æt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv nˈaɪn hiː ɹˈæn ɐwˈeɪ fɹʌmðə fˈɑːstɚ hˈoʊm ɪn flˈɔɪd kˈaʊnti ænd wˈɜːkt ðə “pˈʊʃ bˈoʊts” ɔnðə bˈɪɡ sˈændi ɹˈɪvɚ.
At the age of nine he ran away from the foster home in Floyd County and worked the “push boats” on the Big Sandy River.