Former senator comes to town for Exile, grandchildren
There was at least one national political celebrity in the crowd when the group Exile held its reunion concert at the Kentucky Theatre on June 19.
Trent Lott, the 66-year-old Mississippi native who served as both Senate majority leader and Senate minority leader during a 35-year congressional career, is a long-time Exile fan.
“The whole family came,” said his son, Chet Lott, who lives in Bourbon County. Exile leader “J.P. Pennington is a close friend of mine. We actually co-write music together.”
Both Lotts are musical. Trent Lott belonged to a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators and Chet Lott sings, writes music and has produced two CDs with Pennington. One brought in more than $125,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief in the Lott family’s hometown of Pascagoula, Miss.
“My parents were considering coming down (to Kentucky) and I said ‘You ought to come down for the Exile reunion’ and so they flew in and we went to the show and it was awesome. They (Exile) sounded better than ever.”
As Pennington was leaving the stage to sign autographs, Trent Lott jokingly offered Exile his help. “On that one song where you sang a cappella, you needed a base singer,” he told Pennington. “I could have stepped right in.”
Lott left the Senate in December and formed a lobbying firm with former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux. Chet Lott, a veteran lobbyist, and John Breaux Jr. are also members of the Washington, D.C., firm.
When it comes to getting his dad to Kentucky, Chet Lott said he has two special lures: His children, Trent Lott III and Lucie.
“They come to Kentucky quite often to see them,” he said.
