I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the fields of Eufaula, Okla.   1  the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He gave me a cent for every nail I   2  out of old boards.

I got my first   3  job, at JM’s Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities were   4  tables and washing dishes,   5  sometimes I helped cook.