Gaylord Jackson Perry was born September 15th, 1938 in Williamstown, North Carolina to farmers Evan and Ruby Perry. Gaylord and his older brother, Jim, grew up plowing the fields of the family farm with a mule, yet Gaylord entertained dreams of being a cowboy or even a pro baseball player. Though their labor was needed, their father gave them as much free time as practical to learn and pursue their love of baseball; teaching them the game during lunch breaks and eventually all three starred on the Alpine Cowboys, a semi-pro team.
