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ROGER TIBBS TOUR, MIDWEST STATES OF U.S.A. 2010
KHAS - TV5 NEBRASKA USA
Click here to view slideshow of photos youtube.com
NATIONAL TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL, LEMARS, IOWA USA - AUG 30 - SEPT 3
Arrived at LeMars on Tuesday August 31at 4pm after a day of travelling in the motorhome and immediately saw Kerry Christensen waiting for us. Kerry Christensen is probably one of the best yodellers in the USA and he wanted me to have a practice with him to see if I was 'compatible' to do some yodelling songs with him. Kerry and I had a quick rehersal and then it was on stage to do a couple of numbers together, which went very well. My first real show was not until 6pm and was billed as Yodellers Paradise in the main stage building and featured myself and Kerry. The show went very well. We set up our CD table in the main stage area with about 60 other artists so the people were spoilt for choice! We didn't do too bad the first day but it really picked up after I did my show on Wednesday Sept 1. I had three shows on Wednesday at 1.30pm, 4.15pm and 8.20pm which was a marathon but I managed to get through it ok. After my last show for the day I was inducted into Americas Old Time Country Music Hall Of Fame and presented with a plaque commemorating this event. The organisers must have felt a bit sorry for me because I only had one show on Thursday and that was at 1.00pm, but I did a couple of numbers with a lovely Canadian lass by the name of Naomi Bristow who could also yodel very well indeed. We really enjoyed meeting Eugene and Linda Bristow (Naomis mum and dad) and Linda really got on well with Denise and the two of them could be seen giggling and laughing at the Cd table. Naomi was also inducted into Americas Old Time Country Music Hall Of Fame. Friday I had two shows at 10.20am and 11.30am but did another couple of numbers with Naomi which was great. The audience seemed to appreciate the two of us yodelling together. Saturday I had my last show and shared the main stage with Bill Anderson (he is one of the most enduring and talented songwriters and recording artists in country music - he wrote his first hit song 'City Lights' at the age of 19. He joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1961) and Patti Page (one of America's true icons. In the course of her recording career she has become a living legend by selling more than 100 million records, making her one of the biggesst selling female recording artists in history with her songs Tennessee Waltz and How Much Is That Doggie In The Window). They were both inducted into Americas Old Time Country Music Hall Of Fame as well.
MILES OF MEMORIES COUNTRY MUSICFEST, HASTINGS, NEBRASKA USA - SEPT 9, 10 & 11
Denise and I were looking forward to this festival with Tex and Mary Schutz as hosts. Headlining the festival was George Hamilton the Fourth and I had met George a deal of years ago at the Gold Guitar Awards in Gore and I was really looking forward to catching up with him again. George the Fourth was the first country music entertainer to perform behind the Iron Curtain and has also toured in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand and in fact all over the world. George is known as the International Ambassador of Country Music and is still actively working and travelling the world as a 'musicianary'. One of the joys of this festival was working with George and the way we 'bounced' off each other on stage. The two of us shared one show with German entertainer Andy Glant who learnt his banjo style behind the Iron Curtain. This was great fun and truly an International show. Another headliner was Margie LeBlanc whose voice you could quite easily mistake for Brenda Lee. Margie has a big voice and comes from Texas and cooks a mean Jambalaya. Other acts to feature at the festival were - Paul Belanger - yodeller in the old Wilf Carter style, Buck Helton - a big man with a big bass voice, Charlie Groth - who many folks in New Zealand will have seen down here, and Elton Floodman - local identity with a beautiful tenor voice. I should especially mention two musicians who teamed up with me for the festival Curt Shoemaker (the cobbler) - one of this worlds great pedal steel guitar players and Karl who anchored our act with his faultless bass playing - two guys I have come to admire not just as musicians but for the people they are. Our sincere thanks to those who made up the audiences at the different shows, I have never seen so many stnding ovations - their enthusiasm simply blew us away. Our thanks also to Tex and Mary Schutz - they ensure that this festival is run at a totally professional level with great acts, excellent sound technicians and a wonderful team of workers. Can't wait to get back there next year!
IONIA / JEWELL FESTIVAL - JEWELL, KANSAS USA - SEPT 18
Very windy and cold today. However it was well patronised by a good crowd that stayed all day. The festival was hosted by Curt Shoemaker, a world class pedal steel player who also backed me at the Miles Of Memories Festival. Local identity Les Gilliam who specialises in Western Swing music and who is a regular at Branson Missouri was featured through the day along with myself. Les comes from Oklahoma and is highly accliamed in this state. Tex and Mary were also to appear on the show but Mary was suffering from an
allergy which caused laryngitis so Tex had to do the spots himself and did a good job, though Mary was sorely missed.
ST PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH - CLAY CENTER - KANSAS USA - SEPT 19
Our first gospel show in a beautiful church with amazing acoustics. We had a good audience who really appreciated what we had to offer. We are amazed by the following of Gospel music here in the mid west. The show revolved around Tex and Mary Schutz and myself featuring a programme that showcased us individually and then together as a trio. News of my yodelling had reached the church before we arrived and although it didn't fit the gospel format I was not going to be let go without a demonstration of some description. Well it ended in a standing ovation so it couldn't have been too bad. After the show we shook hands and spoke with every person at the show which was something new for me and very humbling.
BEREAN BIBLE CHURCH - GRAND ISLAND - NEBRASKA USA - SEPT 21
Same format as St Pauls Lurtheran Church with the same result!!!
CITY AUDITORIUM - TEKAMAH, NEBRASKA USA - SEPT 26
We went early to the auditorium, and it took us an hour or so to set up. The show was to start at 2.00pm. The show went very well for the first time Tex, Mary and I had sung together on a country show. There was not a large crowd but they appreciated the music. We worked on a format of three sets, Tex and Mary, me, then three of us as a trio. The trio set was a lot of fun closing the show with How Great Thou Art to a standing ovation.
RIVERSIDE PARK PAVILLION - NELIGH, NEBRASKA USA - SEPT 30
Local identities The Johnasen Sisters were included in tonights show along with Tex and Mary. This added another dimension with their unique vocal style and harmonies. The girls showed their versitility with songs such as Heartaches by the number and Family Bible. A polished duo who really enjoy their work, present a professional show. It was an interesting venue - a huge barn like structure with vaulted ceilings and exposed rafters and trusses, capacity crowd left well satisfied ans showed their appreciation with a standing ovation at shows end. Had an impromptu 'jam' at the end of the show in the motorhome and got to bed well after 1.30 am!!! Hope we can hook up again sometime in the future, they are a pair of real genuine fun loving girls with a lot of talent.
MIDWEST COUNTRY THEATRE - SANDSTONE, MINNESOTA USA - OCT 2 (TAPING OF TELEVISION SHOW)
Our furthest north venue specifically set up for country music shows and covered by RFD Television so this was a golden opportunity for some television exposure. The foyer of the theatre is lined with famous and not so famous artists who have appeared here and looks like a who's who in country music. Tex and Mary opened the show. I came on to complete the first half where my yodelling and Slim Whitman tribute went over really well to a compacity audience. The second half was performed by Hank Williams impersonator David Church as a tribute to the great Hank. Davids six piece ensemble was a good contrast to my solo act and made for a great show. Our CD sales are such that we are starting to run really low. What a good problem to have!!! We are starting to see familiar faces at our shows of people who seem to be following us around - awesome.
HUCK BOYD PERFORMANCE CENTER - PHILLIPSBURG, KANSAS USA - OCT 5
What a beautiful theatre. A full size performance centre bequeathed to this little town by an ex US Senator by the name of McDill Huck Boyd. After some initial problems with the in house sound system we decided to use Texs' Bose system however our sound technician arrived 2 hours prior to showtime and sorted any remaining problems out. Our three piece act is now settling into a format that we are all happy with and seems to be working really well. We are starting to realise that the tour is on the homeward leg and al l too soon we will be on the plane home. We have four days available in Texas and because of the demand we have had we have been approached to record a gospel album in that remaining time. This is a big ask but we should be able to at least get vocals down against a basic rhythm track leaving the production work to be completed after we have gone.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - ARAPAHOE, NEBRASKA USA - OCT 6
Our final gospel show of the tour. Beautiful church and capacity crowd, very entusiastic and appreciative audience. Our gospel show has tightened up into a rather good performance. Included young local girl Alexa Whipple who opened the show for us. It continues to amaze us just how well the gospel music is received up here in the Mid West and reinforces the need for us to produce a gospel album as quick as we can. We are seeing more and more people who are following us around and there are some strong moves a foot to get us back up here next year for another tour. We are very concious of the fact that our tour is fast coming to an end and are already putting the wheels in motion for next time.It has become apparent that there is a very real market for us up here with this initial trip going better than we could have expected it to. We are now sold out of CD's with one show to show. We stayed at Hunt Nebraska Lodge for two nights owned by Alexas' grandfather John Koller. This is a business offering guided hunting packages to those who want to pay for it. Watched our first full length game of American gridiron football, Nebraska versus Kansas and had the rules explained to us by Johns' wife Sheryl who is a sports fanatic. Went horse riding the next day which was a great break from the tour. Topped the day off by going to the typical American drug store and have a lime phosphate (lime juice with carbonated water) at the 'soda fountain' which all drug stores used to have.
OAK TREE OPRY - ANITA, IOWA USA - OCT 8
Our very last show of the tour!! Held in a quaint little theatre in Anita Iowa, and hosted by Bob and Sheila Everhart of the National Traditional Country Music Association. The first half was made up of local talent. Tex and Mary opened the second half and then remained on stage to back my part of the show. This show was a real 'cracker' with the three of us working together very well and the crowd joining in with the fun. Maybe it was something to do with it being the last show but a real carnival air prevailed. Our MC Bob Everhart at one point read out a long list of emails sent up from well wishers in NZ and Australia, which was really cool. We closed the show with our now well practised closing song How Great Thou Art to rapturous applause and yet another standing ovation. From here we are on the road down to Texas to do the gospel album.
SUMMARY OF TOUR TO FOLLOW SOON.