05/15/2026
Who Was Tony Rice?
For many, the story of recovery begins with a moment of desperation. For us, it began with a man named Tony Rice.
Tony Rice was an advertising editor for a newspaper in Shelbyville. Respected in his profession and known throughout the community, Tony was also a man quietly battling alcoholism. Like so many during that time, he carried the weight of it in silence... unsure if freedom was possible.
Then, in 1958, everything changed.
While attending a business convention in New York City, Tony found himself sitting alone at a hotel bar, drinking as he normally would. What seemed like an ordinary evening would soon become the defining moment of his life.
A man approached him and struck up a conversation about his drinking. The two talked openly, and for the first time, Tony was introduced to the idea that recovery might actually be possible. That man was Bill Wilson...better known throughout the recovery world as “Bill W.” a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
What some might call coincidence, many of us in recovery would call something much greater.
That encounter led Tony to attend his very first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, where he experienced hope, understanding, and the possibility of a new way of life. Through the fellowship and message of recovery, Tony discovered that this was possible.
When Tony returned home to Shelbyville, he carried more than his own newfound hope... he carried a mission.
Determined to bring recovery to others who were suffering, Tony founded the first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Shelbyville, and many believe one of the very first in Middle Tennessee. He was soon joined by Bob W., a remarkable man who, despite being completely blind, operated a successful snack stand inside the Bedford County Courthouse. Known for his incredible ability to identify paper currency simply by touch, Bob became one of Tony’s closest friends and strongest allies in recovery.
Together, the two men set up meetings night after night, making coffee, setting up chairs, and often as the only members attending. Slowly, others began to join them... individuals searching for the same hope that had once been given so freely to Tony. Among them were R.W., Marlin, Earl “Can Man”, Margaret, and Ethel. What started as a small gathering of struggling individuals grew into a thriving recovery community. By the early 1990s, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were being held in Shelbyville nearly every night of the week.
Tony and those early pioneers devoted much of their lives to helping others find hope. They understood that recovery was not something to keep for themselves... it was something to share. Day after day, meeting after meeting, they carried a message of healing and second chances to anyone willing to listen.
On July 1, 1990, the Tony Rice Center officially opened its doors. At the suggestion of R.W. — whom Tony had personally sponsored — the center was named in Tony’s honor.
Since that day, we have strived to carry the message that was so freely given to us. Our staff members have walked this same path themselves, understanding the fear, uncertainty, and pain that often comes with walking through our doors for the very first time.
The Tony Rice Recovery Center was named not only after the man himself, but after the belief he lived by: that we should help our fellow human beings however we can. His legacy was never simply about sobriety... it was about compassion, service, hope, and extending a hand to those still suffering.
For more than three decades, we have remained committed to being a beacon of hope across Tennessee. Offering healing, support, and a path forward
…just like Mr. Tony would have wanted.
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By: Sam Hillis
Info By: AA Historian and TRC Counselor, The late, great Tim Lokey
