Last dance at PV Jamboree

The Pleasant View Jamboree had its last dance on Saturday night, January 3 2004.

Owner James Batts announced he had sold the building and would relocate with his wife, Joyce, outside of Pleasant View on Highway 41A next to Thorton's Residential Home. "This is our last night," Batts informed the crowd, "We're getting old, and I'm getting tired of dealing with the city on codes and regulations to stay in business here."

Batts purchased the property in the mid-1980's when it was a restaurant. Batts last year began to serve rib eye steaks cooked to order on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the Jamboree.

Batts who is known as Col. James Batts the auctioneer will continue to set up estate and absolute auctions including one of his own on Saturday, January 24, at 10 a.m. to clear out many items before moving to his new home. Batts is also known for his woodworking skills of constructing horse-drawn buggies, and about anything that can be made of wood.

Batts had hosted the Jamboree for most of the last eight years at the Highway 41A location where many regulars said they would miss the Saturday night dance and socializing.

"It's just good clean fun with no drinking and cussing allowed. Just something I look forward to each week," said one of the 60-plus women who danced the night away with waltzes, square dancing, line dancing, buck dancing to a wide array of country and bluegrass music. Several performers were called up to the stage from the audience, including the mother of Nashville Radio personality Carl P. Mayfield to sing and entertain. At one point, numbers were placed in a circle on the concrete floor for a cakewalk.

Other audience members included regulars who had not missed many Saturday nights in the Jamboree's history to an 82-year-old man from Dover who recently started to attend. Batts and several guitarists provided music for the concrete dance floor. Instrumentalists included an accordion player while Batts" 18-year-old granddaughter, Mandy, provided fiddle and vocals on several classics such as "Satin Sheets," and "The South's going to rise again." "Ya'll have become our friends over the years," Batts told the crowd, "We want to get your names and phone numbers so in the future we might be able to get together for a covered dished dinner.

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