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October 16, 2003 Hi Everybody, Deanna and I have been on the road beginning August 1st and will continue through December 20th. There is much to tell you! First the dates we worked this summer. All the fairs went great. We got to see many of you from Belvedere to Wichita and all the places in between. The shows were great with great crowds at all. Working with the VanDykes is always a pleasure. Not only are the shows fun to watch, they are fun back stage too! The addition of Jimmy Fortune to the Country Gold Show has been a real plus. I have been lucky to work with Johnny Western quite a bit this summer and early fall. Not only was he at the Kansas State Fair with Country Gold, but the Prairie Rose, Rex Allen Days and The Lone Pine Film Festival just last weekend. He and his wife Jo are some of our best friends. They are a great couple. He and I both agree that we married UP! One of my favorite dates this summer was Mt. Pleasant, IA at the Old Time Threshers Reunion. Not only was the show in the mud....lots of mud, but the Antique Tractor Parade was a mind bender. To see how those people keep tradition alive is worth the trip. Deanna and I drove to all the dates this summer. The one thing we learned is that we need a new way to get around. An SUV is in the works! For the first time in 25 years Deanna and I are without children in the house. We are having a wonderful time on the road together and can’t wait to start traveling again. This weekend we are in Tucson, then off for two weeks then to Kanab, UT for two days in November. Now for the real news! For 10 years Gladys and LeRoy VanDyke have been trying to convince promoters and Fair Buyers that there were a lot of people out there like you that wanted to see “Senior Artists” perform. They came up with the concept of “Country Gold.” Many of you have seen the show so you know what I am talking about. Deanna and I have been involved and a part of the show for 5 years. We all have been outspoken about how we feel that the people who watched TNN have been left out of the loop as it were when it comes to entertainment. Finally after 10 years we got a major promoter to give “Country Gold” a try. The first test was over the Labor Day weekend. A hard time to sell tickets to shows. Well, “Country Gold” with me, LeRoy, Jimmy Fortune and David Frizzell ended up one of the three highest grossing shows in the US that weekend. The production company, Zars Productions, was happy with the results and decided to promote “Country Gold” in 2004! What we are talking about is around 80-100 shows all over the US next year! But it didn’t stop there. They asked the cast if we had ever thought of doing a Christmas show. All of us had wanted to, so the Zars said “Why don’t we start the “Country Gold” tour in December with a Christmas Show.” We said yes and it all begins this December in Zanesville, OH. We should have everything set by November 1st for 2004, so keep checking for dates in your area. Another one of the highlights of the show is that all the wives are there too! We all have a great time, but we are going to have to stop meeting at the IHOP after the shows. We all laugh and talk too late in the night! I still plan on working the regular dates like Willcox and the Prairie Rose to name just two. If you would like “Country Gold” in your town please get in touch with Gladys VanDyke thru their web site. We should have the Country Gold web page done soon also. Now for the Family News! We finally have a wedding! Wade, our oldest, is getting married sometime in June. The girl he is marrying both Deanna and I really love. Chris is going to be a wonderful daughter in law. She is funny and charming and we couldn’t have picked a better wife for Wade. Both of us are so happy for them. Wyatt is back in Nashville right now after a summer with the Warthogs baseball team in Winston-Salem. He is just back from three weeks in Tucson at the Fall Baseball Camp for the Chicago White Sox, but did find the time to be with us at Rex Allen Days this past October. Marcus is in Salt Lake City. He has a construction business there and everything is going well. As many of you know, the West is booming and there is a lot of work for Marc. Cody is in Nashville half way through the 10th grade. He is already looking at colleges. Right now he is looking forward to his driver's license and dating. He is also holding a 4.0 grade average. He makes us laugh a lot. Logan is singing up a storm. He has been chosen to be one of the Academy Singers at his High School. He is playing piano and is looking at parts in the school plays. Sounds like his father! He is also holding down a 4.0 average. On the sad side, we lost Dune The Dog. He was with us for 13 years and so much a part of our family. The good news is that Deanna is close to getting the children’s stories I wrote about Dune published. He will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of those who knew him. Well folks this has been a long letter and I feel like I have only started! I’ll get you all the information on the “Country Gold Show” as soon as I get it in my hands. Thank goodness we have computers and e-mail. It looks that might be the only way we’ll be able to keep in touch. Hope Deanna and I see you all on the Christmas Tour! Rex |
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