Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds in Mercedes, Texas February 18 -22, 2009.
Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds in Mercedes, Texas February 18 -22, 2009. For information contact:
George Rogers, President george.rogers@rgvmf.com
I.W. Henson, Vice President IWHenson@rgvmf.com
Anna Jenkins, Treasurer treasurer@rgvmf.com or anna.jenkins@rgvmf.com
Edy McKenzie, Secretary secretary@rgvmf.com or edy.mckenzie@rgvmf.com
Some of the great performers scheduled for the 2009 Rio Grande Valley Music Festival
Cactus Willie, Boxcar Bob and the Drifter
This popular group performs a busy schedule throughout the Valley during the winter season. In the summer they appear at various Midwest venues, including Branson and their own Cowboy and Hobo Festival in Brainard, MN.
Francis Hahn
Francis Hahn, who is retired from the US Army, has been a musician fron an early age. As soon as he and his wife moved to the Valley for the winters, he became involved in jam sessions, singing and playing guitar. He has written many of his own songs that he sings as well as some of Terry Smith's. He has been in involved with the festival for many years and is always welcome.
Walter Plant
The Rio Grande Valley Music Festival will present a special concert featuring Walter Plant Thursday on the City of Mercedes Stage. Walter is a native Texan, born in Corpus Christi and raised in the Coastal Bend area. Although blind from birth, he has been blessed with unique and wonderful musical talents. He has a spectacular voice and blends four keyboards in to his background music.
The Red Johnson Show
Featuring Chuck Peterson, Fred Seldon Merle "C" Cernohlavek. Red Johnson began his career in the 50’s as a singer-songwriter and band leader, writing songs for Rex Allen & Dave Dudley, and scored a hit on Capitol Records with a tribute song to Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and others, with There’s a Grand Ole Opry Show Playing Somewhere.Red is a member of 2 Halls of Fame, the Rock & Country Hall of Fame & the National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame and is a charter member of the Country Music Association.Red is a regular performer on the RFD Channel’s Midwest Country Show. Red has recorded 10 albums of self-written songs which include Sunday Will Come Again, Veterans Day and I’ll See You In The Morning. His shows include a lot of laughter & family style music.
Valley Tumbleweeds
The Valley Tumbleweeds is a newly formed group performing in the Valley this winter. Members of the band are Fred "Poppy" Rasmussen on mandolin and vocals, Bill Kreitz on the bass and vocals, Suzy Kreitz, rhythm guitar and vocals, Pat Jett, vocals, and Lewis "Lewie" Jett on lead guitar and vocals.
The Link Family Returns to RGVMF
Once again the very popular Link Family Band will return to the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival for 2009. They will present a one hour performance of their special blend of bluegrass gospel on the Melhart Stage Friday, February 20 at 1:00 PM. This will be their only RGVMF appearance for this year so you don't want miss it.
JACK NELSON of COUNTY LINE
Jack Nelson has called Manitoba home since 1983. Originally from Ontario, he began his singing career in the early 70's.
His easy listening style is well suited to the broad range of "Classic Country" music that he performs, including hits from Tom T. Hall, Randy Travis, Merle Haggard, Hank Snow, George Jones , Johnny Cash and many, many more. His shows are often referred to as a journey through the "History of Country Music".
His band won contests in 1997 which resulted in performances at the "Dauphin Country Fest", and "Wee Fest" in Detroit Lakes, opening for "Little Texas" . Jack has also done guest appearances at "The Palace" in Nashville, and also appeared with Tommy Cash, George Morgan and various other Nashville entertainers, throughout his career.
Highlights of his performances in Manitoba included the "Manitoba Academy of Country Music Awards" shows in 1996 and 1997 where he was nominated Male Vocalist.
In addition to Special event bookings throughout Manitoba, recent engagements also include performances at The South Beach Casino in Grand Beach, Manitoba, and The Club Regent and McPhillips Street Station Casino's in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In February, 2008, Jack was the recipient of the Male Vocalist Award at the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival in Mercedes, Texas.
His southern "COUNTY LINE" band will be performing throughout the Rio Grande Valley in 2008/2009.
For bookings call 956 969-9725 or www.snelson4@rgv.it.com.
The "Singing Cherokee", Young is proud of his Native American roots and equally proud to be a part of Country music. He was born and raised in Missouri and Colorado and is presently a certified tribal member and also a council spokesman for the Cherokee Nation.
Young is a natural musician who began his music while in the military. On his discharge from this he started playing music seriously and has won numerous awards, from equally numerous venues for his singing and his songwriting, among these the Red Rider Show, Roy Rogers Country Music, Cannon Dam Opera of Perry, Missouri; Johnson Jubilee, Gene Autry Museum and Music Festival, South Texas Music Festival, Missouri River County Blue Grass and Gospel, Thespian Hall of Booneville, Missouri; and several others.
His most recent award was winning the "Over 50" category Vocalist of the Year Award for 2006 from the American National Country and Bluegrass in Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Young will be performing in solo presentations and also will perform with Dale Howard at various times and on various stages at the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival to be held at the Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds on February 18-22.
Dale Howard
Dale Howard is a native Texan and a cousin of Jim Reeves. His grandmother and mother would play all of Jim Reeves records,
and Dale learned every song by heart at an early age. He has performed Jim Reeves songs, plus many of his own, at many venues throughout north Texas. He came to the Valley in 2008 for the RGVMF and was well received. He returns for 2009 and is sure to please.
Marlyce Stockinger
Marlyce Stockinger of Branson, Mo is returning to Texas to be a guest performer at the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival, Westlaco, TX. Stockinger has performed all over the United States playing her Dobro and singing those wonderful Traditional Country, Bluegrass and Gospel songs that everyone knows. Stockinger says when she is on stage she loves to bring back "old memories" or create "new memories" that will make her audience smile again and again.
Stockinger brought back that wonderful song, "If I Could See the World Through the Eves of a Child" and it climbed to number 13 on the charts in Europe. The European Market loved that unique sound as did those who enjoyed listening to her in such states as Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and many more.
She was inducted into the National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame, sang at music festivals throughout the United States, fairs, opry houses, television shows, she has judged vocals and Dobro Contests.
She is very excited to return to Texas and see old friends and entertain for all those at the festival.
The Canadian Twins: Ike, Tony, Colleen and Friends
Ike Warkentin, founding RGVMF President, with Tony and Colleen Brezinski form the group called "The Canadian Twins". They do great harmony on good old time country songs. The "friends" may vary, but will probably include Marlyce Stockinger.