Page 29 - June 2023 Issue.indd

in its fandom, so it no doubt perme- tour. I had the pleasure of sitting next term Congressman from Georgia, by the
ated the borders of Caroline County as to Cletus, who when he is not reprising way) in, of all things, my wedding photo

well. I recall a local newspaper letter to his role as a TV deputy sheriff is simply collage. Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and
the editor from the 1980s, written by a Rick Hurst. An affable gentleman, he Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) both died
transplant, who could not stand living was genuinely curious about the history before I could meet them, but I have
here for one more day. Good riddance, of the area, and aft er realizing he had said hello to Rosco P. Coltrane (James
I say, but among the stated reasons for hit the jackpot by sitting next to the Best), Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach),
their hasty departure was that they were county’s most active historian, shared and Bo Duke (John Schneider) over
surrounded by, in their words, and I his family genealogy. Come to fi nd out, the years at gatherings such as Hazzard
quote, “Dukes of Hazzard cars.” I fail like me, he has traced his lineage to the Homecoming in Virginia or at one of
to see how brightly-painted souped-up earliest settlers of Jamestown, Virginia; several museums Cooter has operated
classic cars are in any way intimidating, I let Hurst know that such documenta- there or in Tennessee. For that matter,

but good luck living your cookie-cutter tion qualified him for membership in a I assume at least a few readers caught
life in suburbia, pal. society called First Families of Virginia Luke (Tom Wopat) in concert at the
and directed him to where and how he Ocean City Inlet during the mid-1990s
Fast forward a couple decades and the
could apply. Giddy is an accurate word or perhaps saw Schneider star in a musi-
Dukes of Hazzard literally came to
to describe me on that day. cal called The Civil War when it passed

Caroline County. A series of charity
through Baltimore in 2000. For a show
car shows in Ridgely featured NASCAR This was not, however, my fi rst notable

that was panned by critics as corny and
Hall of Famer Richard Petty as the head- experience interacting with the Dukes
unsophisticated, Dukes of Hazzard sure
liner but also booked a cavalcade of of Hazzard. I have lived the life since
has kept the people involved in some

auto icons for autographs, selfi es, and literally pre-school. Th e first time I was
form of demand all these years.
other fun. Luke Duke, Enos Strate, and ever on television, it was for a drawing of
Cletus Hogg among other characters Cooter’s tow truck I sent to the “WOW!” The series has also given the auto indus-

associated with the series all made local kids’ program on the old WDCA Chan- try a boost. Though the General Lee was

appearances in various roles including nel 20. The fascination continued into a 1969 Charger, Dodge switched specs
a 2016 fundraiser luncheon at a Denton adulthood as I featured a picture of me and branding in roughly 1970: Chargers
restaurant prior to a rolling county-wide and him (Ben “Cooter” Jones was a two- morphed into “pony car” Challengers
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