Friday, October 12, 2012

Eddie Rabbitt's Mural in the Austin Peay State University President's Residence and a Blogger Visit


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Folks in the Clarksville area are most likely aware of our local state university called Austin Peay State University (APSU), but they may not be aware of some gems hidden on the campus. The above home is the residence of the President of APSU. At the present time the President is Tim Hall. Mr. Hall and his lovely wife Lee reside in this historical mansion located in the heart of APSU's campus. Today's post is not so much about the home as it is about the history of this home and I shall share with you all a story told to my garden club by Lee.
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Let's enter the home so we can view the subject of our story. To really appreciate this mural you must see it in person as it is beautiful, scenic, and so very appropriate to the home. The mural depicts several bucolic scenes of Americana. One in particular shows Niagara Falls in New York. It adds so much charm and warmth to this central hall and home that it needs no more embellishment right? Well, let me tell you its story first so you can decide.
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Have you ever heard of Eddie Rabbitt? Eddie Rabbitt was a famous singer/songwriter from the 1960s to the 1980s. He wrote and sang songs which were country but which had a popular crossover to pop music. He was a rather famous guy and almost everyone over a certain age (perhaps 40?) has heard of Eddie Rabbitt.
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Eddie Rabbitt passed away in 1998 due to lung cancer. He was only 56. His death was not announced to the public until after the burial. He is buried in Nashville; which is where he resided with his wife in his later years. After his death, as the story goes, Eddie's wife was looking for a home for Eddie's mural. I think Lee said the house where Eddie Rabbitt resided was going to be demolished but I'm not sure. This mural was in that house. It is a mural which can be removed and placed in another house. So Eddie's wife began looking around for an older home where the mural would be appropriate and where it would find a good home.
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It just so happened that in 1999 a terrible tornado tore through downtown Clarksville and demolished most of the city; including the residence at APSU. About the time the mural needed to be removed from Eddie Rabbitt's home was about the time the residence was being rebuilt and renovated after the tornado and Eddie Rabbitt's wife offered to donate the mural to the university.
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The donation was an awesome thing to do but when it was discovered it would cost $17,000 to remove and reinstall the mural into the residence the deal almost didn't happen. $17,000 is a lot of money! And the university apparently did not want to spend that kind of money on a mural. The person responsible for installing it then donated his time to remove and install the mural. Isn't that a great story? Don't you think this mural is even more special now?

I have shared one of Eddie Rabbitt's duets with Crystal Gayle. I hope you like it. 

in the garden....





I had a visit from an old blogging friend this past weekend and I must say we really enjoyed W2W and her husband stopping by for a wonderful visit. Please check out her post found here to see how our visit went and why she was up this way from Florida.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

17 comments:

  1. Tina,
    Was he the artist that painted it as well?

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    1. I honestly don't know randy but will try to find out. It is hard to find any online info about Eddie Rabbitt's mural.

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  2. Quite a story! That mural is great. Have a nice weekend, Tina!

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  3. What a wonderful post!! I didn't know the history behind it!!

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  4. I love the combination of history and culture. The photos are just a joy to look at. The house looks majestic. Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  5. What a great story! As Randy asked, I wonder if he actually painted the mural or if he just commissioned it? Anyway, I loved his music and his good looks as well... Have a great weekend...

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  6. Great story, yes I remember Eddie Rabbitt but didn't know anything about this story. I also didn't know that he had passed away.

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  7. My first thought about Austin Peay is sort of negative--most of us here in central Illinois had probably never heard of this university until their basketball team beat the Illini in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. That's been many years ago, so I think we've forgiven them by now:)

    This is a wonderful story--I'm so glad the mural was preserved and found such a suitable home. The installer donating his time is a great example of the giving spirit of this country as well. And yes, I do remember Eddie Rabbitt!

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  8. What an amazing home and beautiful murals. Thank you for sharing. The story about Eddie Rabbitt is very interesting. "You and I" is one of my favorite songs. It is perfect for my hubby and me.

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  9. When I first saw the name of Eddie Rabbitt I thought "Oh, I remember him, I liked him" (and Skeeter he was hot, huh?). My second thought was "Oh I did not know he also painted". Never dawn on me that he might not have been the artist that painted the mural till I read the coments. Just figured it was his house, he painted it. Dumb me. Great story and I loved the video.

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  10. What a gorgeous mural! So very wonderful of the person to donate his time to install it for free! It looks perfect in that room. I've always thought my dining room would look perfect with a mural in it. If only I could paint! I remember Eddie Rabbit - didn't realize he had died, and at such a young age.

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  11. That is a great story. I would have thought that mural and that house had been together for the past 150 years.

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  12. Interesting story Tina. I loved the Coal Miners Daughter's young sister. And you friend W2W has been a favorite blog writer for a long time...:)

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  13. What a great story I had not heard...how talented he was and I am so glad to see that this work of art was spared...amazing really that it could be removed and placed in another home.

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  14. Yes, I remember Mr. Rabbitt. He sure was a looker. I'm glad that we can enjoy his music and taste in art for years to come. Thanks, Tina, for everything, including the link. I've not had much time to keep up with blogging, but you can bet I'll be cherishing your plants and memories of our meetings for a long time.

    This weekend we had some special visitors and some very good news, but I'm keeping mum about it for a while. I hope you have a great week!

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  15. this is very interesting and amazing for that matter, please tell me that his house was not destroyed. That was his house where memories were made, I love Eddie Rabbitt

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    1. Valerie, I am not entirely sure if it was torn down or not and don't have the time to research the house at this point so I can't say for sure. Perhaps the Nashville Country Music Hall of Fame or real estate assessor would know. I will try to check when I get the chance. The info in this post was provided to me by a friend-not verified but how the mural came to be at Austin Peay is verified by the current resident of the home.

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