"Who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey?" seems like a simple question with an obvious answer – until you discover the truth that was hidden for more than 150 years.

When young orphan Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel arrived at Reverend Dan Call's farm in 1850s Tennessee, he became fascinated with the whiskey still on the property. But it wasn't the preacher who would teach Jack his craft. Instead, the reverend introduced Jack to Nathan "Nearest" Green, an enslaved man renowned throughout Lincoln County for his exceptional distilling skills.

Nearest specialized in a technique called sugar maple charcoal filtering – now known as the Lincoln County Process – which created an exceptionally smooth whiskey uniquely different from other American spirits. Under Nearest's mentorship, Jack learned every aspect of whiskey making, establishing a friendship that would last decades.

After the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, Jack purchased the distillery and immediately hired Nearest as his master distiller – making him the first African American to hold this title in United States history. Seven generations of Nearest's descendants would go on to work for Jack Daniel's, yet as the brand grew into a global phenomenon, Nearest's crucial contributions faded from official company history.

The truth remained buried until 2016, when a New York Times article finally brought Nearest's story into the spotlight. Author and entrepreneur Fawn Weaver became so captivated by this historical injustice that she dedicated a year to uncovering every detail of Nearest's life, gathering over 10,000 documents and eventually establishing Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey to honor his legacy.

Today, Nearest's great-great-granddaughter Victoria Eady Butler serves as master blender at the company bearing his name, which has become the fastest-growing independent American whiskey brand in history. The story of Nearest Green reminds us that behind many iconic American products lie forgotten innovators whose contributions deserve recognition. Take a sip of Tennessee whiskey and raise a glass to the man who perfected the process that makes it unique.

Love & Whiskey by Fawn Weaver

https://amzn.to/4kGk5YW

First Versions: Jack Daniels

https://www.firstversions.com/2015/08/jack-daniels.html

Why Master Distiller Nearest Green’s Story Must Be Told By Fawn Weaver

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/dining/jack-daniels-whiskey-nearis-green-slave.html

Uncle Nearest

https://unclenearest.com/

Uncle Nearest, Our Spirit Brand of the Year, Explores Whiskey’s Overlooked History | Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Wine Star Awards By Wine Enthusiast

https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/wine-star-awards/uncle-nearest-whiskey-spirit-year-wsa2020/?srsltid=AfmBOoosv7AGAPm4_TqgrlzIV7GIe4R

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Ever wonder what really happened behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz? The yellow brick road was paved with dangerous stunts, toxic makeup, and shocking studio practices that would never be allowed today.

From the moment we pull back the curtain on this 1939 classic, the horrors emerge. Buddy Ebsen, the original Tin Man, was hospitalized after aluminum dust makeup coated his lungs. His replacement wasn't even told why the actor he replaced had left! Margaret Hamilton, our beloved Wicked Witch, suffered severe burns when pyrotechnics ignited too early, leaving her with third-degree burns on her face and hands. The crew's first concern? Removing her toxic green makeup before it poisoned her through open wounds.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Judy Garland endured what can only be described as studio-sanctioned abuse. Her daily diet consisted of black coffee, cigarettes, and one bowl of chicken soup, supplemented with amphetamines to keep her energetic during filming and barbiturates to force sleep at night. This studio-mandated regimen contributed to her lifelong struggles with addiction.

The film cycled through four different directors, leaving noticeable continuity errors throughout. The famous "Over the Rainbow" song nearly didn't make the cut, saved only when a producer threatened to quit. Even the "snow" that falls on Dorothy and friends in the poppy field was made from chrysotile asbestos – a known carcinogen that actors breathed in while singing and dancing.

Despite all these production nightmares, The Wizard of Oz transformed from a box office disappointment into one of cinema's most treasured films. Listen as we journey through the troubled making of this classic, debunk longstanding myths, and reveal how this magical adventure came with a very real human cost.

Love movie history? Follow us for more behind-the-scenes stories from your favorite films and subscribe to catch our next nostalgic deep dive!

Harmetz, Aljean. The Making of The Wizard of Oz. (Referenced via Vanity Fair and TIME)

Vanity Fair – “The Wizard of Oz: Five Appalling On-Set Stories”vanityfair.comvanityfair.comvanityfair.comvanityfair.com

TIME – “Was The Wizard of Oz Cursed? The Truth Behind the Dark Stories”time.comtime.com

CBS News / Sun-Sentinel – Buddy Ebsen’s Tin Man recollectionsvanityfair.com

American Cinematographer – “Behind the Curtain: Wizard of Oz” (ASC)theasc.comtheasc.com

Columbia News – “Over the Rainbow: Story Behind the Song”news.columbia.edu

SlashFilm – “The Wizard of Oz Almost Premiered Without Its Signature Song”slashfilm.com

Biography.com – “Judy Garland’s Grueling Wizard of Oz Shoot”biography.combiography.com

Refinery29 – “Tragic Story of Judy Garland”refinery29.com

Oz Wiki (Fandom) – “Horse of a Different Color” entryoz.fandom.com

University of Turin study via Vanity Fair – Oz “Most Influential Film”vanityfair.comvanityfair.com

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A simple rock recording session in 1963 snowballed into one of the FBI's most bizarre investigations when The Kingsmen recorded "Louie Louie" in a single take with just $50 and one hour of studio time. The perfect storm of factors – a single ceiling microphone forcing singer Jack Ely to shout upward, his newly-installed braces slurring his pronunciation, and the chaotic one-take recording – made the lyrics virtually indecipherable.

When teenagers across America began filling in these unintelligible gaps with their imaginations, passing around handwritten sheets of supposed "dirty lyrics," moral panic ensued. Outraged parents wrote to Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Indiana's governor publicly denounced the song, and J. Edgar Hoover himself authorized a full-scale FBI investigation into whether the band had violated federal obscenity laws.

What followed was a staggering 31-month government investigation involving six FBI field offices across the country. Agents played the record at every conceivable speed, scrutinized the production process, and interviewed everyone from the original songwriter to band members – though bizarrely, they never questioned the actual vocalist. After exhausting all leads, the FBI quietly closed the case in October 1966, concluding the lyrics remained "unintelligible at any speed."

The greatest irony? While investigators found no evidence of the imagined obscenities, they completely missed an actual expletive around the 54-second mark when the drummer dropped his stick. The controversy only fueled the song's popularity, as teenagers were drawn to what they believed was forbidden material.

This episode of History Buffoons reveals how moral panics can trigger absurd governmental overreactions, how innocuous cultural artifacts become lightning rods for societal anxieties, and how easily resources can be wasted chasing imaginary threats. Have you experienced similar moral panics in your lifetime? Share your thoughts with us on social media @HistoryBuffoonsPodcast or email us at historybuffoonspodcast@gmail.com.

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This website contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of this website and allows me to continue providing valuable content. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I believe in and have personally used or researched.