“I’ll give you our phone number, and you can call us in the morning,” she replied.
Peanutt called early the next morning, and I answered the phone.
“Is this that pretty little blonde I saw last night?’ he jubilantly asked.
“This is Charlene, the blonde-headed girl who was driving,” I answered.
“You’re the one I’m interested in, and my brother likes the redhead. Are you going to see me today?”
“Yes, that’s what Jewell wants us to do; she likes your brother.”
“Just meet us at Dusty Joe’s.” He finished the conversation, and we hung up.
For whatever reason, Jewell and I agreed to ride around with the boys.
Peanutt wanted us to meet his mom and dad, Fletcher and Willie Mae Montgomery, and his sister, Melba. They were very nice to us. Mrs. Montgomery was in the kitchen cooking, Mr. Montgomery was watching TV, and Melba was sitting with her hair in rollers under a hair dryer. I had no idea who Peanutt and Melba Montgomery were except that Peanutt was a musician.
After we said our goodbyes and left the Montgomery home, we drove up the Natchez Trace, walked on some nature trails, and then stopped at a rest area. There was a picnic table near a tree, and a limb was hanging over the table. I decided I wanted to take a swing from that limb. I climbed upon the table and started swinging, and I really didn’t care what anybody thought about it because I was being who I am take it or leave it.
I had a good time with Peanutt and Monty. We talked all day. It didn’t matter if either of them liked me because after this one day, I most likely wouldn’t see them again. Late in the afternoon, I told Peanutt I needed to go home because I had a date that night.
“Okay,” he said, but I noticed his mood changed. I asked him what was wrong?
“Oh, nothing,” he answered quietly.
I thought it was so cute of him to pout because I had a date with someone else because he didn’t even know me.
When we were nearly home, I told him the truth; I didn’t really have a date. He wanted to know if he could take me out to dinner and a movie. I told him no, but he could come over to visit.
Peanutt accepted my offer, and we talked for about two hours while sitting in the living room. He asked me if I’d ride up to Nashville with him the next afternoon, and I told him I would. The next morning, I got up early and went to Kriesman’s Clothing Store in Florence. I wasn’t sure where we would be going in Nashville, so I wanted to be prepared. I purchased several items including a beautiful short black dress with rhinestone spaghetti straps and a matching handbag and shoes. I also bought a rhinestone studded black denim pantsuit. That’s what I wore that day to Nashville.
Our first stop in Nashville was at Shot Jackson’s house. Shot was dating recording artist, Donna Darlene, and Peanutt told them that he was going to take me to Tootsies Orchid Lounge. That sounded like a very sophisticated place, so I changed into my new dress and heels. Shot and Donna really complimented me about how I looked, but Donna made the comment:
“What you had on would have been good enough to wear to Tootsies. It’s just a place where a lot of the stars hang and shoot the bull.”
I didn’t feel safe to change back into my denim pantsuit.
We left the Jackson’s and went to Tootsies. Once there, my first thought was,
“Where does an orchid fit into this scroungy looking place?”
The lounge was quite a place. Names were written all over the walls, there were cobwebs hanging everywhere, and several drunken people were lounging in the booths. The smoke was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Peanutt made reference to a man sitting in a booth at the rear of the lounge who was spouting off some very foul language,
“That’s Faron Young in that back booth,” Peanutt said, “Come on, I’ll introduce you to him.”
We walked over to the back where Faron Young was sitting, and Peanutt introduced him to me.
“Peanutt, you’re picking them classy these days. This is the best looking damn woman in this place,” Faron said. Peanutt only smiled and walked back to our table with me.
After Peanutt and I got home from Nashville, we never stopped seeing each other. He had captured my heart, and there was only one other piece of important unfinished business for him to do.
Peanutt couldn’t wait to introduce me to George Jones. I knew who George was because my favorite song was, “Window Up Above.”
Peanutt drove me to Nashville where George was recording one of Peanutt’s songs. George wanted us to come to the Biltmore Hotel where he was staying. When we got to his room, I was surprised to see other people in the room with George. I was introduced to Jeannie Seely, Hank Cochran, and to George’s heavy drinking. Pappy Daily, George’s producer, was there. I remember exactly what George said when Peanutt introduced me to him.
“Hot-a-mighty-damn, what a set of legs!” George yelled.
“This is a low class, foul mouth, drunken, and moral-less bunch of business.” I thought to myself. My introduction to these stars did not impress me. George was drunk, Faron Young was drunk, Tootsies was a dive, and Shot Jackson and Donna Darlene were living together.
Of course I was naïve; I had never been around clubs or musicians. This was all everyday stuff to Peanutt but a whole new world to me. Peanutt and I kept on dating. He was so nice to me and treated me with great respect. I was brought up in church and taught to stay away from people who drank alcohol, so I was distressed when I found out that Peanutt liked alcohol as much as George did. It was too late for me though because my feelings were too strong to toss him away.
George and Peanutt were such good men. I just could not understand why the alcohol was so important to them. Both of the men were such sweet and kind people. Why did they have to drink?
I liked Peanutt more than any man I’d ever dated, but I had been married before and even though Peanutt knew it, I hadn’t told him the whole story. I was afraid if I did, it would break us up. I kept procrastinating telling him some important things about me I knew he would eventually find out. One afternoon, Peanutt called me out of the clear blue.
“Charlene, I want you to come over to Mother’s tomorrow to have dinner with my family.”
Okay,” I replied.
The next day I showed up at The Montgomery’s house. Melba and Mrs. Montgomery had prepared a big dinner for Peanutt and me. Peanutt had invited his brothers and their wives, so the entire Montgomery clan was there for dinner. I felt strange like something was up. After we finished eating, Peanutt said he wanted to say something.
“Charlene, this dinner was prepared for me and you,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
He reached in his coat pocket and pulled out this gorgeous engagement ring. “This is for you, I want to marry you.”
I was thrilled out of my mind. I was in love with Peanutt. I knew I had never loved anybody as much as I did him in all of my life, but I had not let anybody know how I really felt because of the situation I was in. I thought it would all have to come to an end somewhere along the way. My first thought at the sight of the ring was, “What do I do now?” I accepted the ring. He placed it on my finger and kissed me with no hesitation in front of everybody. My eyes filled with moisture; I wanted to cry.
I needed to get alone and get some space where I could think. Peanutt got busy talking to his brothers and their wives, so I excused myself and left the room. I went to Peanutt’s room to use the phone. I called Jewell to tell her how excited I was about the ring, and I intended to get some advice.
“Jewell, you’ve got to tell me what to do,” I blurted as soon as she answered.
“What do you mean?”
“Peanutt has given me an engagement ring, and it’s gorgeous. I am so happy because this is exactly what I hoped would happen.”
“Have you told him about your situation yet?” Jewell knew I hadn’t said a word about it.
“No,” I answered.
“What are yo
u going to do?” Jewell quietly asked.
“I’m going to get Peanutt to ride out to White’s Lake with me, and I’m going to tell him everything. I’ll give the ring back to him if he wants it.”
“Are you going to tell Peanutt that you are pregnant and have been the whole time you’ve dated him?”
“Yes, I’ll tell him that I was pregnant by Louis Hartzog, my husband, when I met him,” I replied.
“Well, how in the world do you think he’ll take this blow?” Jewell asked.
“I don’t know. I just know that I love him, and I want to marry him. I should have told him in the very beginning, but I never thought we’d ever fall in love with each other.”
“I think that’s what you should do,” Jewell said without quibbling.
“Okay, but it’s going to kill me if he breaks up with me.”
I let about an hour pass after Jewell and I hung up before I asked Peanutt to go for a ride with me. He told the family how much he appreciated them for coming and for preparing the meal for us. I thanked them also and tried my best to put on a happy face but inside, I was full of turmoil.
Peanutt and I drove out to White’s Lake. Peanutt pulled up close to the water and turned off the motor.
“Peanutt,” I began, “I love you more than you will ever know, but I have to give this ring back to you. Take it back to Zales and get your money back. I can’t accept it, and I’m going to tell you why.”
“There is something I’ve never told you about me, and now is the time I have to do it.”
He stopped me and said, “You don’t have to tell me; I already know you’re pregnant.”
“How can you possibly know that?” I asked.
“I heard you on the phone with Jewell. I listened in to find out what Jewell would say about the engagement ring.”
I handed Peanutt the ring, and I cried.
“Is this what you want to do?” he asked.
“Yes it is. This is not fair to you, and I hate it that I didn’t tell you earlier, but I didn’t think we’d continue dating, and by the time I realized we cared for each other, I was afraid to tell you.”
I then asked Peanutt to take me home. When we arrived at Jewell’s house, Peanutt let me out of the car, and I told him I didn’t want to see him again, ever. He said, “Okay” and drove away.
I cried for two straight weeks. I couldn’t stop crying I was so messed up. I was divorcing my husband, Louis Hartzog, but I couldn’t have the divorce finalized until after the baby was born because his insurance wouldn’t pay for the pregnancy unless we were married.
When our divorce papers were signed, I was two months pregnant. I wasn’t even showing when I met Peanutt. I had been dating Peanutt for four months, and I was six months pregnant when he gave me the engagement ring. I was still not showing. My pregnancy was a secret except for a handful of people who knew it. Louis, Jewell, and my doctor were the only people who knew this secret.
Two weeks passed, and I was lying on the couch when the phone rang.
“Charlene, this is Peanutt, and I’m coming over there. I don’t care if you’re pregnant with twins. I’m going to marry you anyway. I love you, and I’ll love that baby just as much. l’ll see you in a few minutes.” He hung up without giving me a second to answer or rebut his comments.
Within minutes, Peanutt pulled in the driveway. He started unloading grocery bags from the car. He carried a bag from Kroger’s, Kriesman’s, and a drug store. He came in the house and sat the bags on the floor. He opened the Kroger Store bag first.
“I bought you some juice, fruit, raisins, and all kinds of healthy foods. I want you to begin eating this food and drinking the juice for your health and for the health of the baby.”
He pulled up the bag from the drug store.
“Now, here are some vitamins for you to take and some lotion for your belly.”
Then he went to the Kriesman’s bag and pulled out two beautiful maternity outfits.
“These will look so good on you; I think they are so pretty,” he commented.
The dresses were very cute and dainty looking. I couldn’t wait to wear them. Peanutt was just as happy as I was and from that day forward, we never broke up again.
I went everywhere with Peanutt and the bigger I got, the prouder he was. I only gained fifteen pounds the whole time I was pregnant. I was always really slim and wore a size three before I got pregnant.
Peanutt had never been married, and it was neat that he wanted to take me to all his shows where he was playing music and wasn’t ashamed of me. He had to do a show at the Sky Park Country Club, and I thought surely he wouldn’t want to take me with him to that one, but he did. I wore one of the Kriesman’s outfits he had bought for me, and he was so proud of me. He introduced me to everybody.
The last three months went quickly, and it was time for the baby to arrive. Peanutt waited anxiously day by day. We didn’t know if the baby would be a boy or girl, but I was leaning for a girl, and Peanutt didn’t care either way as long as the baby was healthy.
Peanutt got a call on April 1, and he had to go to Nashville for the day. On the way out the door he paused, turned towards me, and said:
“Do not get sick while I’m gone, I’ll be back tonight.”
Peanutt drove off, and I went outside to wash my car. When I finished, I looked around in a patch of clover. I found a four-leaf clover and put it in a glass of water. At this time, I was living with my sister, Nell Lee. I told Nell that I was going to have a girl because I found a four-leaf clover for good luck. I then got on the phone and called a couple of friends and told them that I was in the hospital and had the baby. I said it’s a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair. They were thrilled for me. They had forgotten it was April 1st. I had to play this “April Fool’s Day” joke. I was just having fun to pass the time while waiting for Peanutt to get back home.
It turns out this was not an “April Fool’s” joke. I had gone out in the yard again and decided to turn a cartwheel. I was feeling good. It was a sunny day, and maybe I was feeling too good. By the time I went back into the house, I began to feel a little funny. My first thought was, “I shouldn’t have turned that cartwheel.” About that time, I felt water going all over my legs. I waited about two hours before I called my doctor because I had not felt any pain. My sister insisted that I call him.
“Dr. Bohannon, my water broke two hours ago; what do you want me to do?” I casually asked.
I went to the hospital at about 4:00p.m. I still had no pain. Peanutt had not come home yet. I called Sue Kennington and told her to tell Peanutt as soon as he got home that I was in the hospital. My labor pains began about 6:00p.m. The doctor came in and told me we were going to do a natural childbirth, and that the baby would be born breech. He said I would need all of my strength, and that he would give me something for pain. At 7:45p.m. on April 1, 1966 the baby came. She was born with blue eyes, blonde hair, and weighed seven pounds and five ounces.
Peanutt came home at 8:45p.m. and learned that I was in the hospital and had the baby. He didn’t believe Sue. He thought she made it up to pull an “April Fool’s” joke on him. He got in his car and took off to Sue’s. When she told him I wasn’t there, he looked in her closets, in her bathroom, under the beds, and all through her house still thinking it was a prank. He called my name the whole time he was looking for me. He finally realized it was not a joke and rushed to the hospital. He realized that the biological father would probably be there, so he waited downstairs in the lobby and sent Sue to my room to see who was with me. Louis was there but was about to leave.
Sue waited until he was gone and then told me Peanutt was in the lobby. I told her to ask Peanutt to go to the Chapel. When everyone was out of my room, I got out of bed and went to the Chapel. I saw Peanutt, and he was actually trembling. We spent about an hour in the chapel talking, and I told him everything that was discussed in the room with my ex-husband.
I didn’t know that the nurses on my floor were searching
everywhere for me. They had brought some medicine for me, and I was gone. A nurse in a triangle shaped, white cap came and told me to go back to my room.
“I’m not going back right now,” I answered.
“I’ll have to tell your doctor about this.” she replied.
“Fine, but I’m staying here with him for a while longer.”
Peanutt and I talked for a few more minutes, and then I went to my room. The nurses were pretty upset with me, but I didn’t care. Peanutt went home but called me and talked for about two hours.
My mother was upset with me because during the birth of my baby, I kept asking for Peanutt. The doctor came out of the delivery room and said to my mother and Louis, “Somebody go get her some peanuts, that’s all she keeps asking for.”
The doctor didn’t know anything about Peanutt, but he knew I was divorced from Louis. My mother and Louis knew what I was craving wasn’t peanuts, and that irritated my mother. It didn’t bother Louis because I had told him all about Peanutt.
Three days later, Peanutt came to the hospital to pick up the baby and me and took us to Bill and Sue Kennington’s house. I stayed with Sue and Bill until I was able to return to my sister’s. Peanutt came to see me every day. We named our little girl, “Teresa True Hartzog.” The name Teresa came from a friend of Peanutt’s who had died. Terry Thompson was a very good guitar player and singer and had been in a band with Peanutt. We got the name “True” from Dallas Frazier, who is a well-known songwriter and friend. Dallas had told us he thought “True” would be a pretty name for a girl, so we used that name.
The insurance company paid all the hospital and doctor bills, so the divorce was final on July 12, 1966. Peanutt and I married on July 22, 1966. We rented a cute little apartment in Florence. We furnished it and made a nursery for True. Peanutt loved shopping for baby clothes, and he spent a ton of money on that baby. He bought a baby bed, stuffed animals, rattles, and all kinds of pretty little baby things. Peanutt kept his word. He loved True and took care of her as if she was his very own.
Peanutt had not been drinking very much during the pregnancy mainly because he was spending most of his time with me. We didn’t have any real problems until some of his old friends started coming around. When he started drinking more, I knew it was the influence of those relationships. I was going to do something about this, so I started calling them out, one by one. I threatened them with calling the police and turning them in if they tried to pass Peanutt a pill of some kind. They knew I meant business. Peanutt would get mad at me for this, but I just didn’t care. I felt I was doing the right thing for his sake. Finally, I got him interested in fishing and hunting. I’d go with him, and we’d spend every day on the river fishing and cooking out. We had fun. His dad started going with us and he loved to fish. We’d spend days away from home, and no one could bother us. When Peanutt got tired of fishing, I introduced him to arrowhead hunting, and he got hooked on it. We’d go hunt arrowheads all day. Sometimes, we’d go thirty or forty miles away and find some real nice fields to hunt arrowheads. We really enjoyed that.
The Legend of George Jones: His Life and Death Page 5
