I asked my cousin's wife if she remembered when Johhny went looking for the grave of the feller in the song. It was a few decades ago, but she remembers that he spent a while in Alabama. She's gonna try to dig out his research. My cousin Johnny's lyrics "rhymed":
steel drivin' man   &
       born in Alabam'
             Kaleea

Wow! Kaleea, please try to dig up everything. It sounds to me as if your cousin and I might have gone down the same path.

Thanks,

John