Uncle Slim - A Rock-n-Roll band that derives all of it's energy, songs, slangs, games and other ideas from the hollows of Tennessee.
The stage show called the "Slim Hollow Rock Opera", starts in Confederate times and goes all the way to the present. Tales, legends, lore, and true life experiences all told in Grunge, Country, Punk, Acid Rock-a-Billy songs. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

The story line follows one place in the hollows of Tennessee, where a pack of wild hillbillies force a Confederate soldier named "
General Willis" over Beaver Creek Falls with his only possession after the war, his Mules. They thought he was dead but General Willis and his Mules landed on a hidden island behind the falls. General Willis quickly went incognito and learned to blend in. Folks around the Holler learned to call him "Uncle Slim", hence the name "Slimland". Uncle Slim learned to farm the beautiful land around the falls on the lower bottom that was surrounded by woods. Holler Folk only saw him on rare occasions when he needed supplies. He never attended any of the towns meetings or creek gatherings and in fact "Holler Folk" never knew where he lived. Some had seen him coming and going through the woods and thought it best to leave him alone. You see most folk in the Holler stayed out of a certain section of the woods for fear of "Snake Man". The Holler Folk made a landmark out of an old cedar stump in the woods. If the sun was setting on the ridge and you were past the stump, Night would fall before you could get out and the evil spirit of the woods was bound to get you.

As time passed, the Legend grew of another man that lived beyond those woods, "
Old Man Riley". A mysterious man, he made his livin' peddlin' moon shine. He would take his secret recipe up from the lower bottom, through the woods to the upper barren where most of the "Holler' Folk" had settled. He hid his bags of silver near his secret still only by moonlight. Known to be the ugliest man in the holler, he was feared by even the revenuers. He was found shot in the head and was so disliked by the holler folk, they just left him for the buzzards on the bank of Sycamore Creek.

Later when some went to find his body, it had disappeared. Others dared to try to find his stash and even more tales began to spread of the haint called
Snake Man that lurked in the woods, especially at night. Some swear they saw a shadow of a man watching them--others just disappeared. Some "Holler' Folk" believe their mules could sense this evil spirit before they could see him. And the legend still grows of Snakeman....

There was, however, one man from the holler who was rumored to have talked to Snakeman. That man was "
Reverend Tacky Jack". His home was a holdout for lost souls. He taught them his own brand of religion with the good book and a gun. While Tacky preached his belief in God, he also preached his disbelief in the "system" and "the establishment", otherwise known as " the Man". Tacky's fortress was built just at the edge of the woods of Snake Man's lair. On his property was believed to be a well with purist, coldest drinking water in the world. Lots of people tried to drink from the well and were never heard from again. Tacky was another man that the Holler Folk learned to fear and disassociate. He quickly preyed upon new arrivals in town and invited them to stay on his commune as his guest. Those who did wound up staying with him and becoming his followers, except one young boy who happened his way.

Tacky found him wondering through the woods one dusk. The boy was following Tacky's 3 legged dog. He had never seen one before and the boy thought it was hurt. Before the boy knew it, he was past the stump and the sun was on the ridge. The boy was deep in the woods and was thirsty, hungry, and scared. He was just about to drink from the most inviting well he had ever seen when a voice from behind the trees shouted, "Don't drink the water." The boy turned around and the Reverened appeared. He explained to the boy the well had poison water that would give him typhoid. He told the boy to follow him and he would give him food, drink, and shelter from Snake Man, since it was to late to head for home. That night Tacky persuaded the boy to stay with him awhile. Tacky grew to love the boy as his own son. The boy as he was growing up learned to play harmonica on the banks of Sycamore Creek. Tacky didn't like his love for music and that's why "The Mule Boy", Buddy Rush planned to escape.

One evening while
Buddy was playing his harp, Brother Rich was fishing with Reverend Bart and heard him. They found Buddy and talked to him about playing in a band. They told him about Johnny Hammer that was a guitar player that he should meet. Johnny Hammer had played with some bands around the holler and was starting his own band and thought Buddy might be able to join up. Buddy told them he would need a place to stay because Tacky would never let him leave if he knew he was going to play music. Brother Rich and Rev. Bart persuaded Buddy to jump in the boat and they would take care of everything, so the three of them took off to Johnny Hammer's.

The town had gown quite a bit since
Willis had last seen it when he a just a small boy. They damned up the creek and named it COD DAM, owned and operated by the Cod Dam Power Company. It now had a strip mall and the area had become a regional spot to fish and watch the submarine races.
Bart wanted to take Buddy to a recording studio to meet up with Johnny Hammer. Hammer and the Mule Boy hit off immediately. They called up Cousin Kaley and his bass and started making a little noise. The next thing you know they were writing songs and playing at one of the towns popular watering holes. It wasn't long until the band Uncle Slim was a regional success.

One day one of
Uncle Slim's cousins from his mother's brother's side came to see the old home place from France. It just so happened while she was in town Buddy seemed to be the one she called upon to show her around town and be her fishin' guide. She reminded Buddy about his past and it soon was reflected in the bands music.

As fate would have it a stranger passed through town. He was staying over nite to have some repairs done on his car. He was in the entertainment business and persuaded the boys to go to Hollywood where he could make them stars. He signed them to contracts and they left the next day.
Once in Hollywood the boys found themselves loosing control. The music took a back seat to promotions, parties, and the city fast lane. Finally,
Bart, Rich, Kaley, and Johnny leave Willis and head home.

After periodic bouts with
the Man (police), out of money, and out of luck, the Mule Boy joins the Navy. Buddy then found himself in worst shape than he was before so he jumps ship. He finds himself in Naples at a Rolling Stones concert. Buddy realizes he needs to go home to the "Holler" and get back to his way of life and music.



The SLIM LINE

Descendants of Uncle Slim include: Old Man Riley, Snakeman, Reverend Tacky Jack and Buddy Rush all could be one in the same. Such as, you can Slim an Earl, Earl a Willis, Willis a Jackson,
but Simpson is evil.

1.
Old Man Riley - Moonshiner who made his livin', totin' his 'shine from the lower bottom, thru the woods, to the upper barren. Legend has it he was shot in the head by an unknown murderer. His body was left and never found again. People to this day still search Sycamore Creek for his stash of Silver Eagles. No one knows where it or his body are buried.

2.
Snakeman - The voodoo man, the devil, an evil presence, "Simpson", all have been used to describe this H A I N T who no man has ever seen, but all know he's there.
*** People in the holler, to this day, still do not let the sun set with them in the woods. ***

3.
Reverend Tacky Jack - He's got a holdout at the edge of the woods. Legend has it he's the only man to have ever talked to Snakeman. It is believed he knows where Old Man Riley's body and stash are buried. Known to have housed lost boys, they said on his property was a well with the coolest, purist water in the world. Many a men quenched their thirst at the well and were never heard from again. He stands armed and ready for the end of the world.

4.
Buddy Rush - Distant son of Uncle Slim, some say part mule, also known as Willis aka the live Muleboy. He learned to play harp while fishing on the banks of Sycamore Creek. Played in local bars and tried to make it big in Hollywood, joined the Navy. Jumped off a ship to see the Stones and went home to the holler.

UNCLE SLIM HOME PAGE / SLIMLAND

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