DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – There's no surefire way to pick the most famous people who grew up in Dothan before hitting the national stage, but it's easy to identify six who went on to become great. (Yes, there are others.)
When he was young, he lived in Marianna for a short time before moving with his parents to Dothan, where he owned a downtown flower shop. After supporting the legendary Roy Orbison, Goldsboro became a successful singer and television host. His signature song was “Honey,” written by Bobby Russell, which was so popular that it was included in the Beatles' “Hey Jude” and Paul Marriatt's instrumental hit “Love is Blue.” It then ranked third on the Billboard Top 100 in 1968. He hosted “The Bobby Goldsboro” show in his 1970s. Mr. Goldsboro, who turns 82 this month, lives in Nashville, where he produced several animated series. He was the first entertainer to perform at Dothan's Civic Center.
Watch Bobby sing “Honey”.
Like Goldsboro, Perry Carlton “Buddy” Bouie was also born in Marianna and later moved to Dothan, where the two became classmates. Although he founded the Webbs (of which, as mentioned, Goldsboro was a member), he was most successful as a songwriter. He co-wrote Classic IV's “Stormy,” “Traces,” and “Spooky” with his friend James Cobb.
He then managed the Atlanta Rhythm Section and wrote such hits as “So Into You” and “Imaginary Lover.”
Bouie retired to Lake Eufaula and died in 2015 at the age of 74.
His inclusion on this list may seem strange to those not familiar with Alabama's civil rights history. But the truth is that his passionate commitment to equality garnered national attention and inspired the production of a television movie. Flowers opposed George Wallace's racist beliefs and fought for equality after becoming state attorney general in 1962, winning a landmark voting case. He prosecuted members of the Ku Klux Klan. Eventually he would return to Dothan, where his family owned a hospital and a bank. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 88.
Jones grew up in the Brannon Stand area, which is now within the Dothan city limits. He made a few dollars selling vegetables from his family's farm door-to-door. But he would leave his mark as a nationally known evangelist and founder of Bob Jones University, which began in Panama City and settled in Greenville, South Carolina. Among his students was Dr. Billy Graham.
A star of the silver screen, Brown earned his greatest accolades for his roles in Westerns. He performed with such greats as Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Tex Ritter. Before achieving stardom, Brown played football at Dothan High School and the University of Alabama. He played in the Rose Bowl. Brown, who died in 1974 at the age of 70, was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Watch Johnny Mack Brown star in Desperate Trails
Despite her hearing loss, Heather won the previous year's Miss Alabama pageant and was named Miss America in 1995. She raised her awareness of her own handicap and served as an inspiration to those suffering the same way she did. She is an author and was appointed by President George H. Bush to the National Council on Disabilities, and she spoke at the 1996 and 2000 Republican National Conventions.
Watch Heather Whitestone perform at Miss America 1995
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