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It started with a simple, "Jeanne,
can't you just get out there and
be funny? Kill some time for
us?" Goaded on by her sisters
and fellow pageant contestants,
a reluctant Jeanne Robertson
picked up a ukulele and played
a humorous, original song that
not only won her a local title,
but also catapulted her on to
win Miss North Carolina in
1963. en only a year later she
found herself onstage competing
in the big show itself, Miss
America, where she was awarded
Miss Congeniality.
And so it began, albeit quite
unintentionally, and by the age
of 20 Jeanne had given over
500 speeches to people around
the country. Afterwards she
returned to college in order to
complete her degree, but the
allure of public speaking was too
much to resist and it wasn't long
before she was back in front of
an audience.
Although Jeanne's path to
success is clear, her real talent has
been discovering the secret to
relatability through mass media.
Her tales of her grandson and
stories of hometown sporting
events, peppered with extended
syllables, are told in the
undeniably identifiable warm
southern drawl of a North
Carolina native. rough
YouTube, social media and
SiriusXM, this grandma has gone
viral with stories that listeners
relate to their own lives, homes
and families.
In true Jeanne fashion, even her
challenges present opportunities
for humor. Having recovered
from a femur break in 2015
that caused a slew of cancelled
engagements, Jeanne has simply
mined the experience for new
material. Expect to see her sitting
in a Cracker Barrel rocking chair
for part of the show!
Now 73 and a grandma gone
viral, Jeanne is still absolutely the
person you'd want to get stuck
talking to at a family reunion.
S E E J E A N N E R O B E R T S O N O N F E B R UA R Y 3 I N D E L L H A L L.
