The Nostalgic 50s Relived at the Shindig Show
By
Minda Painter

The thrill of the “Fabulous 50’s” night at the Cotton Pickin’ Theatre filled the air last Saturday. Several people in the audience took pleasure in dressing in retro clothes of the time, and that just added to the fun.

The Shindig Band did a marvelous job of musically taking everyone back to that era of the 50’s. Each of the regular Shindig troupe performed their favorite 50’s tune. Several numbers were prepared just for this night. Danny Calk performed “You Win Again”, a 1952 song by Hank Williams, Sr.

A real surprising number was “Teen Angel” by Rusty Hines. A hit song coming out in 1959, the tune garnered a lot of publicity because of its morbid theme. The lyrics recount how a teenage girl is killed by an onrushing train, as she tries to retrieve her boyfriend’s class ring. When the song was released, many radio stations refused to play it because of that theme, which made it even more popular.

With his horn slung around his neck, Joe Mac Ivy provided a 1954 classic doo-wap selection titled “Cherry Pie.” His saxophone interlude brought back memories of nights on the dance floor, dancing close to your “Number One”. The Shindig regulars filled the first half of the show with songs of the 50s era and a lot of memories for a big and vocal crowd.

During the break an auction of some cakes baked by Betty Cason was a lot of fun and brought some needed finance for one of our very own. The frivolity was just a warm-up for a fantastic second half.

The rest of the show featured the act of Josh Davis, with his impersonation of the Rock and Roll King, Elvis Presley. He also introduced some popular songs of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis that were prominent numbers on the music charts in the 50s. (Pictured here as Buddy Holly.)

The evening was reminiscent of an Elvis concert with the loud shrills from delighted girls as “Elvis” moved on stage. Josh’s performance of selections from two other 50’s rock ‘n roll legends, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis, added richness to the splendor of that era’s music as presented at this special Shindig Show.

He filled his Elvis repertoire with such selections as “Shake Rattle ‘n Roll”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “All Shook up”, “Jail House Rock”, and several others. Selections of “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis and a medley of Buddy Holly songs covered for the other two rock ’n roll legends.

For a 17-year old, Josh Davis’ impersonation of Elvis Presley is splendid, and his overall performance as an entertainer is exquisite. Josh closed his act with “Long Tall Sally”.

Josh Davis will have two special performances, October 2 and October 31 at the Cotton Pickin' Theatre in Point, Texas. The 50’s Night will be repeated on October 2, and a full two-hour Josh Davis show will be presented on October 31.

Next week, The Rural American Music Revue will feature talent from the Rural American Idol program of the P.O.I.N.T. organization. The show will include a segment for the last audition of the year for contestants to qualify for the semi-final contest on October 23rd.

Cash prize of $1000 will be awarded to the overall winner in the final Rural American Idol showdown on November 20th. Information and entry form may be obtained from the Web site www.ruralamericans.org or call Minda Painter (903-598-3809) or Gaye Hooten (903-598-3293). Showtime is 7:30 p.m.