06/23/2024
The “People’s Court” Story:Jacky Jack White and David Slater’s First Major Song Cut
In 1984, David Slater, and I started writing songs together when he was a student at Lipscomb University, and while I was working there, and finishing up a Masters degree in psychology. Grand Ole Opry star Ray Pillow signed us up to his publishing company, New London Music. New London had published several major hits, including “God Bless the USA.” David, and I wrote a lot of “power ballads,” and country rock songs. “Exchange of Hearts” was the first song we published with Ray. It went on to be a massive international hit for Slater. But, that would happen several years later. However, in a few short months, David would win Ed McMahon’s “Star Search” singing our original songs each week of the competition. This put us on the map. But, before all that happened…
One day in 1985, Ray Pillow, and his partner Larry McFadden called me up, and asked me to write a novelty song for the famous country comedian Ray Stevens. Stevens, Pillow, and McFadden were very close friends who played golf together at least one day every week. Larry said, “you’re certifiably crazy, Jack. This shouldn’t be very hard for you. Ray Stevens needs one more song for his album.” I was very confident. I’d really liked Ray Stevens “Ahab the Arab,” and “Gitarzan.” So, I didn’t think it would be very difficult at all. Plus, I had five days. I’ve always been a fast writer. I went back to my apartment in McMinnville, Tennessee.
Four and a half days later, I had absolutely no clue what I was going to write. I tried. But, nothing coherent, or funny was happening. I didn’t have writer’s block. I had cement block. Nothing remotely adequate had entered my brain pan.
I got in my car, and headed to Nashville. I kept praying some workable idea would appear. Then, somewhere around Readyville, my car motor started clicking. Then, it started smoking. I’d blown my engine.
Lucky for me, my friend, and banker Jeff Golden drove up minutes after it happened. He took me to a wrecker service in Murfreesboro. One of the wrecker operators drove me back to Readyville to get my car. This guy was about sixty years old, unshaven, smoking a cigar, and wearing a torn athletic undershirt with grease stained work pants, and brogan boots. We’re driving along, and he starts a conversation.
“Who sold you this car?”
“Believe it or not, my dad sold me that Oldsmobile.”
He started laughing. “Your dad?!!? You oughta take him to People’s Court.” He’s laughing really loud at his own remark.
“Did you say ‘People’s Court?’ You got something to write with, and some paper?”
He handed me a pencil, and a receipt book.
I told him, “Mister. I’m going to sit over here, and write a hit song.”
The guy knew I was serious. He was really excited about it. I decided I was not going to write about a defective automobile. I told him “I’m going to write about a guy with a muffler shop who can’t get along with his wife. His fishing has been hampered by her constant disgust. They decide to ‘get on the tv,’ and tell it all to Judge Wapner!!!”
He almost drove the wrecker into a ditch. By the time I got a rental car, I’d written my draft of the song “People’s Court.”
Ray, and Larry were expecting me to bring them a lyric, and melody by four o’clock that afternoon. I slid into the parking lot at 3:45. I ran up the two flights of stairs. David Slater was lounging around in the writer’s room. I desperately said, “David, starting playing a ‘vamp’ on that electric keyboard.” David started playing an improvised piano part. I started reading the dialogue I’d written, and singing the choruses. We taped it on a reel to reel tape recorder. Just as the tape rewound, and spun off the spool, Ray Pillow, and Larry McFadden came running in. “Have you got that song ready for Ray Stevens?” “Yes, sir. Right here.” “Where’s the lyric sheet?” I thought they were going to explode when they saw that receipt book. They had less than five minutes to get that tape, and lyric sheet to Ray Stevens. The secretary typed up the lyric sheet. She kept saying, “I can’t believe you wrote this crazy stuff on a receipt book.”
Ray, and Larry left and went over to Ray Stevens’ Ahab Publishing office about a block away. Lee Greenwood walked into the writing room. David, and I wrote a song with him. The entire time I was sweating it out wondering if they were going to be successful pitching “People’s Court.” This would our first cut on a major artist.
A little over an hour later, Ray, and Larry returned. They both looked at me kinda like I was an escaped convict. Ray said, “Jackie, that was the stupidest, craziest song I’ve ever heard in my life. I’ve never been so embarrassed. We should have listened to that song before we took it over. Anyway. I don’t know why, but he’s going to record it. He’s gonna have Buddy Calb rewrite it, and make it more civilized. Anyway, I guess we should all be happy.” Later that summer, when the song charted, and the album “Surely You Joust” went to #11, and sold a lot of copies, we were happy.
David Slater