Jim Shearin, 76, former Commercial Appeal photographer; Sex Pistols, Elvis' funeral & attempt to steal his body, Buford Pusser's car
Hoodoo
By Jody Callahan
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Posted July 1, 2010 at midnight
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/01/jim-shearin-pictured-city-from-street-02/
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2010/06/30/1shearin2_t300.jpeg
One of former Commercial Appeal photographer Jim Shearin's photos from
years on the streets of Memphis shows Officer T.D. McKnight (left)
looking on as his partner, J.S. Davidson, joins kids in a game of
hopscotch on March 16, 1975.
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2010/06/30/1shearin1_t300.jpeg
Jim Shearin
Jim Shearin Gallery [19 images]
http://www.commercialappeal.com/photos/galleries/2010/jun/30/jim-shearin-gallery/
The days of photographers with bulky cameras and rolls of film, of the
guys who knew their way around a darkroom, are coming to an end.
Over the past few years, several noted photographers from The Commercial
Appeal's past have passed on: Charles Nicholas, Wayne Tilson, Vernon
Matthews, Richard Gardner.
Now, add another: Jim Shearin, who spent more than 30 years shooting the
news in Memphis before retiring.
Mr. Shearin, who joined the newspaper in 1962, died of congestive heart
failure June 19. He was 76.
"They're all gone," said his son, Paul Shearin.
Anyone who picked up the newspaper over the past four decades likely saw
Mr. Shearin's work:
The Sex Pistols, all sneers and grunts at their Memphis show.
A nimble-footed cop, playing hopscotch with kids on his beat.
Elvis' funeral and the bizarre attempt by thieves to steal the King's body.
A smiling Leslie Gattas, in her first public appearance after her
strange, 119-day kidnapping at the hands of Ernest Stubblefield.
The mangled remains of Sheriff Buford Pusser's car.
All because Mr. Shearin once earned a photography merit badge on his way
to becoming an Eagle Scout.
"He studied and learned how to do pictures," Paul said. "I remember one
time he took us to the zoo. There was an alligator sunbathing and had
three turtles resting on his back. He shot a picture of it and it ran in
the paper."
That wasn't the only type of shooting Mr. Shearin loved, though. A
longtime member of the National Guard, the retired colonel was also a
local firearms instructor. His daughter had never picked up a gun until
10 years ago, when her dad decided she needed to know how to shoot.
"He was very calm and cool, sat next to me and guided me the whole
time," Mary Lee Minor said. "Very early on in life he pushed us to take
care of ourselves."
Mr. Shearin also leaves another son, Michael Shearin of Dallas; and a
brother, Kelly Shearin of Jackson, Tenn.
Mr. Shearin's body was donated to science. Details on a a memorial
service have not been finalized.
--
Trout Mask Replica
KFJC.org, WFMU.org, WMSE.org, or WUSB.org;
because the pigoenholed programming of music channels
on Sirius Satellite, and its internet radio player, suck
Matthew Kruk
news:4C45397F...@objectmail.com...
> ...
> The mangled remains of Sheriff Buford Pusser's car.
I remember back when I learned that he was indeed a "real" person versus
the movie icon. Nice wiki summary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buford_Pusser
Hoodoo
(Central Daylight Time), spoke thusly:
>> ... The mangled remains of Sheriff Buford Pusser's car.
> I remember back when I learned that he was indeed a "real" person
> versus the movie icon. Nice wiki summary:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buford_Pusser
I also checked that out prior to seeing your link and searched further
to find:
Buford Pussers 1974 Chevrolet Corvette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJli_4T3WuQ
Buford Pusser: Lawman Familyman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXlpfGoi4iI