A crowd of over 250 folks decended on the West Line Community Center to help Jess Richardson and the West Line Jamboree band celebrate their 100th show since the Jamboree opened almost 4 years ago. To say this little community is proud of their every-other-Wednesday show would be an understatement to say the least. "There were only six or seven people at the first show," Jess recalled, "But the crowd seemed to double every show." In fact, at one point it was decided that the community center was inadequate to handle the crowd and was added onto, doubling it's size, all the materials and labor furnished by local people. A big highlight every year is the hog roast, held the Saturday before Labor Day (this year September 5th) featuring roast pork and brats with all the trimmings. The most amazing feature of all is the fact that there is no charge at all for admittance, True, there are coffee cans around the food tables for donations, but they never pass a basket or ask for anything. Pretty rare these days!
But everything revolves around the great classic country music these folks play every show. Tonight Jess Richardson kicked things off with a tune made famous by Jim Reeves, Mickey Gilley & others, "Roomful Of Roses," Hank Williams' "You Win Again," Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry About Me" and Ricky Nelson's "I'm Walkin'" before Jack Ford, the group's bass player did a super job singing Hank Thompson's "The Mark Of A Heel." Jack returned later with "My Window Faces The South" and "If I Left It Up To You." After Chris Renner played keyboard & sang "Jailhouse Rock" (& Gene Watson's "Farewell Party," later) and brother George Renner played "Steel Guitar Rag," Jess returned with "You're My Memory Number One," Hank Sr.'s "Move It On Over," "Truck Drivin Man," Willie's "Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain," Marty Robbins' "Devil Woman" and Conway Twitty's "I'm Making Plans."
After intermission when everyone was treated to homemade ice cream and cakes and pies of every description and Jess had began the second half with "May You Never Be Alone Like Me" & Hank's "Lonesome Blues," the show was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a celebrity (?), none other than Dolly! She was quite a sight in her hot pink outfit, blonde curls, bright red lipstick and other distinguishing features! Someone said they had never seen her up this close before and that it was amazing how much she resembled band member Floyd Harold. Dolly didn't treat us to a song, but Floyd did, singing "Today I Started Loving You Again," a little later in the show. Jess dedicated "Night Train To Memphis" to Miss Dolly and returned later with a 50's rock tune "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Valley Of Tears," "Don't Touch Me" and "Some Days Are Diamonds."
We got a kick out of Johnny Goddard's "Daddy Played First," a baseball takeoff on Merle Haggard's "Daddy Played Bass." He returned the second half with the hilarious "Money Song" (If My Nose Was Running Money, I'd Blow It All On You) and "If I Can't Have All Of You." Buddy Ford, who plays lead guitar here at the Jamboree is also a marvelous mandolin player and tonight he got a big hand as he plaed "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "Somewhere My Love." Joe Crook from Frontenac, KS put his talents to use, singing Tompall Glazier's "Put Another Log On The Fire" and "Crying My Heart Out OVer You." After Roger Loveloc sang "White Sports Coat" and "Peace In The Valley," Ed Kinney did a bang-up job with "Wayward Wind" and Merle Haggard's "If We're Not Back In Love By Monday." We were also impressed with the vocal talents of Bill White of Amsterdam, MO who sang "Four Strong Winds" and "Big Diamonds."
Jess closed this special evening with "Kentucky Waltz," a number he told us was his late mother's favorite and led the band, crew and audience with the gospel number "I Saw The Light." (Below) top: Jess Robinson bottom: Who else? DOLLY
