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So with all this hullabaloo over the The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia premiering on the west coast this Saturday, June 27th, at the LA Film Festival, we’re happy as heck to introduce you to Storm Taylor. Not only was he directly involved with the filming and production of the documentary, but he’s a longtime friend of Johnny Knoxville’s from Tennessee. Until now I’ve never really had any personal interaction with Storm, but after talking to Knoxville I was able to learn a bit more about him and his life—maybe even a ‘coon’s hair more than I really needed to know. Dude, a white Cabriolet? Now that’s hardcore.

Who the hell are you, how old are you, and where are you from?

My name is Robert Rhea Taylor II, known by most, and most of my life, as Storm. I am the Producer and Assistant Director for The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. I was born in Maryville, TN, in ‘67. I moved to the big city of Knoxville, TN, to go to school, but have since returned to the foothills of Maryville to raise my family.

What’s your relation to the Whites?

Good Lord. Well, we all have that list of people that we think it would be cool to meet: Johnny Cash, Evel Knievel, Ashley Judd, etc. It just so happens that Jesco White was high on my list. About five or six years ago, I did some research and eventually found his number. I called him up and told him that I wanted to come visit. We ended up going to visit for the weekend and working on his trailer. We insulated it, underpinned it, painted it, built a “dencing” deck. It was a really cool weekend. I continued to follow up and travel some with Jesco, and have since grown to view them as family—like cousins twice removed on my uncle’s side by marriage.

What was the most awkward time you can remember shooting on The Wild Whites? In other words, how many times was your life threatened in the process of filming?

Keep in mind that the Whites live very dramatic lives. And when things get boring, they like to make it exciting. There were several really, really awkward moments. The best “I’m over this shit” moment was about 3:00am in the morning at the motel. I had just dealt with my second set of cops trying to find Sue Bob White. Her boyfriend Rick was pissed that we went bowling without him and turned her in for child abandonment. So of course they come wake my ass up. After that was straightened out, I received a message on my phone from Minnesota saying, “I’ve got a film idea for you: How about you film me killing your bald-headed ass?” For a documentary, I thought this was a really bad idea. It turned out to be “Littleman” White, Jesco’s nephew. We eventually flew up to Minnesota to visit him and have since become pretty good friends.

One night at a bar a big dude greeted my face at the door with “I’m the biggest, baddest motherfucker in this town.” After wiping the spit out of my face, I said, “Do you really want to fight…or drink.” Thank God he chose to drink. Once there was a misunderstanding with Jesco. He got pissed and proceeded to get word back to me that there was a “ball bat with my name on it.” Meanwhile, he threw all the Christmas presents out into the hallway of the apartment building. There were two other occasions where my life was threatened and once a lady told me “Your prayers aren’t worth shit.”

In the documentary certain members of the White family are shown snorting pain pills. What’s your own personal experience with snorting pain pills?

I never did anything like that with them. Not only did I not want to, but it was a fine line of keeping my head together around them. Keep in mind most people in the area like to crush their pills—even their prescribed medication. I did, however, want to introduce them to the Stevie Nicks’ method of having it blown through a straw rectally. I had become so visually numb to the snorting I felt that this might shake things up a bit.

Is it true that you were the first metrosexual in Knoxville, Tennessee?

Fuck you, Sean. Back in the day we called it “cool ass slick.”

In the 80s, Johnny Knoxville recorded a karaoke version of Wham!’s “Everything She Wants” with a friend who sounded like a full-blown r-word. You weren’t that friend, were you?

First off, I only knew the words to one Wham! song and it wasn’t “Everything She Wants.” Secondly, I know the ‘N’ word, but what is the ‘R’ word? Wait … I got it. Yep, I guess that it could have been me.

What was Knoxville like back then before he moved out to the big city called LA? Did he drive a cute, white convertible VW Cabriolet like you did?

Fuck you, Sean, it wasn’t just a “white” Cabriolet it was triple white: white car, white top, white rims. For the record, I have never used the word Cabriolet. Back in ‘86, I read a Road & Track article that said the VW Cabriolet was “the car you most wanted your girlfriend to drive.” I was pissed, but my cunning hellbilly ass used it to my advantage. If girls like it, then that meant girls would like “cruising” in it. Don’t think that I didn’t cruise every shopping center in a 30-mile radius pumping out Al B Sure, Ratt, and 2 Live Crew. Actually, “Knoxville” had a Suzuki Samurai. We actually drove that fucking thing to New York for New Year’s Eve at 45mph the whole way. I actually bought a Samurai as well, but I dropped a Chevy small block in it and put on some 31″ tires on it. I also painted it orange and red like a Tequila Sunrise. God… maybe I was like a hick metrosexual or something. How could I listen to Waylon and Willie while also doing such stupid shit?

Knoxville was cool. He was living his life as if he were a cast member on 21 Jump Street, and I must have thought that I was a member of Duran Duran or something. We actually went 62 days of getting drunk without holding a job. We begged, borrowed, and at one point I actually used a credit card that the numbers were ‘ironed’ flat (this kept them from appearing on the old carbon copy type credit press machines). We hung out with a crew of guys that loved to fight—LOVED to fight. We, somehow, actually got messed up in most of the brawls. One time, Knoxville and I threw a frat boy into a phone booth, hit him a few times, then ran off to the bar. We actually used to go out with two sets of clothes: one for fighting, one for after the fight. God we were stupid.

What was one of your more memorable experiences while traveling with Knoxville and the jackass cast following the release of jackass the movie overseas?

Dude…that was really an amazing thing. Several experiences stand out:

1. We were goofing off in the limo. We were going through the radio stations when it came on some slow Phil Collins. We were all singing it really loud when all of a sudden the doors opened at our stop. Yep, we “rolled out” to Phil Collins. Sad.

2. Dave England passed out in the lobby of the hotel. We proceeded to dissect his clothing like a 6th grade earthworm science project. We (me and Tremaine) managed to cut off his pants while leaving his belt intact. The next morning, the concierge said, “Mr Taylor, your car is ready and please remove your friend from the lobby.” It appears that we had left him there overnight, naked with a belt.

3. Having a drink with Bono at some nightclub in Ireland at about 3:00am. Chance meeting, very cool.

4. Hearing the silverware drop at Tavern On The Green as Pontius told stories that would make a sailor blush. This place was so posh and Chris was dropping words like “anal” out every breath. There were several guys on dates, they were appalled and their dates were over having their pictures made with us. Funny.

Talk about starting up your own television production and show in Knoxville, how easy is that to do?

There is a lot of production coming out of Knoxville, so there is a lot of talent. After helping the boys with a few things for MTV, I wanted to do my own show. Looking back, I was a real dumbass. I had no idea what I was doing. I was pitching footage that looked like something you’d see at some office Christmas party. I had great ideas, but no concept of the business. No agent would take me serious while coming in off the streets to try and get appointments. I was watching TV just to get the names of production companies so that I could call or email them with my ideas. Just stupid. But eventually, two years later, Turner South liked what I was doing and gave me a shot. It was regional television, but it was pretty good stuff.

So are you done with the White family or do you think there’s further tales to tell?

I’ve been filming them for years and there is ALWAYS further tales. I’m currently working with them to develop and pitch a reality series. We just got back from Atlanta to do a voice over for Cartoon Networks Squidbillies. It was the funniest shit that I have witnessed in years. Jesco rocked a sold-out house later that night. If you think that Jesco and Mamie are intense in Boone County, just imagine them cutting loose on American roads. Insane.

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