Toy J. Norwood News Article

 

 

 

 

TOY J. NORWOOD

Born 23 Dec 1923 – May 6, 1996, Burial Parkin Cemetery

 

EAST ARKANSAS NEWS LEADER

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

“She Loved Life”

Memory of “Mama Toy” Norwood lives on in music, friends and family members

 

By James Langston, News Leader Managing Editor

 

PARKIN – From the local nursing home to a television special, from the local Rotary club to a concert at Village Creek State Park, “Mama Toy” Norwood touched people’s lives.

          Norwood, a songwriter and prominent Parkin resident, was remembered Saturday at an event held at Parkin Archeological State Park.  Norwood died nine years ago.

          Those at the event were able to enjoy some of Norwood’s finest tunes like “Sleepy Little Delta Town,” a song written about Parkin, “Who is White Shaver”, and “Pistol Packin’ Mama from Tate Hill.”

          “(Toy) came to Parkin in 1955 and was called Parkin’s singing plumber”, said Eda Claire Slabaugh, President of the Parkin Archeological Support Team (PAST), the group hosting the event.  “We’re going to play a few of her songs today.”

          Slabaugh said that PAST has been helping to support the park for more than a decade and at one time was the largest support team for a park in the state of Arkansas.

          “Right now we have about 100 members,” she said.  “But we [are] having a membership drive.”

          Norwood, who served on the Parkin City Council for 18 years, moved to Parkin from Tennessee.  She was the third of eight children, and growing up in a log cabin in rural Tennessee served as a lot of inspiration in her songwriting.

          After marrying and moving to Parkin, Norwood wrote over 500 songs.

          “they say 500 but that lady could write songs,” said Johnny Norwood, Toy’s stepson.  “She would drive to Memphis to pick up plumbing parts and write songs all the way there and all the way back.  They were all in the seats and floorboards.”

          Norwood started off performing on her own but her friend Larry Lowman soon introduced her to Bill Haymes and Terry Mitchell.  Lowman, now a master horticulturist, was working at the time as a park naturalist.

          “Larry Lowman knew her better than anyone,” Slabaugh said.

          With Haymes and Mitchell at her side the folk group was more complete, and “Mama Toy and the Boys” did concerts at Village Creek and a special television broadcast on AETN.

          Tragically, Norwood was murdered in Parkin on May [Mar] 6, 1996. Past articles from the East Arkansas News Leader say that there was no sign of forced entry and no robber [robbery] during the crime.

          “Someone was arrested and taken to trial but he was later acquitted,” said PAST member and Cross County Sheriff Ronnie Baldwin.

          Baldwin was serving as Chief of Police in Brinkley at he time but rembers the crime.

          For more information on Toy Norwood, or to become a member of PAST contact the Parkin Archeological State Park at (870) 755-2500.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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©Deborah Lunsford Yates, 2000 - 2005

Last Updated Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:56:22 PM CST

 

 

 

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