Vol 4 No 3 Summer
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CONTENTS Publisher/Designer: Karyn Lyn Publisher/Editor: Greg Forest Design & Layout: Lonesome Dove Design Studio Columnists & Contributing Writers: Karyn Lyn, Greg Forest, Kathleen Hudson, Joe Herring, Phil Houseal, Jil Utterback, Gary Lockte, Mary Schenk, Genie Strickland, Betty Sharp, Homer Stevens, Colleen Brooks, Carlotta Schmittgen & Jack Armstrong Proof Readers: Jil Utterback, Guy Barzetti Layout & Web Site: The Music Office Photographers: Greg Forest, Karyn Lyn, Nancy Essary- Sales: Karyn Lyn, Greg Forest, Richard Redmond, Colleen Brooks, Jennifer Nimmrichter, Gary Smith, Guy Barzetti, Contact Heart Beat texasheartbeat.com | PO Box 1204 |Bandera,TX 78003 Karyn (210) 316-2986 [email protected] Greg (830) 746-8041, [email protected] Phil Houseal Visits The Backyard Fredericksburg has opened yet another great music venue with space suitable for national touring acts. The Backyard is starting to get off the ground and it's a sure bet to be packing 60 in the crowds this summer. Phil has the whole scoop on what owner Sloan Ruth has up her sleeve. Kathleen Hudson The Women Behind Willie's Music Willie Nelson has been a Texas and country music icon since the 1950s. Little is known about the women (primarily his sisters) that 36 helped him along the way. Careers like Willie's can't be sustained without the support of those who love him. The Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country is published quarterly by Heart Beat Publishing PO Box 1204, Bandera, Texas 78003. Opin- ions expressed in articles may not be those of the publisher and editor of the The Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country, its advertisers, writers or contributors. All content is copyrighted by The Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the publisher. The Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country is not liable for editorial content, typographical errors and any statements or claims by advertisers or columnists. Subscriptions are $25 per year payable to The Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country at the above address. 4 Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country SUMMER 2017 SUMMER 2017 Allyce's Attic Sum, Sum, Summertime! The heat is on and summer is here. From tubing in the river, s'mores on the campfire & hot dogs on the grill it's t-shirts and shorts time as the Hill Country moves into a blazing summer. Grab an ice tea and sit back with Mary Allyce. 35 Carlotta Schmittgen NASCAR & Wheel of Fortune? Carlotta is back on the speedway covering NASCAR and is confronted with coincidence and her husband Rick finds himself midfield having wrangled an audition for Wheel of Fortune. Pretty odd that there were no sports questions for the contestants at a sporting event but, hey, that's TV for you. 38 Joe Herring Folk Festival Misconceptions The Kerrville Folk Festival, the greatest tourist draw in Kerrville, doesn't seem to garner the respect its due from Kerrville locals. Some folks seem to think its a return to the 60's peace and love festivals. Not so. Careers of some of America's best songwriters have been launched from the 12 festival and that has been the main focus for 45 years. Dalis Allen Folk Festival Gearing Up The 46th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival kicked off Memorial Day weekend and continues on through June 11th. There is a lot of music still to go and some great workshops coming up. Dalis has details on New Folk and other festival highlights. 11 Greg Forest CD and Live Concert Reviews At 84 years old, Willie Nelson is still releasing great recordings - Forest takes a look at his most recent, "God's Problem Child" David Broza presents a musical solution to problems in the Middle East and finally a live review of blues legend Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown. texasheartbeat.com Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country 5 banderageneralstore.com Western Gifts, Sauces/Salsa/Jams & Texas Gourmet Foods SUMMER Select Men’s Boots Size 7-9.5 = $50! 8 Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country SUMMER 2017 Sandy & Ernie Dykstra (830) 459-4142 Glenn Modgling (830) 459-4144 Shop (830) 995-2977 comfortcandlecompany.com texasheartbeat.com Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country 9 10 Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country SUMMER 2017 THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL 46 YEARS AND COUNTING By Dalis Allen Celebrating Songwriters and the art of songwriting once again for 18 straight days at Quiet Valley Ranch! If you have been with us thus far you know how much fun we have been having. AND we still have almost two weeks left of the 2017 Festival through June 11. Songwriter Rex Foster Before Festival even started we were hosting events in Austin with 16 art- And speaking again of Grassy Hill ists during SXSW, the Saxon Pub with B Kerville New Folk, all six of our 2016 Award Sterling and Shake Russell & Michael Winners will open the show on Friday June Hearne and at Johnny Nicholas ‘ Hilltop 8. Rachel Laven (she plays in Kerrville quite Café with Johnny, South Austin Moon- regularly), Addie Brownlee, Emily Scott lighters and Los Texmaniacs. Both Johnny Robinson, Ben de la Cour, Joe Shields and Nicholas and Los Texmaniacs will be play- Justin Farren. ing on Saturday June 3rd. June 9 and 10 bring us back We have grieved together over around to celebrating two of the greatest the news of Jimmy LaFave’ s cancer and songwriters ever, Guy Clark and Townes held each other a little more tightly and re- VanZandt. All of the artists featured on membered to say I love you a lot more. these nights knew one or both of them per- We have celebrated the Grassy sonally and will tell their stories and sing Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners their praises in song. for 2017 and are looking forward to their And so will bring to an end year 46 concert on Sunday June 4th from Noon to of the Kerrville Folk Festival, closing as al- 3PM. ways with our anthem ‘Heal in the Wisdom’ We are celebrating another great written by Bobby Bridger and led this year festival that happens in Fischer Texas in by his son Gabe Bridger. November called, whoa! Fischer Fest! July brings our Music Camp for Join us on Monday June 5th from 7 - 9PM Teens in collaboration with Boys & Girls to listen to three of the great songwriters Clubs of Central Texas. that they featured at their last year’s fest, The Kerrville Fall Music Festival is Michael O’Connor, Susan Gibson and Walt Labor Day weekend September 1 -3, 2017. Wilkins. Schedule will be online at www.kerrvillefolk- Rex Foster another Hill Coun- festival.org try treasure is presenting his project ‘The Lost Recordings’ on Tuesday June 6 from Thanks for reading about the Kerrville Folk 7 - 9PM at our Threadgill Theater. These Festival in Texas Heart Beat Magazine. weekday shows just can’t be beat; home before 10PM! texasheartbeat.com Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country 11 Those who have actually Beginning in 1972 as a part of gone to the Kerrville Folk Festival have the festivities surrounding the Texas State learned something that might surprise Arts and Crafts Fair, the Kerrville Folk Fes- those who haven’t been. While there tival has seen many changes in its histo- are plenty of ‘colorful’ attendees at the ry. In fact, it survived the event of which it Kerrville Folk Festival, there are more was a part; the Arts and Crafts Fair ended than a few other folk there, too. Doc- years ago. The festival was founded by tors, teachers, preachers, booksellers, the late Rod Kennedy, it is now produced cooks, executives, working folk and stu- by the very capable Dalis Allen. The festi- dents all go to the Kerrville Folk Festi- val is overseen by a diverse board of di- val. The crowds I’ve seen don’t look that rectors from several states. much different than crowds you’d see in If your experience is like mine, Antler Stadium for a Friday night foot- whenever I tell people where I’m from, es- ball game. pecially people from Texas, the first thing I attended the very first Kerr- they mention is the Kerrville Folk Festival. ville Folk Festival in 1972, when I was When I was interviewed on a different 10 years old. That first event was held topic several weeks ago by a Wall Street in the Kerrville Municipal Auditorium, Journal reporter, he wanted to talk about which had concrete floors and rows of the Kerrville Folk Festival. folding chairs. The acoustics were just The festival is widely known, and terrible. it makes a giant economic impact on our But the performers were tal- community. During its eighteen day run, ented and fun, and the crowds were tens of thousands of visitors stay in our enthusiastic. Even Lyndon Johnson, hotels, eat in our restaurants, buy gasoline Ladybird Johnson, and Darrell Royal and groceries, and spend money. The tax attended that first concert. revenues from their visits help fund need- From such humble beginnings ed projects in our city and county, and we a great event was born. all benefit from the event. I hope you'll find your way to Strangely, though, our communi- the Kerrville Folk Festival this year. ty tends to turn its back on the festival. I have noticed, when reminding audiences or meetings of the upcoming festival, lo- cals tend to smirk. They conjure up images of some of the more eccentric members of the Kerrville Folk Festival group of visitors and assume (quite wrongly) that Quiet Val- ley Ranch becomes the hub of the hippie universe for three weeks.