EP262: Discovering Nearest, the Former Enslaved Person Who Taught Jack Daniel How to Make Whiskey and Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross Paying Tribute To “My Greatest Mentor”

This is Jim and in our own world class podcast network and Coca-Cola celebrate Hispanic heritage month with empowering voices like Roslyn Sanchez. My child was equivalent to states when I was almost 22 years old and isolated dreams as so many ambitions. I have been so blessed to be able to come to this country and live a little with hard work and discipline. Check that list out many things that want to continue doing and accomplish blogs. I was just going dreams listen to. He said that he will podcast hosted by dressing Sanchez and Eric winter the iHeartRadio at wherever you get your podcasts brought to you by Coca-Cola proud sponsor of the Michael do a podcast network. Hispanic heritage is magic baby so you're in the garage working on your car and you need the valves you bought last week.

You look at the cabinets on the shelves, but the parts are never in the right place eBay motor so the carport you need over 122 million of them all in one place that all of the right prices find parts for everything from your classic coupe to your brand-new truck@ebay.com. Let's ride Susan Williams will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65.

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Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. This is what Mrs. L American stories we tell stories about everything here on the show from yards to sports and from business to history and everything in between including your story. Send them our American stories.com. Some of our favorites that we've heard from Fort Weaver on our show before she told us her story of growing up, the daughter of Motown royalty, realizing that she didn't fit in wherever she was, and then realizing that wasn't such a bad thing. You also heard the story of uncle nearest whiskey Tennessee whiskey brand for unfounded, named after the African-American man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey and were about to tell you the story of how phone came upon nearest story. It all began with some trouble she was having with the business she'd invested in. After a fresh rating a frustrating time with the founders that I was backing really really really frustrating. We could not see eye to eye on how business should be done and how people should be treated and after really frustrating time. I decided I was going to do something that I almost never did, which is I went on vacation and my husband is a Executive Vice President wanted a second vice president at Sony pictures and he also sits on the motion picture Association of America, there Asian Asian counsel was having a meeting in Singapore. At the very last minute I sent you not to come with you on that trip. I know it's a work trip for you, but I just want to get away from what is going on and we got to the hotel in the morning or in the hotel lounge and I opened up the New York Times international edition on the cover of the New York Times international edition was the headline Jack Daniel embraces a secret ingredient help from a slave, and beneath that was a picture of Jack Daniel and his entire crew and right next to him. To his right was an African-American man in the thing that a lot of people miss what that photo but it's what drew me into that photo is Jack Daniel was the big N in the photo.

It was his company.

This was his crew but he seated the center position of the photo to an African-American man and at the time no one knew who that African-American man was and so I you know having five days with nothing to do the start diving in digging something this actually isn't something that's new for me. I've never taken it this far where I dove into the rabbit hole and never came back out, but it's something that I enjoy doing on the Sabbath. So my husband and I observed the Sabbath, 24 hours a week. We do nothing work related and so what I like to do on my Sabbath that I have for decades is I go into my research rabbit hole. I'll find a topic it could be something that pops up in my newsfeed. It can be something that I heard about earlier in the week while I was working and just didn't pause to dig into it and I'll go back to it on the Sabbath and so I had literally five days to do nothing but to research this story of this African-American man and so and so I started digging in to this story and the thing that was ironic is is we read the story. That morning we were both actually blown away. There was this thought that there was an African-American man that may have been the beginning. At the start. At the founding of this iconic American brand of people around the world. There very few brands that would be considered iconic American. I mean even if you go with Jim being for instance, who dates back to a similar day.

The company is now owned by Japanese himself when you're talking about iconic American brands. There is there's few things that say that quite like Jack Daniels and so to see this African-American picture. The center position being ceded to this man and nobody knew who he was. They was said that they believed it was a man named your screen, but they didn't know and then I went and I googled the name near screen which they had misspelled at the time, which we've now done the research and and the spelling was definitely incorrect in that time but we googled near screen and nothing came up except for this New York Times piece and then a regurgitation of the piece, which is to say that every newspaper around the world was reprinting some of them not giving credit for giving credit but it was the exact same story over and over and over and over again and and so I thought this is insane, how you have this African-American man at the center of this iconic American brand and nobody has any information on and so I did trying to do digging, but literally nothing came up.

And then I went back maybe about four hours later and to see Miss something the first time around, and then a Wikipedia page now the Wikipedia page didn't exist. There wasn't a whole lot on it that wasn't a part of the New York Times piece but it did reference a book of Jack Daniels legacy. So I ordered Jack Daniels legacy and had it sent to my home I ordered on Amazon's into my home and I did whatever research I could do from the hotel room, but it really only lasted about a day or so because after that there was nothing it was the Wikipedia page. It was the New York Times piece in and that was it.

So I figured what when I get home I'll read the book. It will probably not reference him by name. It'll probably refer to a colored man or ace enslaved man or slave or Negro work that was my thought process of how it would be spoken about in the book because that's what is common and so my thought was there probably just putting two and two together that this African-American man is the same person that was in Jack Daniels legacy. Even though he's not mentioned by name, so that was my thought process. The book, but I certainly wasn't expecting much from the book itself. When we come back we'll hear more from phone story of years these messages is storied history, sports, business, faith and love and beautiful country. We can't do without you.

Our stores are free to listen to stories in America. What will American stories give a little what the great American stories coming American stories will American storage of the story of how Paul Weaver discovered the story the African-American man who torture Daniel to make which Nathan uncle nearest green, following Singapore former New York Times article talked about uncle nearest but didn't say much about who he was. When we last left off the biography project then sent to her home in the states while she was halfway around the world with return phone story and then a few days later we finished in Singapore and we went on what was meant to be a today just kind of an out on vacation to Kuala Lumpur and we went there we checked into the hotel. We had a beautiful day and then the next day we went to a spot and big spot people. It's not really what we do, but every now and again on vacation and so Keith wasn't participating.

I went into the spot and did massage and I think a facial or something and when I come out I expected to go back to just pay for it and then charge to the room and back to the room but II come out and Keith is in the lobby and to know my husband is to know he loves me so much but he would not be sitting in the lobby of faith unless there was something that was needed and so he looks at me and I walk over to have an eye I could see concern in his eye and so I walk over and and he takes my hand and says we need to pray consent with me and so we sit and I said when we prayed about that Brittany has been in a motorcycle accident and it doesn't look like Brittany is my niece who was as much a daughter as she was my niece. We don't have any children would not been able to have children now are moving into our 17th year of marriage and so she is very much so that baby girl.

I was there from the very beginning I was telling someone the other day that she was so funny. As a little girl because any time I would go to the restroom. She followed me into the restaurant, but she never leave. I don't know if it was me going into another room and she not being able to see me. I don't know what it was but she is just my baby girl and so when he said it, I immediately began to cry and wheat we tried to pray for about and I said I can't. I can't give me give me your phone and I looked at the text that my sister sent and I responded to the and I said how Brittany that she cannot leave me whisper in her ear that I am on my way, she cannot leave me I will be right there. She has to hang on and my sister text me back within 30 seconds and said I'm sorry says she's gone. A driver hit her head on the they were turning in the sun was blocking was glaring on the glass and the driver never saw my niece in Florida while making a left and she had she had not a chance and my world absolutely shattered and so we both cried quite a bit to a place where the people in the spa, the manager, the spot came over because obviously we were disturbing.

What is otherwise a very peaceful experience for people and we recognize that so we went outside and just mean not ourselves together, and finally we were able to pull it together enough to be able to walk back and to our hotel room and to our hotel room and again just absolutely lost it and I probably say I don't know you know how you cry until there's literally no more tears left you see this in in in kids and kids were Delta sport tears and tears in their still yelling, but there's no tears coming literally cried all the tears out and that that happened to Keith and I and Keith. He turns to me and he says what would Brittany have us do. In this moment and Britt had just been at our house a couple weeks ship just celebrated her birthday and she was at her home and it I don't believe in regrets. I do believe in lessons and it was a huge lesson for me because, as she sat in the kitchen with my husband for hours talking about me and and I listened to her safe on his is always been a mom to me and and and to tell him different stories of different things and ways I've impacted her life and meanwhile I'm responding to emails and and doing what you know is important if you will, and she left that night on her motorcycle but earlier in the afternoon we had been all been hanging out and having done the 1942, and so he turns to me and he said what would Brittany have us do. And I said she'd have us go raise a glass of 1942, and so we left out of the room to go to the hotel bar to try to find 1942 and on our way out passing through the outside area where there's a pool and I remember she's walking on a step before me and I being on the step right above and we had to pause momentarily because hundreds of white butterflies began circling the lower portion of our links we literally could not move because they were just circling never seen before and never seen it since.

And they circled us for a couple of minutes and then took off and we looked at each other and said Brittany is just to send, and we went to the hotel bar. We had our 1942 we cried some more and we got on a plane, 5 o'clock the next morning. First, the first plane that was going out and we arrived back in as soon as I get back to Los Angeles.

I go into full party planning mode.

I knew Brittany would not want a funeral. She would want for people to feel as though her home-going ceremony was the best time that they've had. She would want people to enjoy.

It was what Brittany would've loved and so for two weeks straight.

I poured myself into planning every piece of this. This party with with her mom and her dad and my siblings and after it was over we go back home and now I have to actually deal with the fact that she was gone for two weeks. I did have to deal with it because I was in party planning mode. We get back home and I picked up a package that is on my and is an Amazon package. Now Keith will tell you, there were 20 Amazon just in the back is I referring to was Jack Daniels legacy and I opened it up and I go to the living room I said on the living room and at the time our living room like it does here in Tennessee. It had floor-to-ceiling windows and I remember starting to read this book and expecting not much meaning again maybe for it to mention a Negro or black person or a slave or never for it to actually say nearest great and very early on in the pages Jack Daniel as a young boy is introduced to what the book refers to his all-black Negro and he's introduced to him by a person that they are both working for near screen was a written slave on this man's property and Jack Daniel had come to work as a chore boy. The connections in her life.

Philosopher delivered Brittany how that served his point in her life.

She's drawing them waiting to read when we come back more workable story: Weaver's story discovering nearest your American stores which decisions for next year. Healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're walking past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days piping hot and I think cool and confident their small business owners to help you best. State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious.

There's nothing more daunting than facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be done can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads done right and get back to your life.

Try all three clear mega packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack so that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry all three clear mega packs are also 100% free perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any families sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sensitive skin.

The the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation is. That's because this big pile of dirty clothes. Just know that all three clear mega packs have your back purchase all three clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types were back with our American stories and the conclusion reform. Weaver's story on how she discovered Nathan nearest green story, the African-American man who taught Jack Daniel McQuiston after losing release form needed to decompress and decided to do so with Jack Daniels biography so Jack is for you know those who do not know Jack was the 10th child and his mother died when he was four months old by the neighbor. He was a little kid a rut if you will never be more than 5 foot two, even as an adult and so if you think about it he's not a great farmhand.

He moved to that property when he was somewhere between seven and eight and eight years and that means anything from going to get water from the well for the family milking cow's feeding the hogs that you know whatever you have to do dealing with this lot. It was not glamorous in the least bit. But the book says that he was fascinated by whatever was going on on this property where you had the mules and wagons shuffling in and out of there but no one would ever take him to go see what was happening on the other side of the property and the reason is the person who they were both working for both near screen and Jack Daniel was a preacher and the distiller and he married a teetotaler and he had a church on his property sold 338 acres on one end of the property was his home on another into the property was his church and on another into the property for looking at it as a triangle was his distillery so he kept his three world separate his family, his distillery at his church and his family and his church basically issued an ultimatum and so Dan called decided that he was going to leave the distillery business, but the distillery never stopped operating on his property and it never stopped operating under a man by the name near screen in the book Jack Daniel is introduced to this all-black Negro vice that the preacher saying he is the best whiskey maker I know now in this book. The reason why that is. She says verbatim.

This is uncle nearest. He is the best whiskey maker I know it's important because there were 16 other distilleries 1 mile radius. So the question became. I was the best and why did the preacher want for him to teach Jack everything he knew about his way of making whiskey and it was because the way that your screen made whiskey was we now know as Tennessee whiskey, but I'm sitting in my home in Los Angeles reading this and from the very early portion of the book you see over and over again nearest great uncle nearest Eli Greenwich was a son, George Greenwich was another son, you see them mentioned over again in a biography that is not that big and nearest in his boys are mentioned more times than Jack's own family. So I'm reading this and I am falling in love with two characters, which was completely unexpected for me.

I'm falling in love with the uncle nearest character but also the Jack Daniel character and who they both were and what they represented in this remarkable type so I'm sitting on my couch and just completely engrossed in this story and you've got to remember that not only have I just lost my niece in and just my world is right, but this is now happening in July 2060 so if you remember what was happening at that time our country was being divided by race. We had a political both sides of the aisle, both Republicans and Democrats were using race as a wedge and not very many people had hope at that moment and I was looking for hope in terms of trying to escape what I was dealing with in grieving for my niece. But in this book, I'm finding a different kind of hope because of the situation were in an America time so I'm reading this and I remember not telling my husband when he walked in.

I said pay. I really like this guy and he's like Daniel and he was so confused know what I was reading and so I start telling him about the book again and again and the fact the nearest is mentioned over and over and over and over again and I remember when I looked up from the book at that moment, I remember right in front of me where the window was seeing a white butterfly single white butterfly just muttering back and forth, back and forth and it took me back to those white butterflies circled our legs and I and I remember looking at that and saying hey Britt thinking very much of it. Again, this is I think when you lose someone you begin looking for hope in any every thing and I remember looking and saying hey Britt and going back to reading and just letting the story and I got so engrossed in the book and it's not that long of the book, but I got so engrossed in the book because I think still trying to escape, trying to look for hope and I remember taking the book with me in the kitchen and still kind of reading while I was know what I was your something I'm still reading and doing something else and I look up and in the window is a single white butterfly going back and forth back and forth and I go into my office a little later in the day I picked the book back up, I start reading it some more white butterfly again and I began to associate the white butterfly with my niece and I began to associate the niece with this book and and my love for this book and the story became into woven with my love for my niece and I can't explain it other than to say I tell the story of near screen and Jack Daniel in a way that I believed the story was lit and I believe my niece was directing from heaven is the only way that I can explain it edit as crazy as it sounds, because if we go backward were talking about a brand right that normally when you're talking about a whiskey Bradley are not talking about butterflies and have it in but that is what that is. What was the origin of my interest. I can tell you that I had absolutely no plans to go into the whiskey business I I am a child of two teetotalers the last place I would've been putting my money was whiskey and yet I began looking at the story and diving into the story and wanting to know more and more and more and more in the more I learned more. I wanted to know, and it became very clear to me that the only way I was going to really learn as much about historians, I felt like my heart was being pulled to learn was to actually travel to Lynchburg, Tennessee to interview the descendent. The only descendent that that New York Times article referenced a man by the name of the body at the time was 91 years old and so I set my heart. I'm going to interview him and had decided what I wanted to do for my 40th birthday was to research the story of near scrape on the outside looking in, it would make no sense to me whatsoever and made all the sense in the world because that book and that story was providing me hope that I needed in that moment and I didn't want to stop and will live phone Weaver down a while. Buying the house with the coliform meeting with her descendents who told her the best way to honor nearest memory is a bottle with you nearest name on it by without bottle most awarded new American whiskey in American history phone Weaver story ogle mirrors story and the Jack Daniels story Medicare coverage decisions for next year and UnitedHealth care can help you feel confident about your choices but those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this would UHC Medicare health.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and make sure my business days piping hot and I think cool and confident their small business owners to help you best. State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious. There's nothing more daunting than facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be done can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads done right and get back to your life. Try all three clear mega packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack so that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry all three clear mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any families sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sensitive skin. The next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation is. That's because this big pile of dirty clothes is not all three clear mega packs have your back purchase all three clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types and we continue with our American stories story of an American question is the largest real estate developer in America, the owner of the Miami Dolphins and assured his life story with her own exporters.

Stephen Ross is a Detroit born and bred until his parents dragged him against his will.

Midway through his freshman year of high school Miami beach Florida Dilbert birds little trouble.

But started the Lord. Try to be strict father electrical supposes he was working, I wanted to leave school here about four days ago through schools for my backroads broke different to boast shoulder or your wife really got him a coach, started arch trust scored well enough to reflect out to search the first class left right person to nurture your lecture so you wake up call, but also knew before one left anything so I knew what was euro and zero cents where the code started to feel the world to pursue Florida transformation law school drugstore children's program brochures for counsel.

George barks like like the subject the confidence to first find your confidence that you can succeed do something will still six or six brief success teachers told my parents. There were some parts or coach right now so I suppose it would start like a probably least likely to succeed.

Tell me how much teachers go to the environment in which you brought up your your periods as much by parents emphasized that is really where you're really suffered after getting his masters degree at NYU.

Stephen went back to his hometown to work in an accounting or tax return was very well practiced law for scope of Paul's arm in my office where Billy was remember to protrude.

Students should separate the 268 four Bobby Canby was assessed watching right exposure. One of the life you it's over your dog walks office and asked me if I wanted to seminar New York thought about want to go to Riverwood from but by your will really thought about dorsal senior partner New York you grade your partner in your book. I was ready for something sparked control of control really don't go fix something sparked my mother's with urologic storage anywhere.

Blah blah blah overworked with your firm called several appointments for me to help search for Goldman Sachs soft paper little article later new firm started drivers respect for the two parts Waspy firm doing a lot of creative things. The firm was like 74313 troubles are few health roofs and job sitting room is what you covers Lord neurodevelopment. Later everybody told Sarge selected was there for about your half everybody of those three things a little different quite understand what I was doing just wouldn't there two weeks after left left who fill part for the job was working at Bear Stearns interview deals. One guy was working for so I put steel was a layered together a company that they were taken public was my idea to put several things he was doing to one property to the public. Bear Stearns book 2 or three weeks.

That's cool. Drug called principate looked at Bear Stearns to steal other firms for smaller firms, Bear Stearns person met with partner scrape relocated California partnership will be in California next week. Sure he calls me a court of yours out there. There appointment for Joel told the guys Ranger time call towards that happen difficult to go culvers. I would take a public's other firms. I would like I've been here long enough you know about too much. I can't tell you what to do will be public, front page of the Wall Street Journal on the right column shows lead article global blog 6 to 19 of the opening part also walks office for whatever happened to the company blog verbal systems school is waiting for your phone call after that he always put me down in front of it. I was doing a deal deal divided but it worked on someone else working for us to put together is what you this morning got a phone call support equipped with stories better say that I write but I knew that.

That night I knew I could work your before I had the meeting you approved that I was ready to quit here and left two jobs six-month period of time so that you will resume starting the company money spent in your thousand dollars to live on bootstrap company and never have investor so 30 years. I earned interest property with story that's true.

I really believe doing something successful should believe what else do you trust more than great job by Robbie producing the piece. Thanks to Alex for finding the story. It's a beauty story Steve Ross, the owner of the Miami Dolphins owner T-Mobile for business knows companies want more than a one-size-fits-all approach, so we provide 360 support customized for business from Discovery postemployment you get a dedicated accounting expertise from solutions engineer and industry advisor already.

Right now 360 customized for your success. Unconventional thinking from T-Mobile for business millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel competent about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. It's almost me know me from the recap on LA TB. Now, old podcast life as a gringo, to every Tuesday and Thursday will be talking real and unapologetic about all things like that and culture and everything in between. From someone who's never quite been listening to life as a gringo on the iHeartRadio app or web, you get podcast brought to you by State Farm like a good neighbor farm is there