The 19th Annual George St rait Team Roping Classic Is The plans have all been finalized for the check or money order and $16 (including come, first served basis. All orders con- 19th Annual George Strait Team Roping postage and handling) for each day’s ticket taining ticket orders for both days will be Classic that will be held on July 13th & to: processed first. All remaining tickets for 14th in San Antonio, Texas. The world- George Strait Team Roping Classic the event, should there be any available, class event will again take place at the San 24165 IHIO West will be sold to the public beginning June Antonio Rose Palace and will be co-spon- Suite 217 - Box 465 18th. Ticket information can be obtained sored by Chevy Trucks and Tractor San Antonio, TX 78255 at 210-698-0791. Information about area Supply Company. The total prize package All orders must be postmarked by June hotels can be obtained from the Boerne for the 2001 Classic is expected to easily 8th and received by June 15th in order to Chamber of Commerce at exceed the more than $200,000 in cash be processed. Tickets are limited to 10 per 830-249-8000.n and prizes awarded last year. person and will be processed on a first The GSTRC is expected to draw many of the greatest team ropers in the country and those wishing to register may do so by calling 210-698-9251 on June 25th and 26th from 5-10pm Central Daylight Time. Sun, Suds & The registration fee is $400 per team and Written by Shane Harrison, Atlanta, GA the field’s own jumbo monitor. This road- ropers may enter up to three times with Submitted by Linda Allen and Betty show is noted for its promptness and orga- three different partners. The preliminaries, Nunamaker, North Augusta, SC nization, and Sunday confirmed that repu- two rounds of roping, will take place on About 40,000 folks spent Sunday in the tation. The sound was as clear as the per- Friday, July 13th with the top 50 teams country, despite being right in the heart of fect sky. coming back for the finals on Saturday, downtown Atlanta. The weather, in fact, was made in order. July 14th. George Strait will be roping in The George Strait Country Music The heat never reached the usual Atlanta the event. Festival rolled into Turner Field for the swelter, or, to borrow a phrase from Alan The champions of the George Strait first time since it inaugurated the Braves’ Jackson’s hometown-fave hit Team Roping Classic will haul their cash home stadium as a concert venue in 1998. “Chattahoochie,” it never got “hotter than away in 2001. Chevy Truck Twin Cab The nine-hour, down-home marathon had a hoochie-coochie.” Much of the stadium duly pickups pulling three-horse slant the feel of an overgrown country fair, area was nicely shaded by late afternoon, Bruton Trailers. The second place team, in despite the $6-$7 beers and the heavy though a few fans looked a little over- addition to their cash earnings, will take advertising presence of Chevy trucks (the cooked. “It was real nice,” said Lisa home a pair of custom made saddles while tour’s unavoidable sponsor). The focus, Whitaker, 31, of Americus, before adding the third place team will sport a pair of though, was always on the music. something you rarely hear at an outdoor Team Roping Classic Buckles while The festival’s music may thump to a event in Atlanta: “We moved to sit in the spending their cash. country beat, but the presentation was sun.” George Strait fans may order their tick- organized and high-tech, with three The crowd was a mix of old and young, ets, while they last, by sending a cashiers screens attached to the stage in addition to (Continued next page) S T R A I T T A L K No Glitz, Just Great Written by Christina Lee Knauss, The State last true masters of honky-tonk heartbreak. sions of hits like “Write This Down” and newspaper, Columbia, S.C. His onstage manner was sometimes a little “Check Yes or No,” and even threw in some Submitted by Allison Renee Burden, more subdued than Jackson’s, but no less smoking Texas swing that had many in the Anderson, S.C. powerful. crowd two-stepping and clogging in the If anybody at Williams-Brice Stadium The crowd roared when Jackson returned to aisles. Saturday night was afraid pure country the stage halfway through Strait’s set to join Strait and Jackson topped a full day of music was dead, Alan Jackson and George him in a sizzling version of the song crowd-pleasers from start to finish. Strait laid their fears to rest. “Murder on Music Row,” a devastating Singers Sara Evans treated the early These two ambassadors of unadulterated indictment of commercialized country music. arrivals to tune such as “No Place That Far,” country music mesmerized the crowd at the Their voices blended in a sweet yet rugged “Saints and Angels” and her latest No. 1, George Strait Country Music Festival. harmony. “Born to Fly.” After a day’s worth of music and good-time While many people sang along with the Brad Paisley played a red-hot set that atmosphere, Jackson and Strait provided tune, some women in the crowd took the included “We Danced,” “Me Neither” and a what were by far the two strongest sets of time to whoop over the fact that Jackson had solo acoustic version of the classic, “Are the the festival’s Columbia stop. returned to the stage wearing shorts. Good Times Over for Good?” They were definitely what the crowd had Later on in Strait’s set, many couples Lee Ann Womack and her band powered been waiting for after more than six hours of danced in the aisles to love songs like “I Get through a strong set topped by her hit “I music that took place under clear blue skies Carried Away” and “I Just Wanna Dance Hope You Dance,” and good-time country and warm spring temperatures. With You.” band Lonestar had the crowd swaying in uni- Jackson and Strait are two of modern coun- Strait and his band also offered up fun ver- son to their mega-hit “Amazed.” n try music’s few traditional singers, forgoing glitz, sequins and pop influences. Instead, they both rely on rich vocals, strong guitar work and a true knack for finding memo- rable lyrics that speak directly to the heart. Sun, Suds & Strait Jackson’s penchant for substance over glitz some garbed in stylish dresses and others in Americus looked on with their binoculars. was evident from the moment he took the shorts and tank tops. Quite a few fans sport- The stage wasn’t the only place they were stage, dressed in plaid shirt, jeans and brown ed cowboy hats, but plenty donned baseball aiming their lenses. “It’s just been lots of fun cowboy boots. He opened up with a rousing caps for the occasion. They all got a dose of watching everybody,” Booker said. version of his hit. “Gone Country,” and from what George Strait called, in the show’s final After Jackson’s set, the crowd on and near there on the hits just kept coming. hours, “pure country music.” the field seemed to swell in anticipation of He gave the crowd whimsical love songs In these days of pop-toned country, Strait’s the man of the day and night. Strait’s brand like “Tall, Tall Trees” and “It Must Be touring festival is an antidote to the slick, of all-American country inspires intense Love,” tongue-in-cheek tales of heartbreak homogenized fare coming from many of devotion. like “She’s Got the Rhythm (And I Got the today’s biggest country stars. Bemoaning the Cumming resident Monica Chase, 23, was Blues)” and pure country rave-ups like loss of country music’s soul might seem like back for a second time. She attended the “Chattahoochee” and “Little Bitty.” And tilting at windmills, but Strait is determined 1998 show and was there again Sunday they loved them all. to keep the flame alive — and he’s managed despite a draining 10K walk the day before. Jackson also paid homage to country’s to gather some great talents for this tour. On “I am a little worn out today,” she said. But roots with strong versions of “Pop A Top” the mainstage were Grammy nominees Brad her devotion was apparent in her attire. “I’ve by Jim Ed Brown and Hank Williams Jr.’s Paisley and Lee Ann Womack, venerable got the official George Strait hat. See?” she “The Blues Man.” He and his talented band Texas western swingers Asleep at the Wheel said, pulling it off and pointing out the small even offered up a bluegrass version of the and Newnan native Jackson. signature plate on the band. song “Seven Bridges Road.” Sara Evans, a star on the rise, caught the The stalwart Strait is the star of the show in The return to country’s roots just got better attention of Sherri Booker, 31, one of more than name, with cowboy hats waving when Strait hit the stage. Whitaker’s traveling companions from and deafening roar rising as he arrived to the Strait, like Jackson, was dressed in plaid Americus. “She was so good, and I didn’t strains of “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” shirt, cowboy hat, and jeans. And, like know of her until today,” Booker said.