This guy was the greatest. Unlike any other televangelist, he came across as a psycho college professor, unkempt and ranting, possibly on drugs. Sometimes he played sax. Once, when he was upset about the paucity of donations, we watched him smoke an entire cigar, without saying a word, for twenty minutes. This was late-night UHF programming at its most riveting, folks, and Dr. Gene will be missed.
Georgia's irrepressible segregationist, who defied the 1964 Civil Rights Act by chasing three black students from his restaurant with a gun. Given twenty days to desegregate, Maddox chose instead to close and sell the place, for which they made him Governor. Later, after his political career waned, he attempted to update his image by launching a nightclub comedy act with a black ex-con he had pardoned while in office. They were billed as "The Governor and the Dishwasher." We're not making this up.
(d) June 25th, 2003