PANHANDLE OPRY - Key Persons

Betty Jones, the mother of Former Walton County Administrator Larry Jones, was running what was at the time, The Road Runner Restaurant at the intersection of Highways 90 and 285. She approached Gordon about starting a Saturday night show in the back room of the restaurant as a way to increase business. Gordon got together with musician friends he had met over the years and opened for the first show on June 15th, 1979. At the time, there was Gordon, Slim Anderson, Jerry Murphy, Woody Collins, Gary Kennedy, and David Byers. Soon, Buddy Lawrence, Reid Porter (Gordon's brother), Ed Strickland, Loy Strickland, Dottie "O", GW Henderson, Carl & Ingrid Gilman, Theresa Gilman, Tony Voile, Wilford Carroll, Sam Dunaway, Judy Lawrence, Trisha and Michael (Gordon's children), Susie, Bo & Butch Porter (Reid's children), Marcus & Dale Willis (Gordon's nephews), Judy Jones, Noah Noaker, and DW Rollin joined the group. Buddy Foster played bass at the time and his wife Rhonda sang. He owned Holland Music store in DeFuniak Springs and sold us our first equipment at cost. There were others that came and went at the time as well.