Author: Publisher: Riverstone Group, LLC
ISBN: 9781734623567
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
C.E. Pullen's father, was Charles Eugene (Gene) Pullen, Sr., a sculptor whose works are on display at Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville, Georgia and The Little White House in Warm Springs. His mother, Lula Moncrief Reichert, a gifted musician, played the piano, guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Inheriting the talents of both parents, each encouraged the development of C.E.'s abilities. Some of his early years were spent in a community on the Georgia-Florida state line, known as "Hell's Half Acre." As a teenager, he lost his right eye to a failed prank. The accident left him unable to complete high school or enter the service in World War II. C.E. joined the Civil Service instead and entered a tool and die-maker apprenticeship at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Pullen never regarded himself as handicapped by the loss of his eye. In the 50s and 60s, he worked for Perkin Elmer Corporation. Named the company's number one Senior Model Maker, Pullen was the builder for projects in collaboration with MIT and NASA. Such specialized projects included a spectrometer launched in space for stellar analysis and prototypes for lunar LASER retroreflectors used for measuring distance precisely. Apollo astronauts permanently positioned the equipment on the Moon's surface to refine the scientific measurement from earth to the surface to an accuracy of +/- 3 inches. His musical career began as a child regularly playing banjo on the radio. Pullen's musical abilities allowed him to perform with many of the Grand Ole Opry greats. He became friends with numerous professional musicians, and for some was their preferred choice when repairs were required on their instruments. Pullen designed and built his one-of-a-kind banjo. He was a featured Georgian in Oglethorpe's Dream, published by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism in 2001. The Georgia Country Music Hall of Fame inducted C.E. Pullen in 2017.