Winter Texans, get ready for some great entertainment next season.
Top-notch entertainers from Branson, Nashville, Canada and many other locals are making plans to perform for Winter Texans in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Rio Grande Valley activities directors hosted an Entertainment Showcase, last week where dozens of new entertainers introduced themselves to RV park activities directors with a 10-minute presentation showcasing their talent. The showcase give directors the opportunity to see the acts before booking them for shows at their parks next season.
One of the most popular groups to audition was the Link Family, who hails from Branson, Missouri. Their show consists of Mom, Dad and four kids, ranging from age 19 down to seven. They played a range of music including bluegrass, gospel, and country. They sang songs like "I Saw the Light" and "Carolina in the Pines."
Daughter, Rachel, was lead singer and guitar player, while 12-year-old Ben, played fiddle. Seven-year-old John is studying mandolin but is not ready to play on stage yet. Instead, he did a charming rendition of spoon playing during one of their songs.
The Links were recently selected as People’s Choice by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass and Gospel Music Association. And 12-year-old Ben was the youngest nominee for fiddle player of the year.
Judging from the number of activity directors who went scurrying for the sign-up tables, the Links will be making the rounds soon.
Another very popular group with the activities directors was Long Ago String Band, which featured old-fashioned instruments liked the dulcimer and the autoharp along with harmonica and guitar.
The group sang songs like, "You Are the Love of My Life," and "Roses Never Fade." Their harmony was good and the use of dancing toys in one of their livelier songs was popular.
Jim King and his Texas Connection played live music and sang songs such as "I Wanna Dance with You," and "Make the World Go Away," pleasing the activities directors.
Gordy and Debbie Kay, a new professional act from Branson, booking for next year, delighted directors with their professional sound and good stage presence. They also created long lines in the sign up room. Gordy’s "It’s Me Again, Martha" drew laughs, while Debbie’s "Where the Boys Are," sounded just like Connie Francis did 40 years ago.
James Marvell and his wife, Faye, new to the Valley this year, sang songs from the 60s when he was lead singer for Mercy, such as "Love Can Make You Happy."
From the Heartland with their lively bluegrass presentation was a crowd pleaser that received bookings.
Vance Greek, long a favorite of Winter Texans, and his group Deep River, entertained the audience with "I’m a Long Tall Texan" and earned bookings with the parks.
Country Bandits had a lively presentation with "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and "You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man."
John Wayne and America’s Yodeling Sweetheart, Paula Cravens entertained the audience with Paula’s version of Lucille Ball and her incredible yodeling ability.
Many other excellent entertainers performed for the park activity directors, including Freddy and Sheila Pelletier, Two Fluffy Ladies, Gene and Doris Barnes and the Whitfords.
Popular solo performers included Gina Lucido, Ruth and Her Banjo, Stephen Clark and Billy Ryan, a local talent also known as Carlos Canas. Bill Brooks, who has performed in a number of parks before, was there to book more shows for next season as were Bo Rivers and Robert Oliviera.
The park activity directors heard presentations by these and many more artists, giving them a wide selection of talented musicians to book for next season. The showcase was such a success that the directors decided to host another one for performers who did not get the opportunity to perform last week.
It looks as though many highly-talented performers have discovered the Rio Grande Valley as an opportunity to perform to audiences in quite a number of RV parks, making it worth their time and expense to come here to perform for at least a few weeks during the winter season. This promises to bring increasingly highly-talented performers here to entertain Winter Texans, giving Winter Texans one more good reason to winter in sunny South Texas.
You can tell your friends back home about how you spent the winter playing golf, enjoying socials, dances and games, and being entertained by some of the country’s top talent—at very inexpensive prices—while they were back home shoveling snow. Enjoy the bragging rights. It’s a Texas tradition. And, after all, you are Winter Texans.