GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — Sumner County residents mourn the loss of a man they considered a “local legend.”

Baker Neal "Buzz" Black, who died at 74, was someone everybody in the county seemed to know. He was such a well-known and well-liked community figure, state lawmakers actually wrote a resolution a few years ago to acknowledge Buzz’s impact in Sumner County.

“Everybody knows Buzz Black," Sumner County DA and longtime friend of Black's, Ray Whitley, told News 2. "Buzz is probably the most well-known person in Sumner County."

Buzz was born and raised in Gallatin, but you could find him anywhere in Sumner County — boosted by his apparent love for hitchhiking

“It’s kind of an easy task to find anybody that has picked him up, at some point, hitchhiking,” Whitley said with a smile.

Whitley said he would especially miss the daily phone calls he’d receive from Buzz — typically from random numbers.

“He liked to call up on the telephone and sing songs to me,” Whitley said. “Everything from The Beatles to Otis Redding to ‘She’ll be comin' round the mountain.’"

According to locals, Buzz loved to surprise and engage with everyone. He was very politically active and, most famously, he memorized residents' phone numbers and birthdays.

“He brought a lot of joy and a lot of smiles," President and CEO of Gallatin's Chamber of Commerce, Kim Baker, said. "He cared deeply. He knew about you. He knew about your families."

Baker said Buzz would spend plenty of time in the office of the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Gallatin and always made himself comfortable. She had several stories about Buzz and their hilarious, heartfelt interactions. 

“We did introduce him to a lot of individuals, a lot of folks, as we serve as a welcome center [for those] visiting to our area," Baker said. "We always said, ‘This is Buzz. This is one of our local legends.’”

Baker said she always admired Buzz’s “unfiltered” and direct nature, adding that he always said what he wanted, but meant it in a loving, caring way.

“You talk about multi-generations knowing him. I mean my daughter — she’s almost 8 — she came to know him and understand him, and he truly gave the best hugs. Sometimes they were really sweaty because he had walked all over the county,” Baker said with a laugh.

One woman, a city of Gallatin employee, said that Buzz called her one day, asking if she had a 1973 yearbook for Westmoreland High School.  When she said she did, Buzz proceeded to walk from his home in the Westmoreland area all the way to her Hendersonville home.

That’s roughly a 30 mile walk.

"We're going to miss him," Whitley said. "I miss him already, and we're all going to grieve over Buzz."

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/baker-neal-buzz-black/