Tabor City born Grand Ole Opry legend passes away at 89 years old
Grand Ole Opry Legend Stonewall Jackson may have been raised in Georgia, but the singer was born in Tabor City on Nov. 6, 1932. He was named after Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
He was the youngest of three children, and his mother moved the family from Columbus County to Moultrie in South Georgia when Jackson’s father passed away in 1934. He grew up working on his uncle’s farm and enlisted in the Navy where he served from 1950 to 1954. He moved to Nashville, Tennesse in 1956
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He sang for 50 years on the Grand Ole Opry and had hits like “Waterloo” and “Don’t be Angry.” He was the first to record a live album at the venue, and from 1958 to 1971 he had 35 Top 40 country hits.
Jackson’s mentor in his early career was country legend Ernest Tubb, who bought him his first stage clothes and hired him as his opening act. In 1997, he was presented with the Ernest Tubb Memorial Award for his contributions to country music.
In 1991, he privately published his autobiography, “From the Bottom Up.” In 2008, he settled a federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Opry. He claimed officials had cut back his appearances beginning in 1998 and sought $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The singer was 75 years old at the time and kept appearing on the show until 2010.
Stonewall Jackson died Saturday, Dec. 4 after a long battle with vascular dementia. He was 89.
