▁tall ▁boy , ▁att ending ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁nearby ▁E zel , ▁where ▁he ▁wrote ▁poetry ▁– ▁his ▁friends ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁con verse ▁in ▁rh yme . ▁At ▁ 1 5 , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁poem ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper . ▁He ▁en rolled ▁in ▁Haz el ▁Green ▁Academy ▁in ▁Wol fe ▁County , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁joined ▁several ▁professional ▁writing ▁associations ▁including ▁the ▁Po etry ▁Society ▁of ▁America . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁ ▁height , ▁G ille y ▁played ▁basketball ▁in ▁high ▁school . ▁He ▁was ▁listed ▁under ▁" H on or able ▁M ention " ▁on ▁the ▁All - State ▁Basketball ▁Squad ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁G ille y ▁also ▁played ▁basketball ▁for ▁More head ▁State ▁College , ▁and ▁he ▁wrote ▁for ▁the ▁student ▁publications ▁In k pot ▁and ▁The ▁Tra il ▁Bla zer . ▁ ▁Prom oter ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁G ille y ▁began ▁prom oting ▁bl u egr ass ▁and ▁country ▁music ▁acts , ▁starting ▁with ▁a ▁performance ▁by ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Brothers ▁in ▁Cam pton . ▁G ille y ▁apparently ▁sold ▁them ▁his ▁song ▁" A ▁F allen ▁Star " ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁recorded ▁by ▁Jim ▁Re e ves , ▁Con way ▁Tw itt y ▁and ▁Bill ▁Mon roe , ▁though ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁cred ited ▁to ▁James ▁Jo iner . ▁The ▁efforts ▁of ▁Paul ▁G ille y