Dottie Rambo BY JOSHUA HESTON He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs: A simple statement of faith. A revolutionary Christianity. Plate 1. Joyce Reba Luttrell — Dottie Rambo — was born on March 2, 1934, in Madisonville, Kentucky. She is remembered as a legendary songwriter, having penned upwards of 2,500 songs. Many of…
PLATE 1. “For the first one, we wanted to keep it pretty simple. All roads lead to Raleigh. We chose the banjo, the rolling hills, the iconic skyline from the PNC Building to the Convention Center’s Shimmer Wall, and we went with a horizontal format to allow for the typography.” — Tim Lee The Weird, Wonderful…
Mandolin Maker John Wynn (1938 to 2010) by Joshua Heston What is Ozark culture? “Self-made,” said John Wynn, without missing a beat. “When they got here to such backwoods, hilly country that you couldn’t hardly farm because there wasn’t a level piece of land around, they had to build everything they used. They built their…
PLATE 1. “Young Matt” (Caleb Odenthal) fights the Baldknobbers. Photo by Beckie Fairchild. Smells Like Rain & Tastes Like Tears: Shepherd the Musical by Joshua Heston with Caleb Brubaker “Do they think this is the end?” Dave Wallace wondered as he looked over an audience rising to their feet. The applause was long and lasting…
The Toby Show “Fifty or 60 years ago, actors came to small towns in the Midwest and set up tens. In all the towns where these shows appeared, it was a time of celebration. “Legitimate theater looked down their noses at these shows but to the people, these actors made the world a better place.…
Plate 1 (above) The Mysterious Gillioz by Joshua Heston Heat waves shimmered across the asphalt. Alleyway trees, mostly ailanthus and catalpa, quivered against the rare breeze. Midday streets were nearly empty as the collective of Springfield business folk braced themselves against yet another scorching August day. Downtown Springfield, Missouri. Just another medium-sized city in America,…
PLATE 1. From left, “Abner” Leon Weaver and brother “Cicero” Frank Weaver with June “Elviry” June Petrie Weaver. The Weaver Brothers and Elviry by Joshua Heston All but forgotten today, the Weaver Brothers & Elviry, originally of Christian County, Missouri, were one of the greatest stage attractions to ever tour North America and Europe. Combining…
PLATE 1. Southern Gospel group buses line the back parking lot of Louisville’s Kentucky Fair and Expo Center. End of an Era: Louisville’s National Quartet Convention 2013 by Joshua Heston LOUISVILLE, KY —The National Quartet Convention, known simply as “NQC,” is the iconic event of the year for Southern Gospel music. For the last 20…
PLATE 1. A seemingly bemused Sir Walter Raleigh — complete with banjo — presides over IBMA’s 2013 World of Bluegrass (September 24-28) in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. PLATE 2. A multi-story banner announces the World of Bluegrass to Raleigh. Many attendees were gratified to see IBMA signage all over town. Bluegrass Town by Joshua Heston…
2016 Branson Terry Music Awards Nominees October 9, 2016 Jim Stafford Theatre, Branson, Missouri It is hard to believe that it is already Award’s show time again! The band has been busy rehearsing, the awards have been engraved, and all of the entertainers and Terry Awards staff have been gearing up for another exciting year.…