celebrity encounters -- Minnie Pearl

[jawjahboy]

Early 1980s - First United Methodist Church, Griffin, Ga.
Business woman and philanthropist Sarah Colley Cannon is guest speaker for family night dinner. Before her talk, she appeared as her alter ego, Minnie Pearl.
Then she tossed the hat and spoke in her normal voice. You would never know it was the same person. Her country bumpkin character was created as her gimmick to promote a theater group she lead in Atlanta, Ga. Her first public appearance that billed her as Minnie Pearl was in Aiken, SC and the famous hat was bought in a local dept store just minutes before the show.

She shared much of her life and faith with us and then mingled and chatted with the attendees. We learned that she was very wealthy and did not need the income she earned on stage. She and her husband founded a charter service that catered to celebrates. She was friends with Elvis Pressley and other celebrities not usually associated with Hee Haw or the Grand ol' Opry. She invested in a failed business that was to compete with KFC.

She was active in her church (to which she donated the organ) and has several cancer clinics and research labs named for her.

She encouraged everyone she met to be thankful for their blessings, aware of their shortcomings and be willing to share their wealth and knowledge at every opportunity.