The first time I met John Hester I was in the 7th grade. My homeroom teacher was Mrs. Lundsford across the hall from Mr. Hester's classroom. I was sitting on a white domed trash can in the hall before school started and Mr. Hester was walking to his classroom, he tugged on my sleeve and said "C'mon, we'll ride horsy together". He took me into his classroom and wrote out a detention slip, as he handed it to me he asked "Do you know who I am"? I looked at the slip and said "I'm guessing John Hester". "But do you know who else I am? I play the organ at your church." I asked him to turn around and I looked at the back of his head (he played with his back to the congregation). "You sure do!"

What John didn't say was that he had seen me enough at church to know that I
really enjoyed making people laugh, he knew that I just wanted to be on stage and perform. What John didn't know at the time was that if you look up dysfunctional family in the dictionary you would see a McCracken Family portrait. Home life was very difficult for me, my Father was a kind and gentle man, but he worshipped the ground my mother walked on. My Mother, onthe other hand was the most mean spirited person I have ever known. (I think she was just mad because Dorothy's house landed on her sister!) I got to school before the doors were unlocked because I left the house as early
as possible and came home as late as possible. Even detention was better than going home. Humor was my escape from reality. I was a completely different person at home than I was at school.

Mr. Hester told me that that he was casting 'A Christmas Carol' and needed a Jr. High (that's what they called middle school back then) student to play Tiny Tim. He said "I'll tell you what; I'll tear up this detention slip up if you agree to try out for the part. You don't even have to get it, just try out." I agreed and I got the part! Being on stage for the first time was the biggest rush I had ever had! I loved it. When the play was over he
asked me how I liked it, I loved it of course. Then he dropped the bomb…he told me that Speech and Drama was an elective and that he didn't have to let me take it and he ouldn't if I didn't maintain an "S" in conduct and nothing below a "C" in any subject for the next year and a half. "I don't mean a "C" average; I mean nothing below a "C". That meant that all the class clown stuff had to be before/after school or between classes. He turned my life around with that little deal because I knew I wanted to do more plays and he knew it too.

I did what I had to do to take speech. In the 9th grade for our first speech we had to do a sales speech. We could pick anything we wanted to sell. I picked a frying pan because my mom had just bought a new Teflon pan. I grabbed the old one out of the trash and took the new too.
This was going to be great. When I did my speech I called the new one a "Smallstate" Frying pan and the old one was of course a Teflon pan. I said that they both had been used an equal amount of times and as you can see the Teflon pan was all scratched up, but the Smallstate pan looked brand new (imagine that). I went on for the 3 minutes that I had to talk and concluded by saying "…so remember, you're in good pans with Smallstate." The class went wild with laughter and I was in heaven.

The next day at the beginning of class Mr. Hester asked me to step out into the hall with him. I thought you have got to be kidding; he is going to get onto me for using humor in my speech! When I got outside, Mr. Hester shut the door so the rest of the class couldn't hear what we were saying. "You know I videotaped the speeches yesterday don't you?" "Yes sir" I said, waiting for him to scold me like only Hester could! But to my surprise he told me he had played my speech for the advanced students (3rd year in speech) and they agree with me in recommending that you pursue a career in broadcasting. In the 9th grade he saw that I could have a career in radio.

I have enjoyed my profession now for over thirty years because of the insight of John Hester. I wouldn't change that for anything. I looked forward to going to work everyday; I have enjoyed my life to the fullest because of this wonderful man who enjoyed his profession as much as I enjoyed mine.

One of the highpoints of High School for me was playing Preacher Haggler in "Dark of the Moon". I remember my cue line for my first scene in the play was "Here comes Preacher Haggler" and when I walked onto the stage the audience went wild. It was a daytime performance so it was just for the student body. They were laughing at the thought of me playing a preacher! I didn't break character; I waited for the laughter to die down and then I delivered my first line just like they did on All in the Family. When
the scene was over and I went backstage Mr. Hester was waiting for me.

Hester NEVER was backstage during a performance, he was always out front watching the performance with the audience. He gave me such a hug I thought he was going to crush my skull! As he did, he whispered to me "I can't believe that you didn't break character." "Thank you my son" I said and got ready for my next scene. He wanted us to stay in character backstage. Hester never gave praise unless you deserved it, I was thrilled that he thought I did. There was one scene where I had to kneel down and talk to a man praying during the Brush Arbor Revival. During rehearsals I just acted like I was talking to him, but I got so much energy from what John had said I really was Preacher Haggler! I borrowed some lines from other parts of the play and spoke as if I was trying to get him to really accept Jesus. I don't remember who was playing the part but he was suppose to stand and raise his hands over his head and proclaim "I'm saved, I'm saved". When he did tears were running down his face and that really got me going. He was as into it as I was! Then as other cast members circled me chanting, I had to preach above the chatting.The louder I got, the more I got into being a preacher. It was one of the most memorable scenes I was ever in and I had been in Tom Jones, Oliver and Westside Story among others. I had the second male lead, Ray Spain had the lead. As we did the curtain call I came out just before Ray and Patricia Cox to take my bows, when I did the standing ovation started. I will remember that feeling for the rest of my life, chills went up my back and every hair on my head (I had hair then) felt like it was standing straight up. I never got praise for anything at home and the feeling of being appreciated was overwhelming for me, it brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. John Hester was responsible for that, he saw years before that I wanted and needed that.

When my parents got divorced (finally), John knew what I was going through.
He knew I needed an adult in my life that believed in me, an adult to tell me everything was going to be okay and to keep me focused and encourage me to not feel sorry for myself. He stepped up to the plate and supplied all those things…and then some.

I stayed in touch with Mr. Hester over the years, I wanted desperately for him to be proud of me. When I returned to Memphis in 1999 after 22 years on the National Radio Tour (I moved around allot New Orleans, La, Las Vegas, etc), he was the first person that I had dinner with and I had a chance to tell him what an influence he had on my life and how much he meant to me. I thank God that I was given the chance to tell him what a wonderful teacher and human being he was and how he changed my life. I guess everyone has a teacher that stands out in their life, John Hester was mine. I have heard
that Northside High School is thinking about naming the radio station, the one John started at Craigmont after him. Please join with me in seeing that happens.

John Hester was my teacher, my mentor but most importantly he was my friend.
He believed in me when no one else did.
He will be missed but not forgotten, I will do everything in my power to see that he is not. He was a great teacher and a great man.

Rest in peace John.