BOOKS
As I Recall By Larry Steele (Self Published) Larry Steele grew up
in the heart of the Jack- sonville, Florida music scene of the 60’s and 70’s, and later took a job work- ing as stage manager and songwriter for 38 Special. In As I Recall, Larry
shares many, many stories of the early bands and musicians of Jacksonville, with an auto- biographical perspective and history drenched accounts of the bands, especially Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special. As one who has read every book available on Southern Rock, I can truly say there are many great sto- ries and details in Larry’s book that I had never even heard, Steele gives a first-hand account of growing up on the Westside of Jacksonville, and form- ing his first band with Allen Collins. He de- scribes his own experience as a musician, along with the friendships, forged in stone. After years of performing with various bands in the North Florida area, including a brief stint with Skynyrd in 1973, Steele was hired by 38 Special in 1980. At this point, the book becomes a detailed biography of 38 Special. He writes about living in the emense shadow of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the fact that every- one expected 38 to be a clone odf Skynyrd. After all, they had Ronnie’s brother in the band. He goes into great detail regarding the tragic plane crash in October, 1977, and how the loss or Ronnie effected not only his brother Donnie, but all of 38 Special and thye extended southern rock family. From the rehearsal halls to the recording stu- dios, to headlining the most loved concert
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venues of North America, Europe and Japan, As I Recall paints a clear picture of the life of a southern rock band – the triumphs and the tragedies surrounding a group of wild eyed southern boys.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Jimmy Carter: Elected President with Pocket Change and Peanuts By Dorothy Padgett Foreword by: Jimmy Carter (Mercer University Press) I always loved President
Carter and thought of him as perhaps the coolest Com- mander in Chief our coun-
try has ever known. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was a huge fan of The Allman Broth- ers Band and a close friend of Phil Walden at Capricorn Records. Dorothy Padgett has written an engaging, fun, and detailed book about Carter’s rise to Governor of Georgia and on to President of the United States. As a devoted campaign worker for the President, she offers much in- sight into the entire campaign and election process from an up close perspective. Padgett, an organizer of the famed Peanut Brigade, re- counts the Georgia group's experiences as they traveled from state to state, knocking on doors, charming prospective voters with their Southern accents and manners, and helping Carter win key primaries. The stories here are witty, often funny,
and the unshakable admiration the author has for both Jimmy and his wife Rosalynn are quite obvious. This is the story of how a peanut farmer from Georgia became Presi-
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