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(updated 9/6/2010)

Work, Work, Work.....

O.K., so the Second Annual Gospel Singing was an unqualified success. Did you doubt? Of course not...

Doors opened at 5:00 and by 5:10 we were seeing folks coming in to get a good seat. Smart idea, as the crowd was large and appreciative.    

(click on pictures to enlarge)

     If you look very, very closely you may observe that our ladies from the Historical Society were code-colored red as a secret way of spotting our operatives and agents who were cleverly dispersed throughout the crowd. We're sneaky that way....

Below is our professional soundman who... oh wait, that's no soundman, that's me...

My dear friend Mimi Brock was stationed near the foyer to receive guests and attach warning labels to the Hysterical society members. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes at an event like this.. Government rules and guidelines to follow, and one of them is that you simply can't have historical Society operatives walking amongst the public unlabeled.. it gives us an unfair advantage...

Below is Mary Kate Smith welcoming one of the Little Leaf Baptist Choir members...

Kicking off the event was the Little Leaf Youth Choir. I had heard just a hint of how good they were and had wanted to hear them live. Suffice to say they lived up to the hype. They were splendid! There is just something about young voices blending in perfect harmony that gives me the turbo chill bumps.            Seen below is singer Ashley Denise, a performer from up Sevierville/Pigeon Forge way who sang to her own guitar accompaniment. Ashley has great stage presence and a lovely voice.

Here below is the Beech Park Choir. What a rousing offering they provided!They have a big, big sound and the Kellytown Activities Center was thumping with their swelling strains..

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Here is Beech park Pastor Robbie Leach getting ready to rock the house.... 

Robbie may hate to admit it, but he is related to me through marriage. I think his wife is kin to my Aunt Reba.  (O.k., Robbie, the gig's up.... everybody knows now.)

Ever heard of the Celestials? It's a shame if you haven't, as they are possibly the best "Old Time Gospel Quartet" to be found in these parts.   

Below is Estel Underwood, who was the Emcee for last year's event, shown with his daughter Sherry Turpin. Estel and Sherry are wonderful singers, and certainly did not disappoint... 

We had labored to acquire Channel 12 News Anchor Dudley Evans, and our efforts paid off, as Dudley was there with the Evans Family, a group comprised of Dudley and his children. Oh. My. Word... They had the crowd rolling with their high energy praise numbers. I wasn't ready for them to leave the stage.      

We took an intermission and asked several of our area pastors and ministers to help us take up a love offering, with the proceeds to go toward our Abston Building Renovation.

(if you haven't heard of this renovation please click on the hotlink tab titled "hiding in a cave with Bin laden and hopelessly out of touch")

One of our "gleaners" was State Rep. Dennis Fergusen, who has been asupporter of this project almost from the beginning.

Seen below are Scott and Becky Parker, members of Oliver Springs First Baptist Church and erstwhile missionaries. Scott and Becky have just the sweetest harmonies. I loaned Scott one of my guitars for their numbers. This one is one I built in 1987 or so....

Curtis Anderson... You just had to be there.. I can't tell you... beautiful, beautiful praise... O don't know how to break it down into words, but so many of my black friends who sing praise worship seem to have captured that essence which most of the rest of us chase and find a bit elusive: that link between heart and soul and vocal chords that makes for the sweetest praise. I may be just too "white" for my own good.... What a blessing this was!

We had selected Robbie Ollis of Choices Cafe to be the food vendor for this year's event. This was driven by comments we heard from last year's event. It seemed that one of the only complaints folks had last year was that we didn't have a good assortment of food from which to choose. We preempted that gripe this year by picking Robbie, who is a great cook and caterer. If you've been to Choices CafeI need not tell you how delectable the entrees are, and Robbie did not disappoint us here either. She and husband Mark are true "Hometown folks" who have chosen to invest in their home town. She works hard for the money, so you better treat her right, to borrow a line from Donna Summer.... 

Also, lest you think that we're one-hit wonders, I should mention that we're unrepentant multitaskers, and are hard at work to bring you the 2010 October Sky Fall Festival. Last year's was successful beyond all we could hope for, and with those memories driving us forward, we have set about to make this one twice as big and bold as last year's. Talk about a festival... this year will kick off on Friday, October 15th, with a banquet honoring all those who played the part of "Extras", or bit actors, in the filming of the movie "October Sky", which I don't have to remind you was filmed in and around Oliver Springs and Petros. Codenamed "The Rocket Boys", It was filmed and through postproduction before we ever heard what the film was ultimately to be known as. We are rounding up lots of pictures of the filming and will be posting them on here very soon. 

The Festival will REALLY kick into high gear on Saturday, October 16th. Starting off with a bang, or to be more specific, a huuuge parade, we're gonna have classic cars from the era of the '50's that provided the backdrop for the movie  "October Sky". Also slated are gobs of antique tractors, marching bands, actors from the movie... What can I say? It's going to be big! We've moved the venue to the much more spacious and accommodating Arrowhead Park simply because this year's festival was so much more comprehensive and dynamic, and the park will give us the "elbow room" we need for such a splendid shindig.

Also scheduled to appear are the Ft. Southwest Point Enactors, who will show in great and colorful detail how the soldiers of that Historic outpost went about their daily duties in the wild and untamed frontier that was East Tennessee in the 18th Century.

I will provide much more detail in days to come, as well as colorful pictures for all our ADD friends who are easily distracted.

Check back, as this page is gonna change early and often....

Robbie

                                                            Robbie