The "supoilative" florist

If you've lived in or near Nashville any time during the last 30 years, you've undoubtedly heard a grandfatherly voice on the radio talking about Emma's Flowers: the "supoilative" florist. This instantly recognizable tag line was created – and spoken – by advertising professional Edward M. Stratton. Ed died this week at age 101.

A Nashville native, Ed started his advertising career in ad sales at the Tennessean newspaper in 1935 after graduating from the University of Tennessee where he sang in the Glee Club and co-ed choruses. After four years away during WWII, Ed returned to the Tennessean. He then joined the ad sales staff at WSIX radio in 1948 and remained there for an astonishing 48 years.

He began the Merry Sounds advertising agency in 1976 and served as its president until his death. That is where he began his work for Emma's Flowers and created the now-locally-famous tag line "the superlative florist." Ed was approached over the years by countless other brands, agencies and radio stations nationwide to lend his voice to their messages. He rejected them all so that the Emma's campaign would be purely unique. That it was.

And so was Ed.

Cy Young

There is a phrase often tossed around that "there is always a Nashville connection." That goes for the business and entertainment worlds, of course, but also applies to sports. BOTH of this year's Cy Young Award winners have Nashville-area ties.

CY YOUNG
Denton True Young was born in Ohio just after the end of the Civil War and dropped out of school to work on the family farm. But the lure of baseball soon took him from handling crops to pitching baseballs. He learned his skill from his grandfather, who taught him to hunt by throwing rocks to kill birds and squirrels. That served him well when he was recruited by the Cleveland Spiders and pitched in his first professional baseball game in 1890. His teammates said he pitched like a cyclone, later shortened to his famous nickname Cy.

Cy Young pitched for 21 years in the major leagues and holds the record for most wins (511), most losses (316), most games started (815) and most consecutive scoreless innings pitched (25 1/3), among other records. After his death in 1956 at the age of 88, the Cy Young Award was created to annually recognize the best Major League Baseball pitcher. It is now given to the best pitcher each year in both the American and National leagues.

2012 WINNERS FROM NASHVILLE

 
R.A. Dickey, a right-handed pitcher for the National League New York Mets, grew up in Nashville and went to Montgomery Bell Academy, the private all-boys prep school on the west side of town, before starring on the University of Tennessee baseball team in college. He's best known as being the sole remaining knuckle ball pitcher in the Majors and is now the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young Award.

David Price, a left-hander for the American League Tampa Bay Rays, was born in nearby Murfreesboro and played for Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He was the AL's first draft pick in 2007 and came in second place for the Cy Young Award in 2010. His fastball consistently clocks in at nearly 100 mph. Apparently, the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, who vote and selects each year's winners, subconsciously waited until 2012 so both Cy Young winners were from Nashville!

Congrats to you both. Keep up the good work. Play ball!

- photo by Tim Evearitt