Bygones: Hank Williams Jr. performed in Duluth 40 years ago

News Tribune, June 28, 1924

Cyclists from across the region will participate in the Fourth of July motorcycle hill climb on the north side ski hill in Virginia. The slope is known as one of the most difficult grades in northern Minnesota.

News Tribune, June 28, 1954

A moose on the loose has been seen trotting through Duluth’s East End and Hunters Park neighborhoods. Reports say the female moose, scrawny and half-starved, was last seen heading down 31st Avenue East toward Branch Street.

News Tribune & Herald, June 28, 1984

A small crowd of about 2,100 took in a performanace from country singer Hank Williams Jr. at the Duluth Arena. A News Tribune reviewer called it “the highest-voltage country concert seen here in recent years.”

News Tribune, June 28, 2004

Five teams competed in the second-annual city-wide scavenger hunt in Duluth, searching for items such as a map of the city’s underground tunnels, a city councilor willing to sit in a chair for a half-hour, a menu from a restaurant that’s no longer open, and more.

Larry Brown, a name synonymous with raw, unfiltered storytelling, always had a knack for shining whenever he was on camera or in the spotlight. His life and work, deeply intertwined with the essence of Southern culture, have left an indelible mark on the literary world. Brown’s passion for storytelling was matched only by his love for music, particularly the timeless tunes of Hank Williams. This article delves into the life of Larry Brown, his connection to Hank Williams, and how his love for music influenced his writing.

Larry Brown was born and raised in the rural community of Yocona, Mississippi. His journey into the world of literature was anything but conventional. After serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War, Brown took on various blue-collar jobs, from laboring at a stove company to sacking groceries. In 1977, he joined the Oxford Fire Department, where he would spend the next seventeen years of his life. It was during these years that Brown began to write, often during quiet evenings at the fire station or late at night at his kitchen counter.