Joe Lopez: A Leon Payne Novel. This item is unavailable.Joe Lopez: A Leon Payne Novel

Joe Lopez is the story of an old Mexicano named José Villalobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez who loses his three sons to the Civil War: Thomaso at the Battle of Bull Run, Alfredo in Vicksburg, and Vincente in Gettysburg. To honor them, Joe carries each of their names. But Joe’s sorrow doesn’t end there. When he returns home, he finds that his home has been burned to the ground and his wife and grandson are missing. As the story continues, Joe avenges the misdeeds done to his wife and grandson and captures the deputy who, with the sheriff, hascome to bring him to justice.

Author Leon Payne takes the song “Joe Lopez” written and performed by his late father, Leon Payne, Sr., and brings it to life by drawing on per- sonalities from his past and setting the story in historic Texas locations and Civil War battlegrounds. A Western that is sure to delight Civil War buffs and cowboy aficionados alike.

Leon Roger Payne, Jr. was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on November 2, 1950. His father, Leon R. Payne, Sr., was an accomplished singer-songwriter who was inducted into The Nashville Songwrit- ers Foundation and Hall of Fame in 1970. His mother, Myrtie, was the inspiration for Leon Payne, Sr.’s first hit, “I Love You Because.” Leon’s passion for writing began when he was around ten years old. He recalls coming home from school one afternoon to have his father eagerly waiting to show him a song he had just written. The song was “Joe Lopez.” Leon visualized the story as he listened to his father and loved it from that moment on. Later, Leon translated his vision into words—a skill he developed from describing movie scenes to his par-ents who were both blind.