Tribute To The Country Legends Show at Newburg, MO.

September 29. 2007

From a fan of real

country music:

HEY GANG................

WANTED TO REPORT ABOUT THE CONCERT ON SATURDAY NIGHT.  I FINALLY GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MAGGIE AND MOST OF HER GROUP.  WHAT AN HONOR AND WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD!!!

THE SHOW STARTED WITH EACH OF THE PERFORMERS DOING A SONG.  MAGGIE DID HER HIT SONG, CHEATER'S PALACE.  I LOVE THE SONG AND BOUGHT THE CD JUST BECAUSE IT WAS ON IT!!  I WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY MARY MCDONALD!!!  SHE WAS THE ARTIST IMITATING KITTY WELLS, AND MAN DID SHE BRING DOWN THE HOUSE!!!

WILLIE LUSTER, FROM NEW MEXICO, RESSURECTED THE GHOST OF HANK WILLIAMS WITH SEVERAL GREAT OLD CLASSICS.  AMONG THEM, "HALF AS MUCH",  "I CAN'T HELP IT IF I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU",  "KALIGA", AND "YOUR CHEATIN' HEART".

MARY MCDONALD BROUGHT THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC TO THE STAGE.  AS KITTY WELLS, SHE DID SEVERAL OF MY FAVORITE KITTY WELLS SONGS, INCLUDING:  "SEARCHING", "MAKING BELIEVE", HEARTBREAK U S A", AND OF COURSE, "IT WASN'T GOD WHO MADE HONKYTONK ANGELS".

STAN GELSTHORPE WHO PORTRAYED THE LATE ERNEST TUBB,  I CAN ASSURE YOU HE DID THE TEXAS TROUBADOR PROUD!!!!  NOT ONLY DID HE RECALL CLASSICS LIKE "WALKIN' THE FLOOR OVER YOU", AND 'WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS", BUT HE DUETED WITH OUR OWN MAGGIE PENN---- I MEAN LORETTA LYNN--- ON TWO GREAT SONGS.............. "OUR HEARTS ARE HOLDIN'  HANDS" AND "SWEET THANG".

NOW LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING ABOUT "SWEET THANG"................. YOU AIN'T NEVER SEEN IT DONE LIKE THIS BEFORE!!!  OLE ERNEST IS OUT THERE SINGING THE FIRST VERSE OF THE SONG AND THE AUDIENCE IS LOVING HIS PERFECT IMITATION OF THE GREAT TEXAS TROUBADOR............ WHEN FROM OUT OF THE WINGS COMES THIS LADY DRESSED IN A HOUSE GOWN, WITH BIG OLD CURLERS IN HER HAIR, BIG BOTTOM, BIG BUSTS, AND CARRYING A ROLLIN' PIN!!!  SHE STARTS BELTIN' OUT "WELL HAS ANYBODY HERE SEEN SWEETTHANG"............... THE CROWD LAUGHS AND APPLAUDS. 

THE BIGGEST LAUGH CAME WHEN MAGGIE TRIED GETTIN' BACK OFF THE STAGE AND GOT STUCK BETWEEN THE PIANO PLAYER AND SOME OTHER EQUIPMENT.

LET'S JUST SAY SHE WAS A LITTLE TOO WELL ENDOWED TO MAKE IT THROUGH WITHOUT SOMEONE MOVING!!!

MAGGIE PENN DID AN AWESOME JOB OF PORTRAYING THE COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER............... SHE RAN THROUGH SEVERAL OF LORETTA'S BIG HITS OF THE SIXTIES, INCLUDING "I'M THE OTHER WOMAN",  "BEFORE I'M OVER YOU", "WOMAN OF THE WORLD" AND "COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER................ SHE DID A GREAT JOB ON A SEVENTIES HIT, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE LYNN HITS............... "WHEN THE TINGLE BECOMES A CHILL".

ON FIDDLE THEY HAD A YOUNG MAN NAMED CODY LUSTER.  HE WASN'T ON THE SHOW'S PAMPHLET THAT WAS HANDED OUT BEFORE THE SHOW, SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS AT FIRST.  TALK ABOUT A GREAT LITTLE FIDDLE PLAYER!!!  HE TORE IT UP AND DID THE GREATS PROUD!!!  I DON'T THINK JOHNNY GIMBLE WOULD HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS!!!  

THE WHOLE SHOW WAS GOOD AND WE'RE LOOKIN' FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR'S RETURN OF MAGGIE AND THE MISFITS.  IN ATTENDANCE WITH ME AND JOSH WERE MY MOM, BETTY, AND OUR DEAR FRIEND, ELVA.  THE HOUSE WAS NEARLY FULL SO IT WAS A GREAT OUTPOUR IN SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC.  WISH YA'LL COULD'VE BEEN THERE WITH US.  I REALLY KNOW YOU WOULD'VE ENJOYED IT JUST AS MUCH AS I DID.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF IT ALL.................... GETTIN' TO MEET MAGGIE!!  BEEN TRYIN' TO DO THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Another great fan of real country music:

I got home and realized I had not told you bye and how wonderful the show was.

I really felt like I was sitting in the Grand Ole Opera listening to all the music I had wanted to see for so many years. I never did get to go there and always wanted to.  But back when I was young money was hard to come by for any thing like that.

Although the Carter family with several others did come to our home town (of 200) once when I was a girl and did a show in a tent.  I remember Slim Pickens was with them and Grandpa Jones. 

We had a livelier crowd for your show than I have ever seen in our theater. I was so pleased. 

Gosh Maggie, you work so hard.  Maybe when you come back in May it wont be as hard on you, we will know more in advance of the show.

Again Thank you for making the changes and including the extra song for Mary and letting our local get on stage with you.

You guys are real professionals and have dedicated a lot of hard work to get this quality of music before the public.

Mary