Nestled between Culpeper County and the Blue Ridge Mountains is the bucolic county of Rappahannock. I believe it is one of the most beautiful spots in God’s creation. And because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., many unique and talented people call it home. Among them is Ben Jones, who played “Cooter” on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” a show that was a huge hit and continues to garner high ratings on cable stations worldwide.         

On Valentine’s Day, I had the great pleasure of attending “Love Letters” starring Ben Jones and his lovely wife Alma Viator at the theatre in “Little Washington.” Afterwards our mutual friend, Thom Pellikan, took us to a reception where I learned that Ben, a scholar of the War Between the States, was reading the copy of “Marching Through Culpeper” I had recently sent him.
 
So I decided it was only appropriate for me to read his autobiography, “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land.” And am I ever glad I did! I agree with reviewer Russell Banks, this book is “gutsy, funny, and good-hearted. And definitely reader-friendly.”

But most importantly, it is a story of transformation and redemption. Ben Jones grew up literally on the other side of the tracks in Portsmouth in a home without electricity or a bathroom. His father was an alcoholic and he became one too. He studied acting when he wasn’t drinking, but at age 36 he hit rock bottom with alcohol poisoning. Some former alcoholics took him in and told him to appeal to a higher power. So he prayed and went cold turkey. Here’s a quote in his down-home style:

“Well, you must be a helluva alcoholic, Jonesey,” I thought, “to have none other than God Almighty looking around for you.” Then came into my thoughts another voice, one different from my own stream of consciousness. “You have it right,” the voice said. “I have been looking for you a long time. Take my hand.” 

Being cast as “Cooter” was a true Godsend.

After “Dukes of Hazzard” ended he served two terms as Congressman from Georgia and made a trip around the world. But when driving to Skyline Drive, he fell in love with Rappahannock County. He and Alma found a log cabin dating to the 1700s and bought it immediately. He said he felt as if he was coming home to a place he’d never been before. 

An active participant in the Civil Rights movement and a close friend of Andrew Young, he is a staunch defender of everything Southern and the Confederate flag. He believes that today race relations are better in the South than anywhere else. In fact when a girl asked about his Southern accent, one of his co-stars spoke up and said, “He’s not from the South, he is the South.” He considers that his finest compliment. The resurgence in popularity of “The Dukes of Hazzard” amongst a new generation led him to open “Cooter’s Place” near Sperryville. But when the crowds became too big he moved “Cooter’s Place” to Gatlinburg. In 2006 the DukesFest held in Nashville drew a crowd of 80,000 plus over one hundred replicas of the “General Lee,” the most famous car in film history!
 
These days this “good ol’ boy” spends an hour in prayer and meditation every morning. Want to read an uplifting life story that will make you smile? Grab “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land.”