(Early this morning, a new feature was about to make its debut. As it was about to be posted, a production assistant mentioned it was Jimmy's birthday. "It is February 12th, isn't it?" She was right, the new feature, "What if Ezra Pound Played Soccer?" would have to wait.)

There have been stories about a bright star that appeared over the hospital the night Jimmy Conrad was born. What do I know? I know that Jimmy was born on February 12, 1977 in Biloxi, MS. His family, including the family German Shepard, owned, and worked in a coal mine. As a toddler Jimmy showed a natural gift for mining coal and was encouraged by his sixteen brothers and sisters to work harder as they could relax more if Jimmy continued to put up prodigious numbers.

When Jimmy was fourteen, diasaster struck. The coal mine was forced to close as everyone got sick of mining coal, fear of the Black Lung and being underground all the time were the main reasons. Jimmy Conrad was forced to change focus and began playing the clarinet. He threw himself in to playing 15 to 25 minutes one day a week.

(Due to time constraints, we are forced to skip details which formed Jimmy's life from fourteen to present.)

Today, Jimmy is a successful, kind of a tall person, quick to laugh or chew someone out for not being good looking enough. He is capable of great compassion, he once gave a friend a ride to the grocery store and didn't ask for gas money.

Many people share a February 12th birthday, but there is only one Jimmy "Conradical" Conrad.

COMMENTS: 3

on 02.12.10 at 10:24 pm umberto wrote:

fanista - I was brought to tears doing research for this project. Interviewing Jimmy's brother about the clarinet practice was more than I could take. I thought, "How horrible it must be to play the clarinet." It made the mine look like a cake walk.

Report

on 02.12.10 at 9:46 pm kaveman5 wrote:

Happy Birthday Jimmy! Some day Jimmy's name will be on the calendar next to Abraham Lincoln's. I'm just sayin'.

Report

on 02.12.10 at 9:16 pm fanista wrote:

This conradically alters my perception of Jimmy's childhood. What a whimsical time it must have been for him in the mines during his early years. I am sure the cold, hard slap of clarinet practice brought him right back down to earth. The rigorous schedule detailed above is cruel and unusual for any child.

Report