Beloved local author Robert Hicks has passed away.
Known nationally as the New York Times best-selling author of Southern Widow, Hicks was known locally as a great storyteller and philanthropist, dedicated to the community in preserving the Battle of Franklin. Hicks’ novels brought national attention to the Franklin community and the cause of battlefield preservation.
Hicks lived in Williamson County, in the community of Bingham, in his home which he called “Labor in Vain”.
Hicks launched Battlefield Bourbon in 2015 with just 1,864 bottles released, the number that commemorates the year of the Battle of Franklin. Hicks also received the Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. He was also known for wearing seersucker from March to September, he even started an event in Franklin called Seriously Seersucker where all attendees wore seersucker.
In addition, he was an avid art collector, known as the first in Tennessee to make the list of the top 100 art and antique collectors in America with his collection of outsider art.
Hicks was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2018.
No update has yet been given on his funeral arrangements.
Many have taken to social media to share their stories of Robert Hicks and the impact he had on the community. Here are a few.
