Goo Goo Cluster

He was huge, and he sold candy.

His name was D. C. Lovelace, and he was the father of my friend David. The Lovelaces lived on our street—Skyview Drive in East Nashville—down a dip and past the dog who barked his head off whenever we pedaled by.

D. C. was well over six feet tall, and his booming voice echoed around any room he occupied. Frankly, he scared me. But I couldn’t resist the candy.

Who would have thought that Nashville was famous for its sweets? There was Leon’s Candy, founded by a Greek gentleman in 1888 to make pecan pralines; Bang Candy, started years later by an apparently rowdier guy; and, in 1912, the famous Goo Goo Cluster, the first combination candy bar in the United States, invented initially by the Standard Candy Company, whose name was later changed to the Goo Goo Chocolate Company.

Today I’m unable to remember which candy company Mr. Lovelace worked for. What I remember was the movie theaters. You see, one of his regular routes took him to theaters across Nashville, delivering candy. And every once in a while he took David and me with him.

In those days, the nicest theaters, like the elegant and nearly identical Belle Meade and Melrose, had what was called a party room, unheard of today. It was a soundproof space above the balcony, where loud birthday celebrations could be held without bothering the audience. If there was no party when we went, Mr. Lovelace would take us up to the room where, for no charge, we could eat candy and make noise to our hearts’ content.

D. C. owned a motorboat, which he enjoyed steering along the Cumberland River. Sometimes I’d be invited to keep David company, grabbing handfuls of candy as we observed the riverbanks.   

My most memorable trip took place with David and his father after our family had moved to California. We had driven to Nashville for a visit with my grandparents, and I had been dropped off at David’s house for the afternoon. I had promised to guide Mr. Lovelace back across town afterward. 

At the end of the day, David, Mr. Lovelace, and I climbed into their truck and started the journey. We crossed the river, with David and me chattering away. When we looked up, I was surprised that I didn’t recognize any of the landmarks.   

“Well, is this the right way?” asked Mr. Lovelace.  

I whimpered, “I think so.”   

He shot me a look that could melt lasers, or, since they hadn’t been invented yet, possibly Snickers Bars. 

“YA THINK SO??!” he roared.   

I sat up straight, desperately scanning the street for familiar markers. 

I’m not sure what would have happened if we truly had been lost. Thankfully we weren’t. I recognized some familiar streets, and soon we were safe and sound, back at my grandparents’ house.   

As the truck drove off, I could have sworn I saw smoke pouring from Mr. Lovelace’s ears. It scared me for a while, but I felt better a moment later when I reached into my pocket and found a Goo Goo Cluster.