Charlie Evans poses for a portrait inside his office at the First Presbyterian Church in Glasgow. Evans is the author of “Life Behind the Counter” — a story about his father Chuck Evans’ liquor business.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW — Charlie Evans went to law school at 27, became an ordained minister and is now a published author. He’s also the son of famed liquor store owner Chuck Evans.
Charlie set out to write a book about Chuck’s life, business, and the relationships he built with people across the area. “Life Behind the Counter” was published recently, and Charlie is slated to sign copies this weekend at the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library.
“Stories that came out of the liquor business were stories that I had thought had to be written down and shared,” Evans said.
Evans said the book is broken into three aspects — a biography of Chuck Evans, stories and recollections of time in the liquor business and a thematic relation to Chuck’s reconciliation with people toward the end of his life.
Opening a liquor store in 1971 required a lot of grit and consistency because many weren’t fond of the idea. Most areas around Bowling Green were “dry” during that time, and bootlegging was commonplace.
“You know, it was sort of stigmatized. These days it’s more mainstream,” Evans said. “But in those days, the liquor store was a place you might consider in the same breath as a bar or a strip club. You wouldn’t want to go in there.”
Charlie remembers wearing a coat to school bearing the logo of his father’s liquor business. It wasn’t exactly a source of pride, he said.
A part of Chuck’s business model was a dedication to stay creative and innovative. That’s why his business spread beyond the constraints of Bowling Green and Warren County.
“Every county has this group of stories. Monroe County has stories. Hart County has a group of stories. Edmonson County,” Evans said. “Metcalfe County, and of course, Warren County because Chuck’s Liquors was beyond Bowling Green. It was really a southcentral Kentucky phenomenon.”
Charlie said among the stories in his book are those attached to Glasgow and Barren County. Familiar names and places are found within it.
It took 18 months to begin and finish the book, he said. And it wasn’t always easy.
“I was excited to start it. Then I got tired of messing with it,” Evans said. “Because it takes time, right? I got busy, but then I got a second wind and finished it.”
Copies of “Life Behind the Counter” are $30 and will be available Saturday, Jan. 29 during a book signing event at the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library. It’s scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.
An eBook is available, too. The digital copy is $9.99.
For more information, visit charlieevans.org or email chucksreunion@yahoo.com.
