text: John and Hilda Stuart and their daughter, Jennifer Stuart, recall their last visits with entertainer David “Stringbean” Akeman and his wife, Estelle Akeman, before they left the Grand Old Opry on a cold winter night 40 years ago.
  The Akemans were slain the night of November 10, 1973, by John Brown and a cousin, neighbors of the Akemans in the rural Ridgetop community north of Davidson County.
  The cousin has since died in prison and convicted murderer John Brown remains in prison, due largely to the efforts by Music City’s tight-knit family.
  Stringbean often went armed, so when entering the cabin and realizing someone was there, he died in a shootout.
  Upon hearing the shots, Estelle Akeman attempted to escape the scene out through a field, but she was chased down and executed gangland style with shots to the back of her head, all while she begged for her life in a nearby field, according to police files.
  Their bodies were found the next morning by fellow Opry entertainer Grandpa Jones, a close friend who has since died.
  “In our last visit, I shared Estelle (Akeman’s) popcorn there backstage as we waited for our son, Marty (Stuart), to perform later on the Opry,” he said. “As we visited, Stringbean was performing out on stage.”
  “The Saturday night of his murder was the last night I visited with Stringbean,” he said. “Stringbean was often lured to fish, so we frequently shared fishing and hunting tales and compared pocket knives. Talking about fishing seemed to relax him before he’d go out on stage.”
  Retired Murfreesboro banker Hilda Stuart grew emotional in describing her last words with Stringbean, who was at the apex of national popularity in the 1970s as a regular on Hee Haw, the most popular syndicated TV show in Nashville’s history.
  “Stringbean always called our son his ‘Little Man,’” she said. “He had known Marty (Stuart) since he began performing on the Opry at age 12 with Lester Flatt.
  “That last night, Stringbean came up and shared how well our ‘Little Man’ was doing professionally,” she added. “He went so far as to comfort me as a parent, saying, ‘Don’t you worry about Little Man. … I’ll keep an eye out and take care of Little Man.’
  “Their murders shattered the innocence of Nashville’s music families,” Hilda Stuard said. “Their senseless murders shattered our world. The result is that entertainers and their families now remain more private when not performing.”
  Jennifer Stuart recently appeared on The Truman Show on WGNS Radio with former Rutherford County Sheriff Truman Jones.
  “They had been to our home in Smyrna, so they were family to us,” she said. “(They) were especially good to children as we were growing up backstage at the Opry. They were up close and personal friends.”
  When Brown’s possible parole appeared imminent in 2011, the Nashville music industry rallied to keep him behind prison walls.
  It was Bill Anderson who initially sounded the alarm, loud and clear in July 2011 to the Tennessee Board of Parole that Brown should not be released.
  “I never want (Brown) to breathe fresh air again,” testified recording star Jan Howard to the board.
  Grand Ole Opry photographer Les Leverett, who is now retired, made an emphatic plea to the board as well.
  “This board has within its hands the power to keep this murderer in prison where he belongs,” Leverett said. “I beg you to do that.”
  Leverett, who served as the Opry’s official photographer for nearly 40 years, took one of Stringbean’s last personal calls on the behind-the-stage phone.
  “The Opry security person had left his post, and the phone kept ringing, so I finally answered. The phone interrupted my visit with Stringbean. As it turned out, the call was for (him,)” he said.“After taking the call, Stringbean told me it was a Las Vegas promoter offering him $10,000 for a single performance.”
  “When I asked Stringbean (what was) his response to that lucrative offer, he replied, ‘I didn’t take him up on it, hoss. There ain’t no fishing out there.’”
  Divergent timeline after the mutant impersonating Magneto destroyed most of New York, and Jean Grey was killed in the process. Scott Summers retired, leaving the Xavier institute in Beast's hands. Unfortunately, Beast turned to the performance-enhancing drug Hypercortisone D (street named "Kick"). The drug was later revealed to be the aerosol form of the sentient bacteria Sublime. With McCoy under its control, Sublime set out to destroy not only humanity and mutantkind, but all the new species that rose in the following one hundred and fifty years.[1]
  Here is a list of birds you would expect to see on your trip to this zone, -- compiled by Athanas, Campbell, and Illanes.
  Puna Ibis (Plegadis ridgwayi) - One individual flew over us on the Cajamarca-Celendin road - later I saw a flock of distant ibises that were presumably the same species.
  White-winged Guan (Penelope albipennis) - This was our main target in Quebrada Limón. We eventually saw a group of 2-3 birds fairly well. This bird is considered to be in critical danger of extinction, though a captive breeding program has been initiated and seems to be going well.
  Peruvian Thick-knee (Burhinus superciliaris) - Ian managed to get the spotlight on a flying bird while we were in the car one evening near Olmos.
  Peruvian Pigeon (Columba oenops) - Nice looks of flying and perched birds from the bridge in Balsas.
  Bare-faced Ground-Dove (Metriopelia ceciliae) - One of our favorites of the trip! We saw several while climbing up the endless east side of the Marañon canyon.
  Military Macaw (Ara militaris) - This was a surprise! We saw 15 flying birds on the road we birded NW of Tamborapa. While we didn't get any color on it, the call was consistent with Military, and no other species should occur here.
  Red-masked Parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys) - Seen and heard regularly in the coastal lowlands and in the Marañon valley.
  Striped Owl (Pseudoscops clamator) - Only Iain managed to get a decent look at this one near the guan breeding center north of Olmos.
  Scrub Nightjar (Caprimulgus anthonyi) - A few near the guan center. We may have seen this at Rafán too, but didn't see it well enough to distinguish it from Band-winged Nightjar which also occurs in the area.
  Purple-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus viola) (?) - I thought I saw one at the Spatuletail site at Pomacochas, but it may not occur in this area. I only saw it briefly so it should be regarded as questionable.
  Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) - Great looks at a male coming to some yellow flowers at the traditional site near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
  Black Metaltail (Metallura phoebe) - One seen just after the Gray-bellied Comet along the Río Chonta, and another seen the next day along the road from Cajamarca to Celendín.
  Gray-bellied Comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) - One of the birds of the trip! 2 birds seen extremely well at a known side along the Río Chonta northwest of Cajamarca.
  Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) - Well, we saw it... too bad we didn't get a male. We saw at least three different females. Two were at the lower bridge over the Río Chido below Pomacochas, the third was near a shop above the upper bridge. (they would have seen males at Choctamal)
  Oasis Hummingbird (Rhodopis vesper) - At least one female (or eclipse male) west of Abra Porculla in some degraded arid scrub.
  Short-tailed Woodstar (Myrmia micrura) - A few in the arid coastal lowlands. Never a full adult male, though. For some reason they are very hard to come by.
  Lemon-throated Barbet (Eubucco richardsoni) - One male in a mixed flock above Aluente. We saw this very well, it was certainly not a Versicolored Barbet, which most other groups find in this area.
  Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura pileata) - One seen along the Río Chonta, several more in forest patches between Cajamarca and Celendín.
  Marañon Spinetail (Synallaxis maranonica) - Just one seen briefly NW of Tamborapa. They certainly were not vocal the morning we were there.
  Baron's Spinetail (Cranioleuca baroni) - Seen in two quite different habitats. First in temperate forest patches between Cajamarca and Celendín, then in scrub next to the Río Utcubamba.
  Russet-mantled Softtail (Phacellodomus berlepschi) - We lucked out on this one, immediately finding a vocal pair in a mixed flock at its known site in a forest patch SW of Leymebamba.
  Common Thornbird (Phacellodomus rufifrons) - Common in woodland and scrub around Jaén and Tamborapa. These represent an isolated race (peruvianus) restricted to lower elevations in the Marañon Valley.
  Chestnut-backed Thornbird (Phacellodomus dorsalis) - It took a bit of effort but we finally located a pair just up the road from where we saw the Gray-winged Inca-Finches on the west side of the Marañon Canyon above Balsas.
  Collared Antshrike (Sakesphorus bernardi) - Common in arid areas on the west slope. José also saw one in the Marañon valley north of Jaén.
  Rusty-tinged Antpitta (Grallaria przewalskii) (H) - So close... We played with one for a while on a trail at Abra Patricia, and Iain thought he saw its beak at one point.
  Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula) - Good looks at two along the Cajamarca-Celendin road. This race, cajamarcae, probably represents a distinct species.
  Chestnut Antpitta (Grallaria blakei) (H) - Heard along the same trail as our Rusty-tinged Antpitta, but unresposive.
  Marañon Crescent-chest (Melanopareia maranonica) - Iain's favorite bird of the trip, and it truly is stunning. We saw one north of Jaén and another one near Tamborapa.
  Rufous-vented Tapaculo (Scytalopus femoralis) - Usually called Peruvian Rufous-vented Tapaculo. We found a resposive individual along a trail near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
  Peruvian Plantcutter (Phytotoma raimondii) - One seen at Batán Grande, and several more seen the following morning at Rafán. This species is considered endangered since it is known from only a few sites of high fragmented forest, most of which is unprotected.
  Mouse-colored Tyrannulet (Phaeomyias murina) - The races we saw are sometimes split as Tumbesian Tyrannulet (e.g. in the Ecuador field guide).
  Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) - Oddly, the only place we saw this one was along the Río Chonta, where it was very common.
  "Golden-faced" Tyrannulet (Zimmerius sp. (chrysops?)) - Common from Afluente up to around the owlet ridge. There's a bit of confusion here. These birds certainly look like Golden-faced Tyrannulets, but they call very differently. Their calls are similar to those of race flavidifrons, which is sometimes split as Loja Tyrannulet, but it isn't quite the same. Some people think these birds are Peruvian Tyrannulets. I am not familiar with that species, but Peruvian Tyrannulets are supposed to have yellow underparts whereas these birds showed no trace of yellow. For the moment I am calling them Golden-faced but they could represent some undescribed taxon.
  Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) - A spectacular one near the Río Chonta. In good plumage they are stunning.
  Lulu's Tody-Tyrant (Poecilotriccus luluae) - Recently split from Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant. They were quite common in and near bamboo around Abra Patricia.
  Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus) - The race we saw are sometimes regarded as a seperate species, Tumbes Pewee.
  Piura Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca piurae) - Our main target in the Abra Porculla area. We eventually found it at a known site in partially disturbed montane scrub west of the pass. The whole area has been badly trashed. This species may be in serious trouble.
  White-browed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca leucophrys) - Several seen in forest patches east and west of Cajamarca.
  White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis andicola) (?) - I may have seen one of these between Cajamarca and San Marcos, but I did not get close enough to be 100% sure. The habitat certainly seemed good for it.
  Rufous-webbed Tyrant (Polioxolmis rufipennis) - One seen in a cow pasture along the Cajamarca-Celendin road.
  White-winged Black-Tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) - One at the Great Spinetail site NW of San Marcos. At or near the northern limit of its range.
  Rufous Flycatcher (Myiarchus semirufus) - We saw a pair at Rafán, but nowhere else. If it requires the same sort of habitat as the plantcutter, perhaps it should be considered threatened as well.
  Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) - Several seen in the Marañon valley north of Jaén. This species will probably turn up in Ecuador before long.
  Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) - One seen right near the pass at Abra Patricia. Maybe it was lost...
  Tumbes Swallow (Tachycineta stolzmanni) - One of the best surprises of the trip. We found a nesting pair just outside of Piura on the road to Olmos. They were nesting in hollow bamboo beams of an unfinished building. This species is very hard to find throughout its small range.
  Fasciated Wren (Campylorhynchus fasciatus) - A common and noisy bird west of the Andes and in the lower parts of the Marañon valley.
  White-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucosticta) (H?) - I assume this was the species I heard singing near Afluente, since it is probably below the range of the next to species.
  Bar-winged Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucoptera) - Several birds along a trail near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia. It occurs sympatrically with the previous species. This happened to be my 3000th life bird.
  Plumbeous-backed Thrush (Turdus reevei) - A few in arid woodland in Quebrada Limón and north of Olmos.
  Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) - Common in arid scrub west of the Andes (race bilineata) and in the Marañon valley (race maior). The latter race is often spit off as Marañon Gnatcatcher.
  White-tailed Jay (Cyanocorax mystacalis) - We saw lots of these in Quebrada Limón, but nowhere else.
  Masked Yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis) - Including one at 2500 meters on the east side of the Marañon canyon above Balsas... Never seen one that high before, but maybe they are spreading because of the massive deforestation that has taken place.
  Three-banded Warbler (Basileuterus trifasciatus) - A few in very disturbed scrub west of Abra Porculla.
  Buff-bellied Tanager (Thlypopsis inornata) - We saw this species quite frequently in the Marañon drainage in a wide variety of habitats and elevations.
  Rufous-crested Tanager (Creurgops verticalis) - A surprisingly common member of mixed flocks near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
  Huallaga Tanager (Ramphocelus melanogaster) - I was the only one who saw this one as it flew across the road on the way back to the hotel, east of Aguas Verdes.
  Yellow-throated Tanager (Iridosornis analis) - One was foraging in a mixed flock near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
  Red-crested Finch (Coryphospingus cucullatus) - Often called Red Pileated-Finch. Quite common along the roads north of Jaén in the morning.
  Gray-winged Inca-Finch (Incaspiza ortizi) - We saw a pair of this localized species near the "usual" site west of Balsas in the Marañon Canyon.
  Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (Incaspiza laeta) - My favorite bird of the trip! We saw them in beautiful desert habitat on both sides of the Marañon canyon.
  Little Inca-Finch (Incaspiza watkinsi) - A pair (at least) responded to a pygmy owl recording in some surprisingly undisturbed desert west of Bagua Grande.
  Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch (Poospiza alticola) - We spotted one of these in a mixed flock in a forest patch along the Cajamarca-Celendin road. A good find!
  Black-and-white Seedeater (Sporophila luctuosa) - A singing male in the desert north of Jaén. Seems like a strange place to find one based on my experience.
  White-winged Brush-Finch (Atlapetes leucopterus) - Small numbers in Quebrada Limón and west of Abra Porculla. This race, dresseri, often shows very little rufous color on the crown.
  Mary Beth’s new web soap, The Bay will start airing in September according to producer Gregori J. Martin. Four episodes should air in September.
  Yes, indeed. A Web soap is one that is produced entirely for the Internet. They’ve been around for a while now, and some have become popular. It’s exciting that Mary Beth is going to be on “The Bay.”
  Thank you. I never heard of it before. Then again I don’t follow such things too closely. I don’t even remember what I was doing when I tripped over this site.
  I can have respect for “celebrities” who make an effort to connect with fans and viewers ( don’t consider myself a fan). I’ve met some actors who are down to earth and I’ve kept in contact with them. Others I’ve met I wish I never had as I no longer could stand to watch them act because they were such jerks. But you get good and bad in every slice of life.
  Would some please cure my ignorance, what is a web soap? Is it simply a soap broadcasted on the web rather than on TV? With a new baby in the house and my running away from home on Thursday I don’t have time to research it.
  Mary Beth will be doing a play later this summer. She has signed on to do “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s.” It’s a two-act comedy. More details when we get them.
  The play has been postponed until September. It’s going to be at the Blank Theatre Company, 2nd Stage Theatre in Los Angeles. We will post up more information as we have it.