James Newman's trip to his hometown of Sylacauga, Ala., the last week of September, brought smiles as he stayed in a hotel on Jim Nabors Highway, the road that was named for his nephew, who rose to fame in the 1960s as Gomer Pyle.
Newman, who owns Newman's Barbecue on Jefferson Davis Highway, keeps a picture frame in the restaurant that is filled with family snapshots that include Nabors.
He loves to share stories of his nephew while he serves barbecue in the restaurant he bought in his retirement.
Newman had moved to North Augusta in 1951 to work for DuPont when he made an important observation.
"North Augusta didn't have any restaurants," he said.
He'd worked in the restaurant business before and decided to open The White Midget Diner instead of going to work for DuPont.
"It was a little white diner," he said of the 10-stool restaurant. He said the name just seemed to fit.
In the 1950s, Newman gave his soon-to-be-famous young nephew a job washing dishes at the diner. It also helped him gain some valuable television experience.
Newman fondly recalled helping Nabors get a local break singing on a WJBF-TV 6 (ABC) variety show called Today in Dixie .
At the time, Nabors had traveled to Los Angeles to break into show business. When it didn't work, he moved to New York and got a job with the United Nations as a typist, Newman said. He also sang in nightclubs before heading to North Augusta.
"I told him I knew people who had a variety show," Newman said, and sent him to talk to the producers at WJBF.
He said Nabors astounded the whole studio with his voice.
"They put him on the show, singing and acting," Newman said.
Newman said Nabors lived on Waccamaw Drive for about three years. After Today in Dixie was cancelled, Nabors went back to Los Angeles, where he landed the part of Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show . He went on to star in his own show, Gomer Pyle USMC , and later The Jim Nabors Hour variety show.
While Nabors was busy making himself a household name, Newman was busy turning The White Midget into a chain of restaurants he called Bitty Banquets. He had seven, with restaurants in North Augusta, Augusta, Orangeburg, Columbia and Anderson.
He decided to retire and sold Bitty Banquet and The White Midget. Then he bought Lonnie's Barbecue 22 years ago.
Newman brought his son, Jim, in to learn the business. When he felt Jim was ready, he gave his son the business and went into full retirement.
"It's his now. It's not mine," Newman said. "I just help him out some."
Reach Lisa Kaylor at lisa.kaylor@northaugustatoday.com.
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James Newman, right, poses with his nephew, Jim Nabors, center, and son Jim at a friend's house in Alabama in the late 1970s. [CAPTION]
LISA KAYLOR/STAFF
