Gospel, bluegrass comes to Jasper

BUDDY AND TINA WRIGHT'S group (above) are touring on a National Endowment for the Arts, and Dale Ann Bradley (below) is an international Vocalist of the Year.

Local and national talent will mix at the first annual Jasper County Bluegrass and Gospel Music Festival this Friday and Saturday, April 11- 12, at the Jasper Lions Club rodeo arena.

Friday the theme is gospel music with a lineup that begins with the Central Baptist Church Band of Buna, Shorty Collie and Company of Town Bluff, Brand New Beginning of Silsbee, and Elisha's Calling of Dayton. At 7:30 p.m. Jasper's own Miss Minnie Williams takes the stage; she is known as the First Lady of Gospel Poetry. She is followed by Magnolia's The Relations Quartet, who won the Southern Gospel Music Association's 2007 Male Quartet of the Year. The new Jasper County Cowboy Church Band plays at 8:40 p.m., and the Belt Creek Harmony of Jasper wraps up the evening.

Saturday is Bluegrass, beginning at 10 a.m. with Jasper Junction of Greenwood, LA; Louisiana Purchase of Lake Charles and Baton Rouge; Rhythm Rocker Cloggers of Nacogdoches, Digger Davis and Tombstone of Normangee, TX. Lone Star Bluegrass Band takes the stage at 1:10 p.m.; they were named Houston's Best Bluegrass Band by the People's Choice Award recently.

They are followed at 2:10 p.m. by the Buddy and Tina Wright Group from Lubbock, who were inducted into the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and are touring on a National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces tour.

The afternoon has encore performances by Jasper Junction, Louisiana Purchase, Digger Davis and Tombstone, the Rhythm Rocker Cloggers and Lone Star. Dale Ann Bradley of Nashville, the international Bluegrass Music Association's 2007 Vocalist of the year, performs at 7:30 p.m. Buddy and Tina Wright wrap up the festival at 9:10 p.m.

Behind the scenes

Local music lovers, chambers of commerce and M.D.'s Choice Home Care teamed up to organize the event, which will benefit the chambers and Lakes Area Hospice, a non-profit organization that assists the terminally ill and their families.

The goal was "to present some good, old-fashioned fun and musical entertainment," according to LAH coordinator Paula Moore.

The event includes arts and crafts and food vendors; for a booth call Angie Brown at the Kirbyville Chamber of Commerce, 423-5827. For tickets, contact LAH at 384-5995 or buy them at the gate; for other questions call the Jasper Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce, 384-2762.

The rodeo arena is at Calvert and Fletcher Streets, a block off of U.S. Highway 96 North in Jasper.

Alan Léger of Thunder and Lightning Productions arranged the musical line up.

Friday schedule

Gates open about 4 p.m. Friday, official welcome and sponsor recognition by Jeanette Coffield, executive director of LAH at 4:45 p.m.; opening prayer by Delbert Milstead who also serves as master of ceremonies; National Anthem by Eddie Hopkins, LAH board member; and flag presentation by Boy Scouts Troop #632. Entertainment is from 5 - 10 p.m.

Saturday schedule

Saturday gates open early and the day begins at 8:30 a.m. with recorded music and announcements; at 9:45 the official welcome and sponsor recognition by Anne Pickle, LAH board president; prayer by Mike Neel, LAH chaplain; the National Anthem by Paul Noyola, president of Vektive Multimedia; and flag presentation by Boy Scouts Troop #832. Entertainment begins at 10 a.m. and runs non-stop until 10 p.m.