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Kaplan names street for hometown boy Sammy Kershaw

Posted at 12:33 PM, May 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-06 18:41:34-04

Today is Sammy Kershaw Day in the city of Kaplan.

But even better than that, the country music artist and erstwhile politician saw the street he grew up on renamed as Sammy Kershaw Drive.

“Today was something,” Kershaw said after the ceremony. “I had some big big dreams when I was a kid. One was to have a hit record and to have a tour bus. And I just knew i would have that. But never in my life have I ever thought about a street being renamed for me, especially the street I grew up on, where I lived as a boy.”

Mike Kloesel, mayor of the Vermilion Parish city, said several citizens approached him about naming a street after Kershaw. He talked it over with the council, and they all decided it was a great idea, he said.

“It’s just a total surprise,” Kershaw said. “I never expected it, but to me it’s got to be one of the biggest honors your hometown can do for you. For your hometown to do something like that for you, it doesn’t happen too often.”

Kershaw has released 16 studio albums, three of them platinum and two gold. More than 25 of his songs have made the Billboard’s country Top 40, including “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,”which reached Number 1, and 10 others that made the top 10: “Cadillac Style“, “Anywhere but Here“, “Haunted Heart“, “Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer“, “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore“, “National Working Woman’s Holiday“, “Third Rate Romance“, “Meant to Be“, “Vidalia“, and “Love of My Life“.

Kershaw has twice dipped his toes into Louisiana politics, running for lieutenant governor in 2007 and again in 2010. The first time he came in third in the primary, but Mitch Landrieu won the election. Then in 2010 he carried the most parishes in the primary but came in third again. He threw his support to Jay Darenne, who won.

To read more about Kershaw and see his upcoming tour dates, visit his website by clicking here.

“It’s been second street forever, and now it’s Sammy Kershaw Drive,” Kershaw said. “It’s crazy, man, it’s just crazy.”