Newspaper Page Text
Page 8 September 10, 2023 StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
Carrollton businessan honors his late father
with a special concert on Saturday, September 16th
Fred O’Neal to pay homage to his late father Charlie W. O’Neal with the first
Annual “Blues is Alright” Rhythm and Blues Festival at Legends Park, Carrollton
from press release
Local businessman Fred O’Neal
will pay homage to his late father,
Charlie W. O’Neal, with a free concert
Saturday September 16, 2023, at 6:00
p.m. at Legends Park in Carrollton.
This will be the first “Annual Blues is
Alright Rhythm and Blues Festival”.
Fred’s father, who passed away in
2013, would have been 90 years old
this year. The music dedication to him
pays tribute to his love for music.
“My dad was an avid blues music
fan and performed with his own blues
band, the Passion Seekers, up until his
death,” said Fred.
Charlie O’Neal earned his chops for
music as a part of his tough upbring-
D , , mg- Being
ny the time he
was 14 years old,
Charlie O ’Neal was
able to bribe one of
the older women in
the neighborhood
to assist him in
moving his age up
to 18 - the age that
allowed him to
enter the United
States Army.
It took officials
an entire year to
determine that
he was too young
to enter the military’
and the granted
him an honorable
discharge at
age 15.
reared in
mral
Mississippi
in the 1930s
as a person
of color pro
vided the
backdrop
for his emo
tional tie to
this genre of
music.
As
Charlie would often
share, he and his
mom - who was 12
years old at his birth
“were not
homeless, they just
did not have
anywhere to live”.
His earliest
recollections were of
the two of them
going from relative
to relative to seek
shelter. The impact
of his teenage
mom’s struggle for existence moved him to
take extreme measures.
Homelesi
Need a helpi^iii||
Are you willing to work?
Are you drug h alcohol free?
the HOPE CENTER
may be your solution
act Impact West Georiga
?wnan Road, Carrollton
770-834-4007
Fred O’Neal with a photo of his late father,
Charlie O’Neal who passed away in 2013.
By the time he was 14 years old, he was able
to bribe one of the older women in the
neighborhood to assist him in moving his age
up to 18 - the age that allowed him to enter the
United States Army. It took officials an entire
year to determine that he was too young to
enter the military and the granted him an
honorable discharge at age 15. Fie did re-enter
the military at the legal age and served his
country for three years.
Charlie spent his post military years in
maintenance as a millwright, a profession he
learned in the Army. A millwright maintains
the mill's machinery. Along the way, Charlie
also worked various odd jobs simultaneously
as a mechanic, plumber, and carpenter.
Fie met his wife of nearly 60 years,
Lamargie Glenn, a Fleard County, Georgia,
native, and together they raised three children.
Charlie could escape into Blues Music,
getting lost in the virtues of B.B. King, John
Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters as he would
retreat to his favorite place - the studio that he
built in his basement to channel his music
heroes while singing and strumming along.
His personal brand of wisdom came from
some of his famous sayings:
“Every tub has to sit on its own bottom”
“Feed them with a long-handled spoon”, and
Fred’s personal favorite is “No matter how
good it is or how bad it is, nothing lasts for
ever”.
The concert will feature national performing
artist Regina Troupe as headliner who has
toured with such artists as Peabo Bryson,
Cehne Dion, and Kenny G.
Joining her will be Chris Pitts, an
exceptionally gifted guitarist and singer from
Memphis, Tennessee who has captivated
audiences with his many genres including
Blues, Country, Rock and R&B Soul.
The “Blues is Alright Rhythm and Blues
Festival” is free of charge. Fred invites the
community to bring their lawn chairs and
come out and enjoy! Legends Park is located at
215 Fourth Street, Carrollton.
RE-ELECT
VOTE
November 7th
BETTY CASON
MAYOR
CITY OF CARROLLTON
VOTE FOR COMMITMENT, LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mayor Cason’s passion is helping people and serving the community. She has served in
leadership positions in many organizations with a purpose of helping others. She was a founding
member of the Carroll County Mental Health Advocacy Program and has served as president of
the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association and Georgia Council of Probate
Judges. Betty has served on the boards of directors of the Georgia Municipal Association and
the Judicial Council of Georgia and was vice-chair of Carroll County Family Connection. She has
been chair of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Academy and Strategic
Planning Committee, and the Carroll County Mental Health Advocacy Board.
She is a certified municipal clerk, certified municipal finance officer, certified probate court judge and an
economic development finance specialist.
Paid for the Committee to Re-Elect Betty Cason
I am DETERMINED
I am WEST,
Find your direction at
westga.edu/iamwest
GO WEST
UNIVERSITY OF
WEST GEORGIA
Nursing I Computer Science I Education I Business I And More