Clyde Bradley Nokes, age 91, passed away on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro. Clyde was a mainstay on the mountain for decades and he and his bluegrass band made our “Gunter Reunions” so very special year after year.

He was a character for sure and could he ever entertain an audience with his unique style and class. We here on the mountain are still reeling from Clyde’s departure and the hurt we are feeling at losing him. He always told me he wasn’t ready to leave on the next barge with a launch. In the column he told me I could write anything about his as long it wasn’t the truth.  Well, that was exactly what I did. Clyde was a “special friend’ one that I will never forget and will always treasure him being in my like.

I once asked him could I tell the truth about him if he went first. He said, “Go ahead,’ I won’t know anything about it. Funny, I just can’t write anything bad about you Clyde. I can say thought, I was so happy when you gave your heart to Jesus sometime back. God gave you the opportunity to make things right with His son, Jesus. When you left us heaven awaited you. We talked a lot about heaven and hell. Clyde thought he had made too many mistakes in his life to be forgiven of those sins he had committed. I told him satan wants everyone to think that so they’ll not accept Jesus. Jesus is just waiting for you to ask Him for forgiveness of your sins.

Why people I told Clyde choose to make it so hard to have Jesus as their Savior is beyond me. Anyone can have Jesus living in in them if they want Him. It was a spell before Clyde asked Jesus for forgiveness of his sins and became a new creature in Christ Jesus. Clyde talked about being at peace should anything happen to him. Music to my ears when he told me he had accepted Jesus after all these years. This is too good a story not to let those that knew and loved him know he surrendered his heart to Jesus. Jesus saved Clyde’s soul and He can do that for anyone if they will only stope out in faith believing in Jesus. Clyde made it home.

One more attribute to Clyde. I have to say is the legacy he has left behind for his family to relish forever of his love for bluegrass music and the magnificent way he performed it. I am astounded at the wealth of telnet that Clyde has passed on to the generations of his family. I’ve never know of this amount of talent being in one family that just keeps on turning out such beautiful bluegrass music. Clyde told me so many times how proud he was of his family and rightfully so. Those “apples” didn’t fall far from the tree. We’re going to miss you, Clyde, especially. Me.

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Have a great day!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us out sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9