Lonnie Holley, nicknamed The Sand Man, is a nationally recognized folk artist from Birmingham, Alabama who gained his celebrity status from his tragic and humbling beginning.

At the age of four, Holley was taken from his mother and sold to a bootlegger for a bottle of whiskey. He was then abused for years and passed around from one foster home to another. Finally, after spending some time in a juvenile detention center, Holley's grandmother welcomed him into her home.

Holley's hobby began soon after his two sisters perished in a house fire. Too poor to afford gravestones, he built them himself using items such as kitchen utensils and pieces of steel. This sparked an inspiration so strong that he eventually opened an art gallery in his own backyard.

Holley's designs have been featured all over the United States including the White House and the Smithsonian. He now lives in Atlanta and is still expanding his art collection.

Elijah Gowin | Lonnie Holley
Elijah Gowin | Lonnie Holley
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