A Lively Saturday Night

We came to hear Andrew perform as he has on this stage many times in the past.  I even dressed in something besides a wife beater's t-shirt and shorts. I wore a bra, makeup, jewelry and real clothes. Andrew did a double take...he wondered who that woman was sitting with Papa.

The MC/Mayor announced that Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas and Izard County made history this week by becoming the first Purple Heart City and County. After thanking all who have served our nation the MC asked us to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  EVERYONE stood with hands on hearts and pride in their voices. Everyone knew the words.  Not one twisted soul "took a knee"!  The theater was filled with patriotism and unity.  We remained standing for the National Anthem sang by an extremely talented young lady.

Ashleigh Rogers showed us she could sing more than the National Anthem.  Ashleigh was amazing with a variety of music but she kicked off her high heeled shoes to perform Me and Bobby McGee...Janis Joplin would have been proud.

The band is called Highway 289 Band while a few members have changed Doc still plays the drums.
Lauren and her father, Mike Gray were musical guests, too.  You may remember Lauren from a few years ago.

Andrew sang Red House by Jimi Hendrix and Mary Had A Little Lamb by Stevie Ray Vaughhan.  There were many complimenting him afterwards.  Andrew does love music and thanks to God's gift he is doing what he loves.  He was not with his band tonight but there by special invitation since he has sorta grown up in this theater.

It was a fantastic night for all.

Here's a secret...Ashleigh may be singing with Andrew's Band, With Drew.

Andrew, Lauren Gray, Sarah Jo Roark and The Highway 289 Band...

With a few more thrown in for good measure.  The line up was loaded with talent, the crowd was in the mood for music and they were not disappointed.

Melodie Clemmons with her Highway 289 Band opened the show for a live radio performance.  Among special guests performing were Lauren Gray, the young woman who was on American Idol.

Her father, an extremely talented musician, Mike Gray made his Les Paul sing and blend and accent Lauren's voice.  It was a performance Horseshoe Bend will not soon forget.

Melbourne's very own Sarah Jo Roark joined Lauren.  I thought I was watching The Voice. 
Melodie called it the battle of the Divas...two beautiful power house voices joined perfectly to win the crowd.  Sarah Jo belted some Janis Joplin, wooed us with Imagine and some Delta Blues. 

To be honest, I have forgotten most of the songs, because I was lost in the magic of the night, just one of the crowd feeling the music, the power of the moment...and certainly not concentrating on great photography.

Then it was Andrew's turn...how could he top these women?  He calmly walked onto the stage and said, "Diva time is over". He make his Gibson sing the blues, the crowd went wild.  His second song was Stevie Ray Vaughn's Pride and Joy. Mike played him note for note and it was dueling guitars...the crowd was thrilled.  This old Nana was bursting with pride and screaming my head off like a teenager.

Without one music lesson, this fifteen year old dueling with Mike Gray brought down the house...and Saturday night was his first time to play with Mr Gray.

Look at the smiles on these men's faces!

Watch for Sarah Jo Roark, everyone wants her on The Voice.

Andrew living large with Lauren, American Idol star

Andrew's mom, brother, aunt, cousin and Nana and Papa attended.

This sweet lady showing holiday spirit

allowed me to take her picture.

People were shaking Andrew's hand, telling him how wonderful his playing was, asking all kinds of questions but when it came time for the group photo of the performers, Andrew had disappeared.  He was saying goodnight to his girl friend who attended and this seemed more important to him at the moment. I suppose those same hormones are part of what makes his music sooo good.

Best St Paddy's Day EVER!

OMG, I Missed A Post!!!

How many times has that happened???  Once..yesterday!  I'm not sure what hit me, maybe just a patch of laziness but I slept a lot,  hurt a lot and...disgusting...pooped a lot. Maybe that refrigerator coolant I breathed was poison, after all.  DON'T STOP READING, IT GETS BETTER, I PROMISE!  I left the house one time to buy groceries.  Hubby and Grandson helped haul them in and I put them away.  That was my entire day's accomplishments...that, and a tv overload of American Pickers as I lazed on the couch.

I missed Andrew's encore performance at the Music of the Mountains theatre.  Apparently, I missed a lot but Andrew was not upset at all.  He jammed with the Melodie Clemmons band before the performance.  A group of cheer leaders became his groupies and he was as happy as a pig in a mud hole.

Shown here is a page from Avenues, A Magazine of the Ozarks, about Andrew's first performance.  And I quote, "Andrew Williams, the 14-year-old blues guitarist who won Melbourne's Student Talent contest, played a couple of blazing numbers.  It was his first time to ever play with a band, but he came through like an experienced pro."  First time, he played AC/DC and a blues number.  Second, he played one of his own songs and, of course, AC/DC.

Since this performance, he has played a birthday party as a gift, won the Izard County Fair Talent Show in his division, has been invited to play at a local customer appreciation day, and to compete in a Hardy, Arkansas Talent contest...when he's not playing football and going to school.

My middle grand son, Jake, has been gifted a horse he has named Johnny.  I have promised to come see Johnny and so I shall today.  I am sure I will have many pictures to share after that visit!

I am thinking, what have I missed telling?  The ice maker's still working, to hubby's and to all our delight.  We are uptown now...no more dumping ice trays.  No more trying to find out who did not fill them!  I may be loosing my mind because many things happen around here that no one lays claim to doing.  I guess, I must be doing it in my sleep...right!

We got some glorious rain last night.  As the thunder rumbled and the lightning flashed, I realized why every bone in my body was aching...I can tell the weather now, and for that I am grateful.  Might as well be, not a whole lot I can do to change it.

It has been a joy catching up on all my comments.  Thank you and remember if you would like to converse, leave your email, I can not reply to No Reply Comment Blogger...and I do like to reply!  Have a wonderful Sunday.

Braggin'...

I know you've seen lots of these,

but

I just have to show you this...

The Pacesetting Times from Horseshoe Bend

published a paragraph about Andrew!!

A special thank you goes out to Benny and Charlotte

for the use of the SG.