(P61,L22-25,P62,L1-25,P63,L1-25,P64,L1)
SMITH: "What is your name?"
PERKINS: "Albert, (Al), Perkins."
SMITH: "And where do you reside?"
PERKINS: "Nashville, TN."
SMITH: "The Court has allowed you, COMMENT: "AT MY SUGGESTION", five minutes to give your testimony as to Al Petty."
PERKINS: "Would it be all right, sir, if I read this letter that I sent to that, comment on it? This was dated on May the 30th, 2002, and I wrote it to whom it may concern.
My family and I have known Mr. Petty since I was a child. I took music lessons from him in 1953 and 1954 at the age of nine. Al Petty School of Music was doing very well at that time while he was only at the age of 19.At the age of 11, my age of 11, in 1955, after Mr. Petty became part of 'Smokey Rogers Caravan Show' in Southern California, MY PARENTS ALLOWED ME TO TRAVEL BY BUS ALONE FROM WEST TEXAS TO VISIT AND STAY WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS.Through that visit I was able to increase my learning and comprehension of music. His understanding and encouragement changed my life and prepared me for a career in music that I now continue.COMMENT: "HALL OF FAME" AND A MUSICAL LEGEND IS AL PERKINS!
PERKINS cont.: WHILE SOME APPEAR TO USE THE TERM 'GENIUS' AS DEROGATORY, I AND MANY OTHERS CONSIDER AL PETTY A TRUE GENIUS. HE IS ONE ESPECIALLY GIFTED IN MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY AND INGENUITY AND TEACHING. He is also one who has a GREAT LOVE AND RESPECT for God and people around him.
I feel his positive demeanor comes from a Godly confidence and not from one of pride or manipulation, and though sometimes firm, which I experience that learning music from him, never have I known him to be abusive or mean spirited.I do personally know Mr. Petty to have come from a modest and Godly upbringing. He is also one of the HARDEST WORKING AND DILIGENT PEOPLE I HAVE EVER KNOWN.I don't understand how we got to this point really, but although I do not have firsthand experience of - - concerning this communications company, I believe the testimony of those partners who have - - I have read those, and I ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW SUSPICION AND JEALOUSY CAN EASILY CHANGE INTO VINDICTIVENESS IN SOME CASES AND FUELED BY A MISUNDERSTANDING AND INACCURACY, VINDICTIVENESS ALSO LEADS TO FALSE ASSUMPTIONS SOMETIMES.COMMENT: AL PERKINS EVALUATION HERE is a TOTALLY ACCURATE EXPOSE OF KENNER, MARCHESSAULT, HERRARA AND CUNNINGHAM!
PERKINS cont.: I was - - I was really disheartened to read some of the things that our media - - local media had said about this case. When I read about those, they were provided to me by Al.
I just basically feel that - - that NO ONE THAT I KNOW HAS BEEN ANY MORE HARD WORKING OR HONEST IN ALL OF HIS DEALINGS THAT MY FAMILY OR I KNOW ABOUT.I FEEL THAT DISHONESTY IS INCONSISTENT WITH AL'S LIFE AND THAT HARD WORK,'PIONEERING' AND 'CHARITY' ARE CONSISTENT WITH HIS LIFE.I guess in summary what I would say is, you know, IF THERE'S AN ABSENCE OF A THREAT TO PEOPLE HERE AND IN THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE THAT HE'S DEALT WITH, I JUST WOULD ASK FOR THE UTMOST LENIENCY FOR HIM.COMMENT: THE REAL "THREAT TO SOCIETY' was the Prosecution and CUNNINGHAM for incarcerating a man whose organization was contributing approximately $12M per year to the government! They are the persons who should be serving time!
PERKINS cont.: That's all I have to say."
*****
Following is HYPOTHETICAL TESTIMONY of "THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN" with testimony of Al Perkins.
COMMENT: Now, compare the questions, and "attitude" of what SMITH should have asked to establish the credentials and credibility of AL PERKINS following 'actual transcript' of SMITH'S questioning.
SMITH: "WHERE DO YOU RESIDE?"
PERKINS: "NASHVILLE, TENN."
SMITH: "DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS TO COME HERE?"
PERKINS: "YES, FOR ONE THING, I HAD TO RE-ARRANGE A EUROPEAN MUSICAL TOUR."
SMITH: "WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO MAKE THESE SACRIFICES?"
PERKINS: "IT'S THE LEAST I COULD DO FOR AL PETTY."
SMITH: "WHAT IS YOUR AGE?"
PERKINS: "59 years."
SMITH: "DURING WHAT PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE HAVE YOU KNOWN MR. PETTY?"
PERKINS: "EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST NINE YEARS OF MY LIFE, I HAVE KNOWN AL PETTY ALL OF MY LIFE".
SMITH: "HAS KNOWING AL PETTY INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE?"
PERKINS: "YES."
SMITH: "CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT?"
PERKINS: "I HAVE BEEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ALL OF MY LIFE. AL PETTY NOT ONLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO PLAY, HE ALSO TAUGHT ME THE PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING. WHEN I WAS 9 YEARS OLD, HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO PUT ME ON STAGE. AL PETTY WAS ALSO THE FIRST PERSON TO PUT ME ON TELEVISION! WHEN TV CAME TO WEST TEXAS IN 1953, AL PETTY HAD A WEEKLY T.V. SHOW AND HE PUT ME ON HIS SHOW WITH HIM. THEN, IN 1955, AFTER HE MOVED TO CALIFORNIA IN 1954, AT THE AGE OF 11 YEARS I FOLLOWED HIM THERE TO CONTINUE LEARNING. WHILE I WAS IN CALIFORNIA HE ALSO FEATURED ME ON A POPULAR TV SHOW WITH THE BAND THAT HE WAS PLAYING WITH, THE "WESTERN CARAVAN".
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE THE THINGS HE TAUGHT ME, AND THE EXAMPLE HE SET FOR ME TO GREAT ADVANTAGE."
SMITH: "THAT WAS ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO. SINCE THEN HAVE YOU BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS? LIKE, HAVE YOU WORKED WITH SOME OF THE STARS THAT WE MIGHT KNOW?"
PERKINS: "YES, I WORKED IN THE HOLLYWOOD AREA FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS A STUDIO MUSICIAN. I ALSO WAS A RECORD PRODUCER AND ARRANGER FOR A CHRISTIAN RECORD COMPANY. ONE OF THE ARTISTS I PRODUCED THERE WAS THE FELLOW WHO HAD THE HIT, 'HE'S ALIVE', DON FRANCISCO. DURING THAT TIME I ALSO RECORDED WITH THE "EAGLES" AND OTHERS LIKE "CROSBY-STILLS & NASH". THEN, AFTER MOVING TO NASHVILLE I'VE RECORDED WITH MANY ARTISTS, LIKE DOLLY PARTON AND EMYLOU HARRIS. I'M CURRENTLY WORKING FOR, AND TOURING WITH, EMYLOU'S BAND."
SMITH: "IN FURTHER ESTABLISHING YOUR CREDIBILITY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH AL PETTY, DO YOU HAVE ANY C.D.'S OR ALBUMS OUT ON YOUR OWN?"
PERKINS: "YES, I HAVE SEVERAL. IN FACT I BROUGHT A COPY OF A CD THAT WILL BE RELEASED SOON WITH ME. IT'S KIND OF A "LIFE-STORY-COMPILATION" OF MY CAREER. THE VERY FIRST TUNE ON THAT CD IS A RECORDING OF ME WHEN I PLAYED WITH AL PETTY AT 11 YEARS OF AGE ON THE TV SHOW WHEN I WENT TO CALIFORNIA TO CONTINUE TAKING LESSONS FROM HIM."
SMITH: "IF THE COURT PLEASE, ARE WE SET UP SO THAT WE CAN PLAY THAT CD FOR THE COURT AND VERIFY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?"
PERKINS: "YES, AND I'D BE GLAD TO PLAY IT FOR YOU".
SMITH: "YOUR HONOR, IS THAT OK WITH THE COURT?"
HANNAH: "HOW LONG IS THE TUNE?"
PERKINS: "ABOUT 2 1/2 MINUTES, IT IS A TUNE AL PETTY TAUGHT ME."
HANNAH: "O.K., GO AHEAD AND PLAY IT". (RECORDING IS PLAYED)
SMITH: "THAT WAS ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO, RIGHT?"
PERKINS: "YES, SIR."
SMITH: "I BELIEVE THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A LETTER WITH YOU THAT YOU WROTE RECENTLY TO MR. PETTY THAT RELATES TO THIS CASE?"
PERKINS: "YES."
SMITH: "WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THAT TO THE COURT?"
PERKINS: "I'LL BE GLAD TO".
(READS LETTER AS HE DID AT HEARING.)
SMITH: (CLOSING) "CAN YOU THINK OF ANY REASON THAT AL PETTY WOULD BE A 'MENACE TO SOCIETY' WHEN HE IS RELEASED FROM PRISON?"
PERKINS: "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" TO THE CONTRARY, ACCORDING TO MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH AL PETTY FOR 50 YEARS NOW, AND ACCORDING TO EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS, I CERTAINLY CONSIDER HIM TO BE AN ASSET, AND A BENEFIT TO EVERYONE WHO'S LIFE HE TOUCHES, AND HE HAS PROVEN THAT - THAT HE IS CAPABLE OF ENHANCING THE LIVES OF MANY PERSONS, POSSIBLY MILLIONS."
SMITH: "THANK YOU, MR. PERKINS."
