A Sad Passing....
A legend has passed away in Midland. Most "legends" in Midland have to do with the oil business, but this legend was connected with barbecue. Johnny Hackney owner of Johnny's Barbecue has left us at the age of 83.
Johnny's had been open for years by the time my family moved to Midland in 1960 and it was one of the first places we went with our newly discovered cousins who happened to live down the street from our new home. Until this year, the restaurant had not changed a bit from the way I remember it that year. A few of the employees like Luther had been there forever too. That's what made Johnny's "Johnny's" an oasis of unchangedness in a changing world.
In the last several years Johnny's had grown in significance for me on a more personal level. It was about the only place my Dad wanted to go each week as he slowly faded away. He liked the food, but what he really cared about was seeing the occasional old friend, the same people who he had seen there decades ago. It was just months before my Dad passed away that he recalled how Johnny used to cater business meetings for the gas company he ran in Odessa, in 1961. One of the greatest tributes to my Dad, for me, was that almost the whole staff of Johnny's came to his funeral service. Some great memories....
Johnny's had been open for years by the time my family moved to Midland in 1960 and it was one of the first places we went with our newly discovered cousins who happened to live down the street from our new home. Until this year, the restaurant had not changed a bit from the way I remember it that year. A few of the employees like Luther had been there forever too. That's what made Johnny's "Johnny's" an oasis of unchangedness in a changing world.
In the last several years Johnny's had grown in significance for me on a more personal level. It was about the only place my Dad wanted to go each week as he slowly faded away. He liked the food, but what he really cared about was seeing the occasional old friend, the same people who he had seen there decades ago. It was just months before my Dad passed away that he recalled how Johnny used to cater business meetings for the gas company he ran in Odessa, in 1961. One of the greatest tributes to my Dad, for me, was that almost the whole staff of Johnny's came to his funeral service. Some great memories....
