On the next A List I get to sit down and talk one-on-one with Jack Perkins. I know many viewers out there have had the same question about this upcoming interview – Who is Jack Perkins? So, let me give you just a brief introduction to this man of many talents. Jack is a 50-year veteran as a journalist, as well as a renowned poet, photographer and author. As a longtime American reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman he was dubbed, “America's most literate correspondent” by the Associated Press. Jack has appeared on NBC Nightly News and The Today Show, and on A&E as host of Biography. He currently hosts A Gulf Coast Journal, a weekly magazine show, which airs on Tampa, Florida, PBS affiliate WEDU-TV. He also hosts and narrates special programs for our own WTCI.

Now, if you already happened to know most of that, I will let you in on something that might surprise you – Jack and his lovely wife, Mary Jo, have a beautiful cabin in historic Ellijay, Georgia, just a two-hour drive from Chattanooga. (Two and a half hours if you take the scenic route with your crew!) I got the rare opportunity to sit down with Jack to discuss his professional history and personal life. And it was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking to interview a man who has spent his entire career interviewing others. But thanks to a great crew and some fresh-brewed coffee from Mary Jo, it turned out to be an incredible experience for both of us.

So, even if you didn’t know Jack before, I can assure you that after the next A List, you definitely will! See you Thursday night, at 8:30 p.m.