Joseph Algerine Odom (March 22, 1948 – November 2, 1991) was an American attorney who later became a musician. He came to prominence after his appearance as one of the main characters in

John Berendt John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book '' Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction, and '' The Ci ...

's 1994 true-crime book ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published on January 10, 1994, and follows the story of Jim Williams, an antiques dealer on trial for the killing of Danny Hansf ...

''.

Early life

Odom was born in

Claxton, Georgia Claxton is a city in Evans County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,602 in 2020. It is the county seat of Evans County. History The town had its visionary, W.R. Hendricks. In May 1890 there were only a couple of dwellings scattered ...

, in 1948, to Herman and Gwendolyn. He later moved to

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, where he was a "

ne'er-do-well "Ne'er-do-well" is a derogatory term for a good-for-nothing person; or a rogue, vagrant or vagabond without means of support. It is a contraction of the phrase ''never-do-well''. Colonial context The term ne'er-do-well was used in the ninetee ...

" attorney, based on West Broad Street. He became a proficient jazz pianist and a ballroom dancer.

''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil''

In John Berendt's 1994 book ''

'', Odom was portrayed as the love interest of Mandy Nichols; however, Nancy Hillis, upon whom Nichols was based, stated that there was no romantic relationship between her and Odom, who was "not strictly heterosexual." They performed music together only and owned a bar, Sweet Georgia Brown's, in Savannah's City Market. Odom was also friends with and a business partner of

Emma Kelly Emma Thompson Kelly (December 17, 1918 – January 17, 2001) was an American musician. Known as the "Lady of 6,000 Songs", she appeared in both John Berendt's 1994 book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' and its 1997 movie adaptation. ...

, dubbed by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

as the "lady of 6,000 songs", who also appears in the book."A return trip to Savannah in honor of 25th anniversary of 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'"
- ''

Palm Beach Daily News The ''Palm Beach Daily News'' is a newspaper serving the town of Palm Beach in Palm Beach County in South Florida. It is also known as "The Shiny Sheet" because of its heavy, slick newsprint stock. History The newspaper was founded in 1897 ...

'', March 23, 2019 Kelly and Odom opened Emma's, a piano bar in a former cotton warehouse on Savannah's River Street. It was forced to close after Odom squandered its takings. "He could do you wrong. And he did me wrong," Kelly said in 1997. "But I miss Joe. I get a little teary-eyed thinking about him. He had a flair for coming up with good ideas." Hillis said that, contrary to what Berendt wrote, she and Odom did not meet until Odom had moved from 16 East Jones Street in Savannah to 101 East Oglethorpe Avenue, a three-storey townhouse at the corner of Drayton Street. From there, he moved to 126 West Harris Street in Pulaski Square. During his time at today's Hamilton–Turner Inn, on Lafayette Square, Odom hosted tours of the property and, much to the chagrin of the square's residents, hosted loud parties at the home. "I saw Joe Odom playing the piano all the time," said Berendt in 2015. "I thought he was fascinating, charming, and so easygoing the way he just floated around town. Southern charm. I was very taken with him." Odom died three years before the book's release."MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF FACT AND FICTION"
- ''

Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiar ...

'', December 29, 1996 He was portrayed by

Paul Hipp Paul Hipp (born July 16, 1963) is an American actor, singer, songwriter and filmmaker. Early life Paul Hipp was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Warminster. After graduating high school, he moved to New York City performed guit ...

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

's 1997 movie adaptation. Hillis died in 2016, aged 67, after a five-year battle with

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

."Nancy Hillis, ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’s’ Mandy, passes away"
- ''

Savannah Morning News The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its Savannah metropolitan area, metropolitan ...

'', August 9, 2016 File:16 East Jones Street.jpg, One of Odom's former residences in Savannah, 16 East Jones Street File:John Hunter Duplex.jpg, He moved to 101 East Oglethorpe (right) shortly before meeting Nancy Hillis for the first time File:Theodosius Bartow House.jpg, His third home was 126 West Harris Street in Pulaski Square

Death

Odom died in 1991, from complications of

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. He was 43, and was living at the time in an apartment inside Savannah's Hamilton–Turner Inn, which Nancy Hillis purchased in 1991. He is buried in a family plot in Bull Creek Cemetery in his hometown of Claxton, beside his parents. After the death of her husband of 56 years, his mother was married to Aubrey Strickland until her death in 2013.

References

External links

Joseph Algerine Odom
at FindAGrave.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Odom, Joe 1948 births 1991 deaths People from Claxton, Georgia 21st-century American pianists AIDS-related deaths in Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American lawyers