Wendy Would Be Proud

Just about everyone is familar with Wendy Bagwell's famous "Rattlesnakes" story. As you'll recall, it's about the time Wendy and the girls sang at a snake-handling church. Well, that wasn't the last time those slithering things have made their presence known where Southern Gospel Music is being performed.

Just ask Mark Bishop and Tim Surrett. And the Lewis Family.

Several years ago, back in the early 1970s, the Lewis Family was performing at a summer festival somewhere in Oklahoma. Set in a huge open field, the event featured dozens of artists and was attended by several thousand music lovers.

And one snake.

The Lewis Family was on stage and backstage were several other artists just sitting around waiting to go on and mingling with fans who came to get autographs. During the group's third or fourth song, Little Roy Lewis noticed something moving along the edge of the stage close to the monitors. Thinking he was just imagining things, he kept right on picking and singing.

Then it moved again. By this time, he knew exactly what was going on. But being the pro that he is, he kept on doing his thing. When the song ended, he leaned over to his sister Polly and said, "There's a snake on the stage."

And then launched into another song. He does have a very wide mischievous streak.

Well, Polly, Miggie and Janis were not going to let a little snake stop them - if for no other reason, just to show Little Roy that if he could stand there and sing, they could too. A little friendly family competition. The snake started moving across the front of the stage - completely out of view of the audience - and every member of the Lewis Family followed it with their eyes.

Little Roy says he's never been that still on stage before or after in his life.

The snake finally exited the stage - and went straight backstage where everyone else was sitting.

LIttle Roy said the audience never heard anything they were singing or playing because of all the screaming going on backstage.

And then there's Mark and Tim.

Mark and the Kingsmen had sang together on a program and as everyone started tearing down equipment, that's when the real fun began.

Mark was helping the Kingsmen roll up cords and cables when he noticed that one of the cords was moving - and it wasn't one he was pulling across the stage. Being the extra-smart fellow that he is, he yelled at Tim "Uh, Tim. Is that a snake?"

Before he could answer, the snake took off and headed straight toward...him.

Mark said, "Yep, it's a snake!"

Tim turned around and started to cut the snake off at the pass and Mark grabbed the top of an equipment case and threw it down on top of the snake.

Now, Mark's daughter is an expert softball player and can pitch a softball through a small open window at 75 feet.

Mark can't.

The case top landed right in front of the snake.

But it was enough to slow the snake down long enough for Mark to grab the case top again and slam it down on top of the snake.

Kinda. Well, about one fourth of the snake was under the case top.

By this time, other people had come over to see what all the uproar was about and started assisting our heroes. One man went to get a shovel or something that would either kill the snake or at least change it's mind about being on stage.

Seeing that there were many cables twisted up near the case top, Mark reached down and tried to pull out some of the cables so that snake situation could be handled. As he did so, the case top shifted.

It shifted just enough for the snake to get free.

And he had an attitude about the situation.

Just as Mark was moving his foot to put it down on top of the snake, the snake coiled up to let Mark and Tim know he was not happy at all.

Neither one of them are still exactly sure how they did it, but somehow Mark and Tim managed to trap the snake again until help could arrive.

Right there, at that moment, is when Tim looked at Mark and delivered this wisdom: "Wendy would be proud."