2017 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine

LIKE SON
Campbell proudly tells of his
son’s accomplishments as an
award winning florist and coowner
of The Garden District.
“Greg is at peace with
himself,” Campbell continued.
“He has been with his partner
for more than 20 years. Greg
has never been any kind of
problem.
What better words of pride
than praise:
“There is no way Greg
could be with anybody better
(referring to Greg Baudoin,
his partner); he is very kind &
nice. There is none better. He
is such a sweetheart.”
By the way, Campbell’s love
of the piano was never lost.
“I became involved with
the Methodist church in this
city,” he explained. “When I
first moved to Cooper-Young, I
got involved with the 8:30 am
Sunday service at Galloway
United Methodist Church.
“At one church service, they
needed someone to play piano
and lead the music. I picked
out some hymns and that
started it.
“I did music at the 8:30
service until Living Word
Community Church came over
and Galloway closed. I’ve been
playing keyboard and piano,
and singing, as part of the
music program there for going
on 11 years now.”
Campbell was even able to
share that love of music with
Russell Johnson, who he was
in a relationship with for more
than 30 years until Johnson’s
passing in 2012.
“One of my accomplishments
was to teach Russell Johnson
to sing,” Campbell said,
explaining that they worked
many hours to bring that
to pass.
Greg
Campbell
Tom Campbell’s only son,
Greg Campbell, has had a
close relationship with his dad
his whole life.
Born and raised in Memphis,
Greg went to the University
of Memphis for a short time
before deciding that wasn’t
the path for him.
“I went to the University
of Memphis but didn’t do
so well,” he explained. A job
as a delivery driver for The
Blossom Shop on Madison
Avenue led him to an area he
found he was quite good at:
floral design. Eventually he
was employed by John Hoover
Flowers.
“I apprenticed under
John Hoover,” Greg said,
explaining how he learned
the floral industry. “When he
passed away, me and some
other employees bought the
business and changed the
name to The Garden District.
I’ve been co-owner of The
Garden District going on 23
years.
“As far as I knew we had a
nuclear family,” Greg said of
his childhood. “Both of my
parents worked very hard. My
mother was an RN and worked
the night shift; my father
worked in the daytime. We
took family vacations.”
Greg found out about his
dad’s attraction to the same
sex when he was a teenager.
“I found out when they told
us they were separating,” Greg
explained. “I was 17 or 18 when
they told us (Greg and his
sister) they were separating.
“We all had things we
accepted as normal. My
mother has handled all this so
gracefully and with strength.
I remember being very
protective of my mom. I had
no idea until they told us they
were separating.
“He left,” Greg continued.
”We stayed with my mom.
He had an apartment (in
Memphis). He seemed to really
enjoy parts of his new life; like
setting up a new apartment.
It was hard for him to not be
around us. We went to his
place to see him.”
It took a few years for reality
to set in for Greg.
“I didn’t come to terms
with it until I was maybe 19
or later,” he said, telling of a
pivotal incident. “It was so
not traumatic. I was at the old
George’s a couple of years
later. (My dad) was there with
some friends. He came up
to me, hugged me, told me
Photo courtesy The Garden District
he loved me and he went his
way and I went my way. I was
a little embarrassed with my
friends around me but I don’t
remember it being a traumatic
experience.”
Greg has been with his life
partner, Greg Baudoin, going
on 27 years. By the way, the
couple is known as Greg C.
and Greg B.
“I don’t think we have any
issues that another hetero
couple would have.”
Greg noted how coming out
has eased during the decades.
“I hope the generations after
me have it easier than I did
growing up,” Greg concluded.
“A lot of things are out on
the table now. I didn’t know
what would be at George’s
but it was a safe place for gay
people. My father’s generation
didn’t even have it that easy.”
Joyful Noise/ NOV+DEC 2017 / focusmidsouth.com / Page 19