Tabor City

OUR HISTORY

Teddy Bullard, a native of Tabor City NC, is a Christian singer/songwriter/musician currently living in Roseland. In the early 80’s, Teddy was first in a group called “Faith” in Tabor City that consisted of Chuck and Gary Rackley of Tabor City, Danny Long of Chadbourn, and Freddie Hinson of Whiteville. After that group disbanded, they reunited years later and wrote and recorded a song for Brunswick Electric called “Brunswick EMC and You” which became known as the Co-Op song and in 1987 this song won an “Addie Award” in the Wilmington area which is a prestigious honor in the advertising community. A video was created of that song. This same group of musicians wrote and recorded a song for the Strawberry Festival during that same time. These two songs were recorded and mixed under the direction of Elson Stephens at Southern Sound Studios which he owned. He was affectionately known in the community as “Major Elson Stephens” for his military career, and he was the grandfather of Representative Brenden Jones. Mr. Stephens was a pioneer of using local musicians to produce local music. He produced a lot of notable recording projects out of his studio in Tabor City and was a recording veteran.

Teddy sang with “Ocean Side” based in Socastee, SC with his friend Gary Osborne. “Sent Forth,” a contemporary Christian group that consisted of Kenny Carter from Loris, Buddy Clontz and Patrica Rhodes from Tabor City, is yet another group he was part of. He has been part of “The Staffsman Quartet” and “The Joy Rivers Trio” and performed solo in between. He is currently in a group called “The Royal Descendents,” founded by WJ Hardee of Loris.

Tedder Bullard’s talents allowed him to participate in the Grand Strand Passion Play for many years, and he also performed in Branson, MO at the Ice Castle Theater during the “Grand Old Gospel Hour.” He has performed and participated with the Tabor City Baptist Church and was in the musical “Two from Galilee” with Anne Jernigan and our own Town Councilman Sam Rogers.

I tell you all of this for a reason. A few weeks ago Teddy came by the Tabor City Visitor Center and brought me several CDs of a song he wrote and recorded called “Yam Town,” which echoes his heartfelt love of Tabor City and the community. He told me the story of how this song was written. Many years prior, Mrs. Judy Gore, who worked for BEMC, asked Teddy to write a song and perform at the NC Yam Festival Workers Appreciation breakfast. He put together a quick song. Years later, after his 50th High School Reunion back in 2023, he rekindled friendships and decided he was going to go back to the drawing board and add more verses to the song “Yam Town” as a gift to his graduating class and the community of Tabor City.

Chuck Rackley, Gary Rackley, Kenny Carter, Buddy Clontz and Teddy all came back together, and a video of “Yam Town” was created and is now on YouTube. Copies of the CD were given to Town Council at their meeting on October 14th, 2025.

After all these years of being in the limelight and spotlight, Teddy has a desire to remain in the background—hence why I am speaking on his behalf in this story about how the song “Yam Town” came to be. Teddy Bullard, in my opinion, is a celebrity of Tabor City along with the musicians that created this song. I have spoken with Teddy, and he gave the Town of Tabor City permission to add his video of the song “Yam Town” to the Town of Tabor City’s webpage. The Town of Tabor City hopes you enjoy this song and you too feel the heartfelt message and memories it brings to mind of Tabor City!