junior High School were bolted and locked. The hallways that just a couple weeks previously echoed with the chatter and laughter of young teens, the slamming of metal lockers and the barks from teachers will now enter the provinces of our fond – but fading memories.

The building has a great deal of history. Thousands and thousands of students passed through its doors, through the unique grouping of 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades, on their paths to continued education. On the thousands of journeys through our junior high, many friends were made, some for a lifetime.

The school was named for its first principal, who left a lasting impression on Meridian's educational community.

Former school superintendent Dr. H. M. Ivy, in a short oral history of the school, was remembered as saying, "In Miss Kate Griffin, everyone who came in contact with her had an exemplification of what a life of service means. Every boy, every girl, every teacher, every individual who contacted Miss Kate Griffin was to her the most important individual anywhere at any given time."

Most of the structures that now stand at Kate Griffin were built in the '20's, the '50's, and the last in the'60's. Over its lifetime, the school has housed grades ranging from seven to twelve, and was once a grades nine through twelve senior high school.

Kate Griffin Junior High remembered:

The 7th and 8th grades were considered the lower division and the 9th and 10th grades were –what else– the upper division. Even though the buildings were joined there was a distinctive division and walking from one division to the other during the school year was frowned upon, an unwritten taboo.

Who doesn’t have a vivid memory of Sylvester T. Pendarvis, the formidable Principal roaming the halls... carrying his paddle.

Click on for a larger view:

Some of the students, mostly boys, rode to school on motor scooters, some rode bikes, others walked and still others rode those damnable yellow buses. There were dances in the gym, student-held variety shows in the auditorium, and moments caught between classes for short conversations with other students. I remember my years at K.G. as an overall enjoyable, interesting experience.

So long, Kate Griffin Junior High.

Tempus omnia sed memorias privat

Some, but not all, of this is extracted from a Meridian Star announcement about KG's demise.

Mississippi... Believe It

Click on:

A Song That Mentions Meridian - Redux

"Red Dirt Girl" Emmylou Harris

"I think this was hovering over the highway and I "drove over it." I am very, very inspired by the sound of words, and the names of places are so melodic and beautiful. I was passing through Meridian on my way down to record in New Orleans and that's what started it." — Emmylou



Emmylou is a favorite. At 63 years old, she could still break up a happy home. Yeah, mine. I think it's that she likes dogs, too.

If you know a song that more prominently mentions our hometown, tell me and I'll swap it out. But, for now, "across the line and a little southeast of Meridian".

Great lyrics:
"But one thing they don't tell you about the blues
When you got em
You keep on falling cause there ain't no bottom
There ain't know end."


Complete lyrics for "Red Dirt Girl"

Sowashee Creek

The name Sowashee is Choctaw meaning “Mad River.” The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit signed in 1830 opened the area to white settlers, however for hundreds of years the Native Americans enjoyed the benefits of the Sowashee for maintaining their villages with plenty of large mouth bass and blue gill, drinking water, and all other water needs.

Attribution: Ann McKee, The Meridian Star.

In a meeting in June 2009 according to Mayor Smith, "Though the water was once raw sewage, what you're trying to (currently) pump into Sowashee is water that is as good or better than what is currently in the Sowashee." per The Meridian Star

Photo taken in March 2009

What is this fellow doing? I have no idea.


This old pony truss bridge supposedly spanned Sowashee Creek on the Old Marion-Russell Road... a long time ago. Hard to tell.



Back when this was taken I guess the name was spelled Souwashie or maybe spelling was not the photographer's strong suit.