40 Years Ago in Macon: Ernest Tubb in concert; Christmas cards at county jail

A peek into our archives today turns up stories from The Telegraph on Dec. 15, 1976, about a concert by country music legend Ernest Tubb and, from the Bibb County jail, news of a Christmas card program that allowed inmates to send loved ones holiday greetings.

The Ernest Tubb show that hit town 40 years ago was a two-concert-in-one-night gig at the old Nashville South nightclub. Telegraph reporter Bill Boyd, who went on to become a renowned local columnist, wrote:

Many in the audience weren’t even born when Ernest Tubb recorded “Walking the Floor Over You,” but they listened and applauded as the Texas legend did his thing.

Another item in the paper that day was from the county jail, where then-interim Sheriff Ray Wilkes helped distribute blank Christmas cards to inmates there.

One prisoner said he planned to write home to tell his folks what he wanted for Christmas. “I got a pair of socks last year,” he said.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 5:09 PM with the headline "40 Years Ago in Macon: Ernest Tubb in concert; Christmas cards at county jail."