Thursday night
Favorite to help spur on Lions membership drive

John Conlee

One of the major projects of the Jasper Lions Club is providing eyeglasses and examinations to schoolchildren in Jasper County.

So who better to usher in Thursday evening's rodeo but Mr. Rose Colored Glasses himself - John Conlee.

The rodeo will begin at 6:30 p.m. with muttin' bustin' for children ages 5-8 with the rodeo scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The theme for Thursday's night's rodeo will be "Lion's Membership night - can't beat 'em, join them."

"We need some new members," said Scott Burton, Jasper Lions Club rodeo chairman. "We have an organization that has consistently grown older and they have done their time and we need some youth in the club.

"We are going to make a big membership push and that is the best time to do it," Burton said. "There are a lot of young people in this town that want to be involved but we are normally so focused on the event that we don't think about it."

He said many years people volunteer during the rodeo to help out but this year, they will seek to get these volunteers to join the Lions Club as well.

"Any job is easier when you have four or five pairs of hands working on it," Burton said.

In the photo on his latest CD cover, "Classics," John Conlee is holding both a vintage microphone and a pair of 'rose colored glasses'- truly in this case a picture that is indeed worth a thousand words.

At a time when country music is most in need of vision and focus, John Conlee possesses both, wrapped within the framework of one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices in the modern day music industry.

Conlee will headline the Jasper Lions Club Rodeo Thursday, May 10.

In the face of passing fame and passing time as careers have come and gone at whirlwind speed from the national spotlight, Conlee has remained firmly rooted in the heart of country music buyers.

Release of his latest project "Classics"- featuring 19 of his greatest hits plus three new songs - has been embraced by yet another new generation of music lovers for whom traditional country music never goes out of style.

The new album features digitally re-mastered versions of his biggest hits. Songs such as his signature "Rose Colored Glasses," "Lady Lay Down," "Backside Of Thirty," "Common Man," "I'm Only In It For The Love," "Friday Night Blues," and "I Don't Remember Loving You."

"Some things never go out of style, and a good country voice, I'm glad to say is one of them," noted Conlee in a recent interview. "I think we can look at George Jones and see what a timeless voice sounds like."

Like Jones, Conlee has been blessed with a voice that doesn't quite sound like anyone else - it's been something that has helped him endure a lot of passing fads in the music business.

Since hitting with "Rose Colored Glasses" in 1976, Conlee's career has been anything but a passing fad. Born and raised in the rich farmland of Kentucky, Conlee grew up close to the earth and those that make their living from it.

Through his efforts the Family Farm Defense was created in the mid-'80's and Conlee became Honorary Chairman. When Willie Nelson announced his plans to stage Farm Aid, Conlee volunteered his services.

He has since participated in nine Farm Aid concerts and assisted in raising over 13 million dollars to aid the American farmer.

Following "Glasses," John struck gold again - this time with "Lady Lay Down," which reclined in style at the #1 spot. He matched that success just a short few months later with "Backside of Thirty," which also reached the top of the charts.

With two more hits in rapid succession - "Before My Time," and "Baby, You're Something," the Academy Of Country Music presented John Conlee with their coveted "Best New Male Vocalist" Award in 1979.

As the '80's dawned, John's success made him one of the most consistent male artists of the decade. Early in the decade major chart toppers such as "Friday Night Blues," and "She Can't Say That Anymore," rode him through the era of the "Urban Cowboy" changes that swept the artist landscape.

In a decade of dashing young men in cowboy hats, Conlee more than held his own.

"John Conlee's voice makes him the tallest, darkest, most handsome man in country music," noted a national reviewer.

Obviously, record buyers by the droves came out in force to agree. As the '80's progressed, John scored major hits with a Red Lane song - "Miss Emily's Picture," - following it with his version of "Busted" - a hit for Johnny Cash and Ray Charles in the 60's and the song that has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for Feed The Children.

John hit his high-water mark - pulling off a remarkable four #1 hits in a row.

"Common Man," "I'm Only In It For The Love," "In My Eyes," and "As Long As I'm Rockin' With You" all topped the charts as successive releases. To further add some potent ingredients to his mix as a young country music singer on the way to legend, John added additional gems: "Working Man," "Old School," "Got My Heart Set On You," (which stayed on the charts a remarkable five months), "The Carpenter," "Domestic Life," and "Mama's Rockin' Chair," forever wrote his name in the history book of country music.

RIAA gold certification of his "Greatest Hits" album is among the accolades that line the walls at the Conlee farmhouse.

Conlee has enjoyed the fruits of his success. He today continues to be in demand for concert dates, as well as being an always popular addition to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry - where he was bestowed the honor of membership in 1981 - the fulfillment of the ultimate dream he held as a farm boy back in Kentucky.

For relaxation these days, he goes back to the "farm" - this time his own pristine 32- acre spread outside of Nashville that's become home to Conlee, his wife Gale and their three children - Rebecca, Jessica, and John.

Call it focus. Call it insight. Call it country music's 'good fortune' that Conlee continues to have 20/20 vision through those "Rose Colored Glasses" of his.