Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Over one million people know him as the Cornbread Cowboi across his social media following, but the Town of Williston still knows him as their own Orry Lee Kennedy.
A Williston-Elko alumnus and former Blue Devils football player, Kennedy grew up in the two-stoplight town. He spent his summers and off-seasons from sports picking watermelons and doing odd jobs around town as a teenager, learning life from the small town influences around him.
“Growing up in a place like Williston, you just think that’s how the world is,” said Kennedy. “The more I got away from my small town upbringing, the more I grasped onto those roots, and it kind of poured out through me in my comedy.”
A natural entertainer, Kennedy has always reveled in cracking jokes. He found it was easy to connect with others through laughter, because “when I’m around people, that’s just who I am,” he said.
The Cornbread Cowboi was born mid-pandemic as an extension of Kennedy’s humor and an outlet to connect with others. His natural proclivity to “entertain and bring people joy” is only exaggerated in his videos, he said.
In most of his content, you will find Kennedy exiting an old fashioned truck or walking to songs by outlaw country music artists like David Allen Coe, Hank Williams, or Merle Haggard.
Overlaid on the video is a caption highlighting various scenarios like “headin’ to the IGA and grabbin’ some Ruth’s pimento cheese and Neeses liver puddin’” or one of his many reunions with a fictional character named Linda.
Kennedy draws inspiration for the 1980’s style, dad-like persona from his upbringing in Williston; His former little league coaches, his grandfather’s friends at the Williston Hunting Club, and guys chatting over a cigarette, leaning on an old Chevy outside the gas station.
He uses his life experiences to breathe life into his content and model how small town life can look through humorous yet relatable scenarios. Reminiscing on cool fall evenings of high school football seasons, or rather drunken nights at the local pool hall, are some of the ways he connects with his audience.
Kennedy rarely speaks in his videos to ensure his regional accent does not prevent viewers in other parts of the country from relating to this trope of a ‘small town guy,’ and often makes content on the fly when an idea strikes.
While some of his videos may not be for a younger audience, he incorporates more wholesome content into his feed as well. This balance is not only representative of who he is as a person, but those he is inspired by.
Kennedy explained that while the men he grew up around knew how to have a good time on the weekend, they were dedicated to helping their neighbors and community, never missing a Sunday church service with their families.
He brings this small-town charm into each opportunity he is presented with, especially as they continue to grow alongside his career and follower count.
This includes Kennedy playing himself in the band Silverada’s music video for their song Wallflower. Kennedy is seen dancing, laughing, and being that exaggerated version of himself as The Cornbread Cowboi.
Kennedy will also be featured in an upcoming music video from Cody Webb, a country music singer from the Ridge Springs area who frequently performs in Barnwell County.
In addition to these appearances, The Cornbread Cowboi is making his grand debut on the big screen in the upcoming movie Stranglehold by actor and director Clark Duke.
The movie is deemed a ‘Southern-fried siege’ by entertainment outlets and centers on an exotic dancer and her veteran husband in Arkansas who decide to rob the gentlemen’s club where she is employed.
What began as only three lines in the heist movie grew into a full character after producers met Kennedy. They cast him as Dale, a frequent flier at the club.
Although he now lives in Cayce, Kennedy still regularly posts about his hometown – even filming videos on the Blue Devils football field joking about “showin’ up to my old high school where I won a state championship 27 years ago.”
With his growing career taking him across the country and providing new opportunities, he still carries Williston everywhere he goes.
“No matter what happens in life, Williston will always be a piece of me,” said Kennedy.
For anyone looking to step into content creation, Kennedy advises them to look for things they resonate with and grow your story through life experiences.
“Get out there and get life experience, and let it bleed out of you…no matter what it is,” said Kennedy.
He checked out college, he worked in jobs across various industries and fields, and makes it a point to talk to people he meets, using these experiences to help him do what he does today.
Kennedy urges the upcoming generation to find their path from what stands out to them in their own lives, to build their stories and use their experiences to fulfill their passions and find their niche.
As his career grows, Kennedy hopes to be able to give back to his hometown. He aspires to bring back Wonderful Williston Weekend, a festival where he holds many fond memories.
To check out The Cornbread Cowboi, find him on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or at https://cornbreadcountryclub.com.
