Ella Langley hasn’t forgotten the people who were there when she wasn’t “the Ella Langley.” When she was growing up in Hope Hull, Alabama, Langley had a teacher, Maury Popwell (known as “Coach Pop”) who would meet with her before school so the two could play guitar together. When he heard she was going to try her luck in Nashville, Coach Pop gave her his own 12-string guitar. When Langley played two sold-out nights at Auburn University in Alabama over the weekend, she made sure to repay the favor.
According to Coach Pop’s granddaughter, Langley sent him tickets to the concert and surprised him backstage with a guitar of his own. In pics she posted, Coach Pop could be seen with Ella as he held a “Dandelion” guitar on which Ella had written, “Love you Coach Pop!! Ella Langley,” along with her autograph.
