Live entertainment, free food and door prizes are the reason why Winter Texans will not want to miss Mission’s Winter Texan Fiesta on Saturday, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at the Leo Pena Plazita Park (across from the downtown H-E-B on Conway and Business 83). Tickets must be picked up no later than February 29, at the Mission Chamber of Commerce, 220 E. 9th Street. However, the limited supply of tickets is expected to go quickly. Only those with tickets will receive lunch.
Rich Bellert
This year’s Winter Texan Fiesta lineup will include Rich Bellert, cowboy poet and storyteller since 2002. Bellert released his first CD of cowboy poetry in 2005. In 2007 he finished second in the serious reciters division at the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo in Hot Springs, South Dakota. He was nominated for a FAME award for western humorist and cowboy poetry. For the past four years, he appeared at the South Dakota State Fair and opened for Rod Stegall at the National Traditional Country Music Festival in Missouri Valley in 2007.
Tucker
Sheldon Tucker was born in Western Kansas and raised in Southern Idaho, where he enjoyed the history of cowboy life. Tucker, a Branson comedian, will provide laughs with his brand of cowboy poetry. He takes audiences back in time with songs of the 40s, 50s and 60s.
The Link Family
Out of hundreds of entries, the Link Family was selected as one of the Top 10 bands in the SPBGMA International Band Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. They were nominated for Bluegrass Gospel group of the year in 2007. Becky Link was nominated for SPBGMA female vocalist of the year, while Kyle Line was nominated for SPBGMA Midwest Bluegrass fiddler of the year.
Red Johnson
Red Johnson covers the realm of real country music. His style can be described as being country and western music with a blend of Bluegrass, Tex-Mex, Cajun and Gospel. Among Red’s recent CD’s are "My Collection", "Veterans Day" and "A Good Old Country Song." He owns a recording studio in Champlin, Minnesota where he records and publishes his own materials.
Cactus Willie, Boxcar Bob and The Drifter
Cactus Willie’s guitar picking style has hints of bluegrass and he has opened for many famous performers such as Ray Price, Bill Anderson, Billy Walker and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Boxcar Bob joined the band in 2002. In his mid-30s he started playing guitar and singing with a small folk group. He was named 1999 Male Vocalist at the South Texas International Music Festival in Weslaco.
Will Kelly joined Cactus Willie with his bass doghouse guitar. Kelly is known for long overnight continuous playing sessions at festivals and was nicknamed "marathon bass player" by his peers.
Tommy Helms
Helms grew up with a family of musical traditions including country, folk and gospel music. All the children of his grandfather, George Helms, learned to play a variety of musical instruments and sing country music. His dad, Marion, played the guitar and taught him. Today he is continuing the family music tradition and has become known for his tribute to the late Burl Ives.
Bob "Punjo" Reed and Country Gold
When Bob "Punjo" Reed went to Nashville in 1967 to record his first song, "Fort Smith Arkansas." Ike Thurn, a well-known horn player, began performing with him in a show known as "Punjo & Ike’s Comedy & Music Show" at Krazy Horse ranch. In 1959, Ike recorded "Jeanie," which ended the year as the #21 on the charts.
Today, in addition to Reed and Thurn, the band consists of Lucy Jackson, who joined the group in 2005 as a keyboard player and vocalist. Also in the band is Alma Reed (no relation to Bob Reed), who joined the band in 2006 after meeting Reed at Mountain View, Arkansas.
In 2007, Bill Amundson of Custer, South Dakota became the group’s drummer. In 2007 the group along with Al Prosser, released an album called "Friends,’ which is a collection of 20 of the greatest old country classics songs ever written.