Eddie Boggs
Eddie Boggs was told by his high school counselor that he ought not consider higher
education, as he was "not college material." These words played a significant role
in his life thereafter. He constantly heard them play in his mind as he studied
between duties on swing shift at the steel mill in Mansfield, and he wondered if
they might not be accurate when struggling with the rigors of being self-supported
at Ohio University. He was careful never to burden his students with similar
condemnations during the decades he served as both teacher and counsellor. His
stellar moment as an educator who had beaten the odds came when he became a full
professor at The University of Toledo. Of course, there shall forever be a
question about his impetus. Did he become successful, despite the negative words of
his advisor, or because of them? Some of us function best when confronted by the
impossible task. The oyster creates the pearl, but not without the negativity of
the irritating grain of sand.
Randy freely admits that he'd want Eddie Boggs on his stage, even if he didn't have talent. "I think he must surely be the nicest person I ever met, and there's a movement afoot to transfer the title I was given in the 1980s, 'Musical Ambassador of Toledo, Ohio (not-in-residence), to Eddie, who's clearly a better representative of his home territory." A consistent winner of The People's Choice Award, Eddie Boggs is the most popular folk entertainer in all of Greater Toledo.
Tomorrow the world?