A local father, husband and Grammy-winning gospel singer can now add Mule Day Parade Grand Marshal to his accolades.
“I was a bit surprised when we got a phone call wanting (me) to consider it. Naomi Judd’s a big deal.” Guy Penrod said, referring to Judd’s tenure as the 2010 marshal. “I’m just little old me.”
He is currently touring the country to promote his sophomore album, “Hymns.” His solo career, which focuses on blurring the lines between gospel and country music, began when he retired from the Grammy Award-winning Gaither Vocal Band in 2009 after 14 years.
Penrod said he’s honored by the invitation. To the singer, Mule Day is just part of what makes Maury County so appealing for him and his family, who have lived in the area for nearly 16 years after moving from Williamson County.
“My wife and I just loved the topography in this part of Middle Tennessee, and we were both raised in small working towns,” he said. “I like the feel of a small working man’s town. It’s real comfortable to me.”
Penrod and his wife, Angie, and their children, seven sons and a daughter with ages ranging from 20 to 6, reside in a log cabin nestled somewhere between Mt. Pleasant and Culleoka. Some of their fondest family memories are from Mule Day past. The boys usually place second or third in the Liars’ Contest at Columbia Central High School.
Penrod keeps a photo of Angie, who is 6-foot 3-inches, perching on — and being dwarfed by — a gigantic longhorn display. Their seventh son, Zach, attended his first Mule Day just two weeks after being born. The eldest boys, active members of local Boy Scout Troop 111, volunteer each year by taking tickets, working gates and cleaning up after events.
And of course, Penrod fondly recalls feasting on funnel cakes.
“It’s wholesome, small town,” Penrod said about Mule Day. “I like that they’ve been very conscientious to keep it a real family-oriented event.
“I applaud their willingness to keep faith as a part of it,” he continued. “There’s usually some gospel music going on a stage along with country music and bluegrass. I think it’s a beautiful environment.”
Being Grand Marshal meant so much to Penrod that he rescheduled a concert that coincided with the parade. He said he will perform in Ohio on March 29, Kentucky on March 30 and plans to drive through the night to “get here early enough to jump on that float Saturday morning.”
On Mule Day, Penrod is scheduled to attend a 9:30 a.m. reception at Columbia Academy before boarding the first wagon in the parade procession. His family will ride in the third wagon, and the Mule Day Queen and her court will be in the second.
