On the 3rd of June 1967, William Joseph MacAalister died.
It was a senseless death born of the sexual repression and religious intolerance of the era and geographical location. (not that a lot has changed in the intervening fifty-plus years)
His body wasn’t found until some four days later. Given the time of the year he was interred with pragmatic haste. No autopsy was performed.
The local sheriff’s department conducted a cursory inquiry, questioning his peers and staff of businesses he was known to frequent. No further information was forthcoming.
His death was judged a suicide. No further action was taken.
in 1976 his story achieved world recognition and from that moment he became an icon for tortured youth, along with many other young men and women who lived and died in the shadows.
P.S. All of the above was made up, except that the movie ‘Ode to Billy Joe’, came out in 1976, and Bobby gentry released her song of the same name in 1967 … and of course, today is the 3rd of June!
Widdershins Worlds 
You got me.
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Wicked of me, I know. 😀
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Love that song. Used to sing it at kareoke back in the day.
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It’s very singable. 🙂
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WAY too many people HAVE died because of hate. One being fictional doesn’t change anything of that. Stay safe. Stay away from bigoted haters.
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Agree completely. 😦
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Very clever, Widds. Had me, until I remembered the song!
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Heh. 🙂 … my brain goes to some odd places sometimes.
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Something else we have in common…
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There does seem to be quite a list doesn’t there? 😀
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such a pity you live so far away…
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🙂
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I remember that song too. For a while there we had a rash of ‘story’ songs. I like story in any form but….I think I prefer to read it. 🙂
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Ghost Riders In The Sky, The Gambler, Harper Valley PTA … the storytelling song was the forte of country-and-western music. 😀
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Yes! Country and western has never been high on my list of favourites, but I admit to liking Ghost Riders in the Sky. 😀
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You have woven a fascinating post from this, Widders.
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I remember seeing the movie on late night TV when Bobby Benson was in just about every B-grade ‘teenage-angst’ movie being made. 😀
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I remember that song well. It was great to hear it again.
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It has one of the first guitar picking styles/rhythm patterns I first learned as a wee guitar-playing lass. 😀
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🙂
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