P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u

Scenes from a successful state

Photos by Benjamin Gibbs / PNB

Benjamin Gibbs' photo of Lynnette Cole as Miss Tennessee USA before she won the Miss USA crown.

PNB photographer Benjamin Gibbs of Tennessee has known Lynnette Cole for years, and she remembers meeting him even before he remembers meeting her. He predicted her victory at Miss USA, but we just chalked it up to state pride. Until we saw her on the stage in Branson.

Since the mid-1990s, Tennessee has become a powerhouse at Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. The state's stellar record coincides with the directorship of the remarkable Kim Greenwood, herself a formidable competitor in the pageant business. And during this Greenwood era, Benjamin Gibbs has been a witness. The best kind of witness, one with a camera.

Even as Lynnette Cole was preparing to compete for the Miss Universe title, girls back home in Tennessee were looking ahead to their own big opportunity. Interviews were under way for the Miss Tennessee USA and Miss Teen USA titles, with preliminary winners facing the director.

And guess who was there? If you guessed Benjamin Gibbs, maybe we gave you too many clues.

P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u