They call him Mr. Mayor
Oft busks out on the square,
His banjo’s like a magnet,
Crowds gathering far to near,
To hear the Mayor’s music,
To lean in with every ear.
He picks a tune,
A tune or two,
The gathering joining in,
Clapping and foot stomping,
As the Mayor tickles tin.
The music floats on mountain air,
And skips across the glen
The roll is called on Rocky Top,
By God, the Mayor’s in.
TWT, 6/22/2020, Dedicated to Tommy Beehan
Most people know him as “Mr. Mayor” of Oak Ridge. We went to Father Ryan together and our families knew one another. His Father, Tricky Beehan, earned his nickname as one of Ryan’s all-time basketball players. I recall my Father and Tricky were in the first graduating class from Father Ryan High School in 1929. Whoa! That dates us! Although as Oak Ridge’s longest standing mayor, Tommy has longer been plinking and strumming the banjo, in bands gone by. His leadership and music echoes through the Smokies and has touched the souls of many a person who came his way. Happy Birthday, Tommy, and many more😎