A lifelong athlete, Barron played basketball in high school and college, and has bragging rights that his records have stood for over 40 years. While in high school, he was named one of the top 25 high school players in the state. “I scored first baskets in the gyms where I attended school, and that’s always fun to tell,” he says.

After college he moved to Atlanta and worked in Kmart’s manager training program. By the time he left the company in 1984 to go in another direction, Barron had already written and published his first book.

A born storyteller, Barron never meets a stranger, as the saying goes. He is just as happy talking and joking with someone casually met in a store or diner as with a celebrity or top-of-the-charts music star.

He plays guitar and writes country music, and has written songs with songwriter-singer Rick Bowles.  Barron has had the good fortune to meet many stars, ranging from George Jones and Tanya Tucker to Johnny Cash. He appeared on a 60-Minutes program with Johnny Cash, moderated by Harry Reasoner.

 He collects Elvis Presley memorabilia and items associated with various musicians, Gone With the Wind and other classics. Among his Elvis collectibles is a prized mike stand used by “The King” at a 1972 concert in Jacksonville, Florida.

Instead of basketball, Barron now plays golf when he has time.  He has two brothers and a sister who still live near his home town in White County, and he has four children.

Read book excerpts

Autumn

Autumn days scare me

Not that much

I see more clearly

My mistakes

How life drifts away

Every falling leaf  could be a dream

Maybe I’m wrong

Maybe it’s just the mountain colors

I love so

Starting to go grey.

The hills of fire

Turn to smoke

Then giving way to winter

A rich man going broke

A lifestyle changing

Enough to scare anyone

Into a long overcoat

      —Barron Pilgrim

Meet the Poet

Barron’s story