You wait for the curtain to open, standing still as a statue, listening for the names to be called.
As the tension builds, time seems to come to a halt. In the back of your mind, you think, “What if it’s me?” But unconsciously, you also prepare yourself for disappointment.
The curtains open, and you know this is it. The fourth alternate is called, then the third, the second — there’s still a chance it could be you.
“And this year’s Miss Peach is…”
Every year at the Chilton County Peach Pageant, Al Headley’s voice is what everyone hears as they wait for the announcement of who will be next to wear the coveted crown.
Headley has served as emcee of the pageant since 1972, with the exception of two years when he was Peach Pageant chairman. During those two years, the position was filled by TV personality Cousin Cliff and radio personalities Patty and The Doc, respectively.
In nearly 40 years, Headley has become a mainstay of the pageant and of the Chilton County Peach Festival.
“I was nervous the first time I got up there,” Headley admitted. “It was really the first time I was in front of people. It got better and better every year.”
Headley already had an audience as a morning host for local radio station WKLF-AM WEZZ-FM (now WHPH). He also did play-by-play broadcasting for local high school athletic events. He left the station in 1990 to work with Wadsworth Oil, where he is currently a supervisor.
“As a kid I wanted to be a musician,” Headley said.
But listening to Joe Rumore on WVOK and the old WLS out of Chicago sparked other aspirations in Headley.
“Listening to those guys, I thought, ‘Well, that’s a cool thing to do,’” he said.
After graduating from Chilton County High in 1968, he went on to attend the Atlanta School of Broadcasting.
About a year into Headley’s radio career, Ken Messer of the Clanton Jaycees asked him to emcee the pageant.
In the early days, Headley would have to simultaneously emcee and broadcast the pageant.
After making an announcement on stage to those in attendance, he would then step aside and make the same announcement to his radio listeners — an entirely different kind of audience since they could not see what was going on.
Of course, things change. The pageant used to be held on one night, lasting from 7 p.m. until about 1 a.m. Now, it is held over four different nights and comprises four age categories: Little Miss Peach, Young Miss Peach, Junior Miss Peach and Miss Peach.
After the Jaycees disbanded, the Clanton Lions Club took over the pageant and continues to sponsor it each year.
Headley said that while the event has grown, it has become more organized.
“Everything just runs a lot smoother,” he said, crediting the crew backstage and everyone who volunteers their time and effort. “The judging is more sophisticated. It’s more like a stage pageant or even a national pageant. It’s much better and more fair.”
Emceeing the event has made for some memorable moments, and you could say the contestants have become like family for Headley. For example, the daughters of former contestants grow up to follow in their mothers’ footsteps.
“They took it serous back then, but it has gotten more competitive,” Headley said.
Although it has never happened, Headley admitted his greatest fear is announcing the wrong winner. He also fears losing his place or mispronouncing a name. But he does his homework.
“He’s the type person who takes charge,” said Peach Festival Committee chairman and Clanton Lions Club member Tom Brown. “He’s been doing it for years, and he does an outstanding job.”
Headley and his wife, Bobbi, live in Clanton and have two daughters.