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The end of the medicine show era

Stars from Red Skelton to Roy Acuff got their starts performing on a show where a medicine show “Doc” gathered folks around to sell a sure cure. It was this same circumstance under the watchful eye of “Doc” M.F. Chamberlain that a youthful Tommy Scott got his start as a professional touring musician in 1936. […]

Riders in the Sky – A Cowboy Adventure

As I stood at the podium at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater in Nashville, I anxiously searched for the right transitional words to introduce one of my favorite groups – The Riders in the Sky. I have always admired western music, from the configurations of the harmonies to the mix of the […]

Trials often require recovery

I have come to the conclusion that everyone in life, no matter how blessed, finds that there are trials we must face. Sometimes these are the common trials that everyone faces in life – How do we pay a bill? Where do I find a job? How do I cope with the stresses? Sometimes they […]

Shades of Wendy Bagwell

One of my favorite people to see, hear and be around as a youth was comedian/singer Wendy Bagwell. Well, not just as a youth, I still enjoy hearing his wonderful stories that amused and his music with the Sunliters – Jan Buckner and Geraldine Morrison that uplifted.

Choices for Living

In life, we are constantly faced with choices. We are blessed or cursed with the gift of free will, depending on your prospective. From the smallest detail of “Do you want fries with that?” to “Do you take this woman to be…?,” in America, we have endless choices.

How long will CDs last?

I found myself in yet another conversation with one of my fellow entertainers recently discussing what we will be selling, as the future becomes the present. Many performers sell their own products at concerts including CDs and DVDs, that fans buy and often hand to us to receive an autograph.

American scenes embolden me

I watched this string of youth all under eight-years-old, their hands behind their backs and their faces buried in a green and yellow watermelon rind resting on a white table. They only stopped long enough to spit a seed. Each was trying to win the title and the prize in the contest. This was shortly […]