Meet Maggi
“Ya’ll come see me.”
That’s what Maggi says at the end of almost every conversation I have ever had with her. It always makes me feel special and singled-out, though I know that is probably her standard form of goodbye to everyone. But I also know that it’s not just a social nicety– she means it. I have an open invitation to spend time with the poet laureate of Tennessee, the true Queen of Bell Buckle, our own Margaret Britton Vaughn.
Before I go any farther, read this excerpt from a newspaper article about her a few years ago– it will give you a little bit of her background:
According to an interview with Bell Buckle Alderperson Jenny Hunt, Vaughn’s story began in Tennessee: Murfreesboro, in fact, where Vaughn’s father was a firefighter. He was killed in a fire when Vaughn was 9 months old. Three months after her father’s death, Vaughn’s brother was born and it wasn’t too long after that when their mother remarried and the family moved to Gulfport, Miss., where Vaughn grew up.
Vaughn’s successful writing career bloomed at a very early age and she recalls writing even as a little girl growing up in Mississippi. Vaughn’s education began at Perkingston Junior College and then she transferred to Mississippi Southern where she “failed Biology 10 times.”
While living in Mississippi, Vaughn worked for the Daily Herald in Gulfport, earning the opportunity to become the first woman in an outside sales position for a Mississippi newspaper. She finally earned a B.S. degree at Middle Tennessee State University.
Vaughn moved to Nashville her first year following college and started writing songs for the Wilmer Brothers. Soon afterwards, Vaughn and country music legend Loretta Lynn began writing songs together with the star recording several. Vaughn and Lynn still meet and write songs or just spend time together.
Vaughn’s best reflection is of a recording she made in 1961 while overseeing an exclusive woman’s clothing store. While working, Vaughn wrote 12 recitations about mamas for Minnie Pearl and Lynn. Several became big hits for Lynn, but the original tapes somehow were lost.
The tapes contained Vaughn’s voice with Betty Jean Robinson and Lorraine Mann as background during the recording session. A saxophone player had been recording before Vaughn’s session and offered to stay and play for free just to be a part of the event. When the tapes resurfaced in the early 2000’s, Andy Landis took them to Tennessee Arts Council where she received a grant to publish the tapes as a document of historical significance.
Vaughn has gone on to write tunes for other country greats such as Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty, Charlie Louvin, and Peggy Sue just to name a few.
Vaughn’s “discovery” began in 1975 when Minnie Pearl sent some of Vaughn’s writings to the Grand Ole Opry. Later that same year, The Tennessean published Vaughn’s “50 Years of Saturday Nights,” a book about the 50th anniversary of the Opry. The book was later updated to Grand Ole Saturday nights.
Vaughn has written 12 books and was appointed Poet Laureate of Tennessee in 1989 by Gov. Ned McWhorter. Vaughn is quick to point out that the Tennessee House of Representatives makes the appointment for life, however, the Tennessee State Senate has to vote to renew her appointment every 5 years.
Vaughn also wrote the inaugural poem at Gov. Don Sundquist’s inauguration and Gov. Phil Bredesen had one of her poems printed in his inauguration program. As Sundquist was leaving office, he selected Vaughn as one of the handful to receive his designated “Outstanding Tennessean Award”. Another one of the highlights of Vaughn’s career was writing Tennessee’s Bicentennial poem and being recognized on the Tennessee Bicentennial coin.
Vaughn thinks her greatest personal accomplishment was being selected as the only poet to receive the Mark Twain Fellowship from Elmira College, where Twain spent 20 summers writing some of his major works. During the Fellowship program, Vaughn wrote Foretasting Heaven.
While living in the same house Twain had stayed, Vaughn pretended as if Twain were there with her. Her writings evolved from there. Vaughn returns to Elmira frequently to speak and read her poems.
Vaughn’s books are taught at colleges and universities around the world and, at the re-opening of Thomas Wolfe’s boarding house, Vaughn was invited to write the official poem for the historic event.
Of all the memories, Vaughn notes her ability to reach out and affect students. While visiting Buffalo State, Vaughn substituted at the last minute for a sick professor. She read two poems about the Vietnam Wall and followed the lesson by playing George Jones’ “50,000 Names on the Wall.” The students loved it.
Vaughn’s love for writing and country music are evident in all aspects of her life
“You know,” she says, “Country music is the best poetry ever written. It tells it like it is. It’s life.”
© Copyright 2007 Shelbyville Times-Gazette. All rights reserved.
You see, Maggi can’t live without art and color in her life. Her house and writing studio are a living testament to that– her eclectic collection of art from all different mediums covers about every square inch of her living and working space, including the ceiling. Here are a few photos a fascinating man in his own right named Walter Skold , founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, took a couple of years ago:
After only living here a few months, I have already accrued an amazing amount of Maggi stories. Despite (or perhaps because of) her, shall we say, ‘frankness’ in expressing her opinions, I feel safe in saying that Maggi is pretty much universally loved in this town. Her fierce devotion to and promotion of the arts in Bell Buckle are so very much appreciated, and she is generally treated like the national treasure she is around here. I wanted to introduce her to you guys because she is most definitely one of the ongoing characters in this new story we seem to be writing for ourselves here in Bell Buckle. And it never fails to make me feel lucky when I finish a good visit with Maggi and she says by way of goodbye, “Come see me!”
She ends with an invitation, much like a preacher does, except instead of inviting us to ask Jesus into our hearts, Maggi is inviting us into her life– to swap stories, talk and listen, laugh loudly and even learn a thing or two.
Here she is in 2011 reading a poem she wrote about her father:
15 Responses
Leave a comment
If you have already registered an account with us, log in to post a comment.
If you do not have an account, please setup a username to confirm you aren't a devil-spammer-from-Hell. A password will be sent to the email address you provide.
Oh DANG! I’m beginning to LOVE Bell Buckle! Now I feel like I know the chicken fryin’ mayor, Billy Phillips from the antique shop, and now Maggi Vaughn. She is an amazing woman! You two are like “peas in a pod”! You’re gonna be great friends!
Amen and Amen, sweet Linda. You expressed my thoughts perfectly right up to and likening our Tori with the very interesting lady.
Like the others I can see why you get on so well.
Where have all the others gone? Everyone seems to have disappeared!
bettyrwoodward is right– WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?! I know you’re reading… So come on, jump in and comment, we are such a delightful group– all the cool kids are doing it!
Hello Tori,
Love your blog. Not sure where else to ask you, so I figured I’d start here.
As one Christian to another, I’d love to know what you think about this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf0BNYVb6t8
I stumbled across it yesterday and although the band is Christian and the video is about Heaven, I’m not sure what to make of it.
Thoughts?
Addy
I think this video is sad.
‘It’s not because of what I’ve done but because of who He is.
It’s not because of who I am but because of what He’s done’
None of us are fit for heaven but Jesus and He saves through His blood.
Wow! What a negative film. And, I suspect they don’t know my Jesus. I agree with you, sweet Betty.
____________________________________
Oh my goodness, I posted this on the blog before this by mistake and that was such a big boo-boo. This coment is in reply to Betty W. above and certainly didn’t fit with Tori’s last blog. I watched the film, left the computer, came back and clicked on the wrong blog, then posted without even checking where I was. Even a blind woman shouldn’t be that bad.
Okay, let’s have a roll call to see who is secretely still living and who has secretely gone Home.
Lloyd: HERE
I’m still here!
I’m here, too.
You know, sweet Tori, I can play Russ’ cd’s and watch him on dvd’s, but unless I want to sit and watch the Gaither Women dvd over and over I am unable to get my Tori Taff fix.
We want…make that need….to hear about your most recent ladies meeting, how many cats are living on your porch now, what new delicious dessert they are serving at the Bell Buckle Restaurant, how those pretty Taff girls are doing, and where is my favorite singer blessing the people these days?
Missing you…….
SORRY–I am still here!!! Got to checking the blog–but not the comments!!! Awaiting my first granddaughter–she isn’t due until mid-January, but has been threatening to be very premie! But, by golly, she’s stayed in there and if she waits until Christmas Eve, she will have made it to 37 weeks, so full term!! Older daughter, her hubby, and grandsons coming to WI December 29th.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!!!!!!!
Remember Where’s Waldo? I picture a busy scene of Bell Buckle with LOTS of people and the caption Where’s Tori?!?!? (Or maybe she’s lost in all the Christmas decorations at her house!
I’m here too, been fighting Pneumonia; and w/ CHF I do mean fighting. And keeping an eye on a grandson who underwent surgery. This corner of the world still loves everyone in the neighborhood; and would love to hear/see how Bell Buckle turns out for Christmas and the New Year. I pray that each of you has a blessed and happy Christmas.
I’m alive and still kicking!! It’s been so busy. I will come back and catch up!!