David Carroll signed books on Saturday at 2 Food City stores

David Carroll, author of “Hello Chattanooga!” Famous people who visited the Tennessee Valley “will hold two book signings Saturday at local Food City stores. He will sell and sign books at Food City in St. Elmo (3801 Tennessee Ave.) Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. He will also visit Food City in Fort Oglethorpe (531 Battlefield Pkwy.) From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Five dollars from each book sale will be donated to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
“Hello Chattanooga” is a 700-page book featuring some two hundred photos, over a hundred years of history, and a comprehensive index allowing the reader to instantly locate the date Tammy Wynette played Lake Winnie, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Chickamauga Dam, or Winston Churchill slammed the door of his Read House hotel room in the face of a reporter.
“It started out as a story of the soldiers and sailors memorial auditorium,” he said, “and then it got a lot bigger. I realized that the Tivoli Theater should also be included. When I told people about the project, they said I should include the Riverbend Festival, then the UTC Arena, and so on. The more I got into it I decided it should be a full story that includes all of our famous visitors, with a few stories and images mixed in. So I have included all of our scenes and locations in the area, inside and out, as well as all the notable politicians, president, movie star, athlete, author, serviceman and evangelist, as well as a list of films and music videos that have been shot here. ”
The book lists visitors to each category in chronological order, from 1900 to the present day. Mr. Carroll said, “Our Tri-State region has attracted some of the world’s best-known celebrities and artists, with our historic sites, beautiful landscapes and powerful people. This book will finally give readers the opportunity to sort out a few arguments by learning the dates and places that your favorite star (or president) visited here.
“Hello Chattanooga” also lists local residents who have gained national and global fame in all fields, including political figures like Bill Brock and Estes Kefauver, athletes like Rick Honeycutt and Reggie White, and artists from Samuel L. Jackson to Usher to Kane Brown.
Amid the show listings and photographs are stories tracing the history of each local venue, especially the Memorial Auditorium and Tivoli, each approaching the 100-year mark. There are also stories detailing famous people who appeared on local stages before they were famous, from Frank Sinatra to Billy Graham, to Jimi Hendrix, to John Goodman.
The book also points out that many of today’s superstars have performed in opening act venues, which have been hired to occupy a certain amount of time as audiences find their seats while waiting for a main act to occur. Among them are Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Jeff Foxworthy, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift.
There are also stories of big names who had a personal connection to the area, whether through early jobs (Jim Nabors), a quickly arranged marriage (Dolly Parton), or even run-ins with the law (Johnny Cash).
Mr. Carroll said: “I am honored to share this interesting and valuable information which can now be added to the incredible history of our region.
“Hello Chattanooga: Famous People Who Have Visited the Tennessee Valley” is available in softcover and hardcover, with signed copies on ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. The book is also on sale at Food City stores in Cleveland, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain Road, Hixson and St. Elmo, Zarzour’s restaurant in Chattanooga, and Wally’s in East Ridge.