Legendary ‘swamp whisperer’ Okefenokee Joe to perform at Georgia National Fairgrounds

Okefenokee Joe is in Middle Georgia this weekend – at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, to be exact.

The legendary “swamp whisperer” is here for performances at the Georgia Wildlife Federation’s annual Fisharama and Turkeyrama. His shows are 1 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the hunting, fishing and outdoor show.

So who’s Okefenokee Joe?

He’s the alter ego of Dick Flood, a Philadelphia native who fell in love with the countryside during summer camps and with country music while in the Army. Flood headed for Nashville after his Army stint and had success in the 1950s and ‘60s as a writer/performer. But in the early ‘70s, he said his life and relationships resembled a bad country song and he skipped town and somehow landed in the Everglades where he spent a few months getting very good at coexisting with the critters and living off the land.

Flood laid low but eventually became keeper at the Okefenokee Swamp Park below Waycross. Still, he kept collecting stories and writing songs and eventually became known as a self-taught naturist and wildlife/wildlands advocate doing nature programs at schools and singing his now ecology-aware tunes to kids.

In it all, Flood, now 89, took on the now-famous moniker and it’s debatable just who the alter ego is – Dick Flood or Okefenokee Joe.

But it started with Flood.

“One of the greatest things I remember about my Army days was walking guard duty in Korea and hearing a radio that always played country music,” he said. “I just thought, ‘Boy, I’d love to do that and meet all those stars.’ A few years later that’s what I was doing and was a member of the Country Lads on Jimmy Dean’s TV show. I appeared on the Grand Ole’ Opry many times and I guess a real highlight was writing the No. 1 hit ‘Trouble’s Back in Town’ for the Wilburn Brothers in ’62.”

That early 1960s, old country style is still much in Flood’s voice and songs though age has taken its toll on his guitar playing.

“I guess another thing about that time of my life was 19 years of getting to entertain U.S. military troops all over the world,” he said.

Bad luck, trouble and heartache sent Flood to the swamp to find healing, God and what he considers his true calling.

“For way more than 40 years now I’ve fought the battle trying to educate others about the wonders of nature,” Flood said. “Living in the swamp taught me nature has what nature needs and that includes all the beautiful birds, trees and waterways as well as the bears, snakes and ‘gators people are so afraid of. Each has its place and each one is important and that includes us people. We just need to be more mindful of our place and not be negligent and harmful to what’s around us. Those creepy things we’re afraid of are just as necessary as that cute little squirrel in a tree.”

In the last many decades, Flood – or Joe, or whoever – has written and recorded songs like “I Saw the Eagle Cry,” “It’s Only a Tree” and “If You Don’t Need It, Leave It” as well as gospel tunes. He’s written books like “Swampwise,” “Snake Hunter Snake Talk” and, reminiscing on the Nashville days, “My Walk Among the Stars.”

He was featured in the Emmy-winning documentary “Swamp Wisdom” and has appeared as a naturist/survivalist expert on countless networks.

Of late, his music has started becoming part of movie and television soundtracks like in Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” and CBS’s “SEAL Team.” He even got a name-mention when his song, “These Things Can Happen,” played in Episode 58 of “SEAL Team.”

“They used it twice,” he said. “Once was when SEALS were getting bored and pretended to be disc jockeys and one said something like, ‘This is Dick Flood, better known as Okefenokee Joe.’ Boy, that made my heart sing.”

Flood said he’ll have music, books and plenty of stories to tell at his weekend booth along with advice to give on the nature of things. He’s also bringing his jewelry-making friend, Ron Eagle Feather Columbe, to sell his creations. Flood’s two performances will be about 45-minutes each and he said his latest CD is a resurrection of Dick Flood-style tunes.

Information on the weekend, Okefenokee Joe, his music and books is at www.okefenokeejoe.com, www.gnfa.com and www.gwf.org.

A few happenings and “don’t-forgets” for the next few days include:

• Today’s reveal and dedication of Steven Teller’s H&H Restaurant/Allman Brothers Band mural at 807 Forsyth St. from 4 to 4:15 p.m. Search “Mural Reveal and Dedication” on Facebook events for more.
• A reminder the Allman Family Revival concert rescheduled from December to today has also been canceled due to health issues among the band. Search the tour and band members’ Facebook pages for that news and ticket refunds.
• Sunday, Feb. 13, the Macon Film Guild presents “C’mon, C’mon” starring Joaquin Phoenix at the Douglass Theatre with shows beginning at 1 p.m. Cost is $5. www.facebook.com/maconfilmguild.
• Remember, the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra will present a love-filled evening on Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14, during its third concert of the season highlighted by Tchaikovsky’s Overture to Romeo and Juliet. A $25 add-on “Symphony Romance Package” is available that includes a red rose and two glasses of champagne to toast your sweetheart. Add it at ticket check-out. Ticketing and information are at (478) 301-5470 and www.mcduffie.mercer.edu/symphony. Students are admitted to concerts for free.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.

This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 7:00 AM.