In elementary school, Birdie was my best friend growing up. Every Sunday I would go home from church (Willow Avenue C of C) with his family, and we would go to his grandmother's house in Sparta for a hot lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweeeeeeeet tea. Even at that early age, Birdie would spend hours drawing "pen and ink" images of cartoon characters, or western horse riders, or space aliens. His imagination was limitless and his concentration so intense that it could easily be described as a trance. His physical positioning was always the same: seated at a desk, he would bend at the waist completely doubled over; his face just 3 inches from the paper, his tongue precisely curling around his lips, mirroring the ink-stroke he was laying down on the paper. Birdie, had an incredible personality that filled a room with tall tales so unbelievable, yet told with such enthusiasm, that even the story teller seemed believed them to be true. Birdie, you made life in sleepy little Cookeville Tennessee an extraordinary adventure. Love you brother, you are missed. - Frankie tribute by Frankie Stamps

In elementary school, Birdie was my best friend growing up. Every Sunday I would go home from church (Willow Avenue C of C) with his family, and we would go to his grandmother's house in Sparta for a hot lunch of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweeeeeeeet tea. Even at that early age, Birdie would spend hours drawing "pen and ink" images of cartoon characters, or western horse riders, or space aliens. His imagination was limitless and his concentration so intense that it could easily be described as a trance. His physical positioning was always the same: seated at a desk, he would bend at the waist completely doubled over; his face just 3 inches from the paper, his tongue precisely curling around his lips, mirroring the ink-stroke he was laying down on the paper. An incredible personality with tall tales so unleavable, yet told with such enthusiasm, that even the story teller believed them to be true. Love you Birdie, you made life in sleepy little Cookeville Tennessee an extraordinary adventure. Love you brother, you are missed. - Frankie