Week Six

I love country music. I grew up listening to Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty. We went to a concert in April at Firelake Casino and saw Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan. They shared the stage and took turns singing. The seating was way too tight, but the music was sensational!

Pam Tillis grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and sang on the Grand Old Opry at 8-years-old. Her dad, Mel Tillis, was a great example for her to follow, even though he stuttered. Pam sang Maybe It Was Memphis, Shake the Sugar Tree, Don't Tell Me What To Do, and Spilled Perfume. Her music can be heard at: www.last.fm/music/Pam+Tillis. She is a classy lady and awesome country singer.

Lorrie Morgan is amazing! She also sang at the Grand Old Opry as a young girl when she was 13-years-old. Her first song was Marie Osmond's Paper Roses. I would have loved to hear that. After her dad died, she took over her his band. Lorrie seems so relaxed and elegant at the same time. Both stars wore t-shirts and blue jeans. Lorrie's song, Five Minutes, went gold in 1990. My favorite song is Something in Red, which she sang at the concert. http://last.fm/music/Lorrie+Morgan. Lorrie married Keith Whitley in 1986. They sang a duet: Til a Tear Becomes a Rose.

Keith Whitley, another country singer formed a bluegrass band with Ricky Skaggs. He was a great performer! I like his songs: It Ain't Nothin, and I'm Over You. He had so muchtalent. Sadly, he died of alcohol poisoning in 1989, but his music lives on. www.last.fm/music/Keith+Whitley/+Wiki.

Next month, we are going to another country concert at Riverwind Casino. Gene Watson, T.G. Sheppard, and Moe Bandy will be performing.

Gene Watson is an old favorite of mine. He sings honky tonk songs and beautiful ballads. Love in the Hot Afternoon was a hit in 1975 and Fourteen Carat Mind in 1982. Watson also sings Nothing Sure Looked Good On You, Speak Softly, and Should I Come Home or Should I Go Crazy? In the summer of 2007, he recorded In a Perfect World. www.starpulse.com/Music/Watson_Gene/Biography

T.G. Sheppard is another great country artist.
At 15-years-old, he ran away from home before graduating high school. He went to Memphis, Tennessee to get in the music business. Sheppard became friends with Elvis Presley and lived at Graceland for a while.

Elvis gave Sheppard his first tour bus. In 2002, Sheppard played in Fort Worth, Texas. He has so many good songs: Finally, Lovin On, Do You Want To Go To Heaven?, I Loved 'Em Every One, and Devil In The Bottle, which was #1 in 1974.

He has a smooth voice that all the ladies love. Check him out at: www.last.fm/music/T.G.+Sheppard/+wiki.

Finally there is Moe Bandy. He is my least favorite singer that will be at the concert. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Bandy currently performs in a theatre in Branson, Missouri. His songs focus on cheating,divorce, loving, drinking, and patriotic themes. I am familiar with Bandy, The Rodeo Clown the best. He also sings I Just Started Hating Cheating Songs and Borrowed Angel. I read that Bandy played at Bush's Presidental Inaugaration in 1989. His music can be found at: http://www.moebandy.com/

Spring Fever

Spring Fever has arrived. In class, less students show up. The days are getting warm and flip-flops are making their debut on campus. I can think of a thousand things I need to be doing when I am sitting in class. Usually, I love school, but when April arrives, things change.

Maybe, it is because graduation is only three weeks away. Perhaps, I am thinking about the summer that I am taking off or our Mexico cruise in July. Regardless of why I am distracted, I have to make myself concentrate on finishing my final semester as an undergraduate. I will take the three months off and come back ready to start graduate school in August.

Hopefully, I will get plenty of rest and relaxation to recharge my batteries. It would be awesome to have an adventure. Maybe, on our cruise we will have some fun. I don't scuba dive or snorkel, but maybe it is time for me to learn. Cozumel is a great place to go underwater. They have awesome coral reefs. At http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Reefs, you can find site maps and condition reports. I read that Hurricane Wilma did some major damage to Cancun and Cozumel in 2006.