If Dolly Parton is Sevierville’s favorite daughter, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade is certainly the town’s favorite son.
He’s beloved in Sevier County, due to his family’s his long service in the community, including his own ten year stint as Mayor. He’s also a fan favorite in Knoxville legal and political circles, where he’s known for his generous nature and excellent sense of humor (on ready display in his answers below).
So here’s your chance to get to know a few interesting things about East Tennessee’s own state Supreme Court Justice.
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10 Things You May Not Know About Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade
KAG: What’s the best-kept secret in your hometown of Sevierville?
GW: There are not many secrets in a small town like Sevierville ( We read the local paper as a courtesy to the editor!). But if you must know, yes, Dolly wears wigs.
KAG: Describe your personal philosophy in one sentence.
GW: To me, philosophy and aspiration are interchangeable terms so here goes: What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God…. While I confess to failures all too frequently, at least I aspire to that credo from the Book of Micah.
KAG: What kind of car do you drive and why?
GW: I drive a state vehicle, a Chevy Impala with judicial plates, just in case I happen to speed up when I approach a yellow light and an observing officer is a little low on the mercy quota for the day.
KAG: If you were the DJ at my party, what would be the first five songs you would play?
GW: I have got to admit that my tastes in music have changed over the years but my top five today are (1) the Hawaiian (Iz, I think) version of Over the Rainbow/ Wonderful World; (2) Mr. Bojangles; (3) Help by the Beatles; (4) Cats in the Cradle by Harry and Sandy Chapin; and (5) a 3-way tie between Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone and McCartney’s Rocky Racoon and Man of Constant Sorrow, as redone by Judge Tim Irwin and the Chillbillies in tribute to the movie, Brother, Where Art Thou ( Maybe I could just play a medley of those three!).
KAG: What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
GW: Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish between brave and stupid - I tend towards the latter. But I, as a “known” Democrat ( you might as well substitute your favorite derogatory noun here if you live in Sevierville) ran for Mayor at age 28 (looked like I was 18) in the most Republican area of the state - against a popular incumbent. Thank goodness it was a non-partisan election, otherwise my mother, a devoted Republican, could not have ( in good conscience) voted for me! On another occasion, I was forced to decide whether to zip my fly as I argued a case before 12 good Sevier County jurors; I won’t tell which path I chose, either way it was brave because I finished my summation!
KAG: What’s your favorite joke?
GW: Favorite funny: During the troubled days before the Civil War, Abe Lincoln, a lawyer by profession, strolled thru a cemetery with a close friend. When they came upon a tombstone saying “Here lies a judge and an honest man.” After reading the inscription aloud, Abe quipped, ” I didn’t know times wuz so hard they were a buryin’ ‘em two to a grave!”
KAG: What’s your guilty pleasure?
GW: What is my guilty pleasure? In truth, I think I am getting too old to remember! But my tendency to be so provincial about East Tennessee in general and my hometown in particular is a little over the top (sorry, boring answer)….
KAG: What’s the last book you finished?
GW: I finished Chas. Frazier’s (Cold Mountain) Thirteen Moons last week, only hours after learning how John Grisham fouled up yet another ending in his latest book, The Appeal (will he ever do an “and they lived happily everafter” book?).
KAG: What’s a talent few people know you have?
GW: I learned to juggle while “studying” for final exams while in school at U.T. I can play the guitar a little bit and I draw and caption birthday cards for my children and grandchildren - but not all at the same time. (:- )
KAG: If I handed you $1,000 to spend on something completely frivolous today, what would you buy?
GW: With $1,000, I would probably take my son and daughters to New York to see one of the last baseball games ever played in Yankee Stadium…. That is, unless my lovely wife found out about my new found fortune, in which case I would dutifully give it to her…. To borrow a phrase from my favorite movie: and that’s all I have to say about that….
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He’s a good man, a good judge and a true public servant. Interesting answers.
and he is a friend too
He’s a great Pop and a wonderful Pop to his grandkids! He’s also the best Hearts player I’ve ever met!