The tribute to the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta has just aired on AXStv and will be released on DVD this month. I was lucky enough to attend the show and this is the first chance I’ve had to post the photos to my web site. It was an amazing night of music with some remarkable performances from amazingly talented musicians.
Here is group one of the photos.
Randy Houser, Jimmy Hall, Robert Randolph, Aaron Lewis
THE OAK RIDGE BOYS ANNOUNCE 2013 CHRISTMAS TIME’S-A-COMIN’ TOUR
Legendary award-winning, hit-making group celebrate 24th Anniversary of Christmas Tour
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 16, 2013)– Grammy Award-winning music legends The Oak Ridge Boys will celebrate their 24th Anniversary of their annual Christmas Tour in 2013 with a festive show featuring live performances of holiday classics and their biggest hits. Additionally, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Joe Bonsall are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of The Oak Ridge Boys. The Oak Ridge Boys came together in 1973, beginning as gospel singers, became a top act in country music and then crossed over to pop with the monster hit “Elvira” in 1981. The song became their fourth No. 1 country hit, reached No. 5 on the pop charts, won the group a Grammy® award and went on to become one of only a handful of singles released out of Nashville ever to go double platinum. The Oak Ridge Boys recently became members of the Grand Ole Opry®.
The Oak Ridge Boys are known for creating a show atmosphere of holiday cheer with their Christmas tour, which consistently receives rave reviews and has become a holiday tradition in its own right since its start 24 years ago. The masterful blends of new and traditional yuletide tunes are enhanced by the powerhouse group’s renowned four-part harmonies.
“Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The Oak Ridge Boys get to take our Christmas tour all over the USA, sharing joy, happiness, gifts, families getting together, and, of course, the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Our Christmas shows are the highlight of our year,” says Oak Ridge Boy Duane Allen.
The Oak Ridge Boys will be filling the holiday season with the celebrated sounds of their Christmas Time’s A-Coming CD (Gaither Gospel Series). The album was released to retail outlets in 2012, with an exclusive version of the CD available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®, featuring two heartwarming bonus tracks that capture the meaning of the season. The Christmas Time’s A-Coming album marks the Oaks’ sixth holiday CD.
“Our 40th Anniversary tour dates are turning into celebrations everywhere we go. We have chosen a busy schedule so we can say ‘thank you’ to the many promoters, radio stations, fairs, festivals, and our wonderful fans who have all supported us for so many years. We hope everyone will come on out and celebrate with us,” adds Allen.
Christmas Time’s-A-Comin’ Tour Dates:
Nov 5-7 – Branson, MO
Nov 12-14 – Branson, MO
Nov 16 – Wisconsin Dells, WS
Nov 19-21 – Branson, MO
Nov 25 – Portsmouth, OH
Nov 29 – Sioux Falls, SD
Nov 30 – Des Moines, IA
Dec 1 – Cheyenne, WY
Dec 2 – Salt Lake City, UT
Dec 3 – Cedar City, UT
Dec 5 – Billings, MT
Dec 6 – Boise, ID
Dec 7 – Kennewick, WA
Dec 8 – Lewiston, ID
Dec 9 – Spokane, WA
Dec 10 – Eugene, OR
Dec 11 – Redding, CA
Dec 12 – Yountville, CA
Dec 13 – Northridge, CA
Dec 14 – Coachella, CA
Dec 15 – Tucson, AZ
Dec 16 – Amarillo, TX
Dec 17 – Topeka, KS
Dec 18 – Cedar Rapids, IA
Dec 19 – Wabash, IN
Dec 20 – Akron, OH
Dec 21 – Toledo, OH
Dec 22 – Green Bay, WI
Tracks on Christmas Time’s A-Coming
1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
2. Peterbilt Sleigh
3. Here Comes Santa Claus
4. Christmas Time’s A-Coming
5. White Christmas
6. All I Want For Christmas Is You
7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
8. Getting Ready For A Baby
9. Joy To The World
10. Mary, Did You Know?
11. Mary Had A Little Lamb
12. Glorious Impossible
Tracks on The Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Collection
1. Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight
2. Elvira
3. An American Family
4. Thank God For Kids
5. Amazing Grace
6. God Will Take Care of You
7. American Made
8. Jesus Is Coming Soon
9. G.I. Joe & Lillie
10. How Great Thou Art
11. The Star-Spangled Banner
Photos from the Camden, NJ stop on the The XL Tour featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd & Bad Company with openers Black Stone Cherry.
The show from start to finish was top notch. Rock and roll at it’s finest. Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd each played 13 song sets of classic material in celebration of their respective 40th anniversaries.
Here are selections of the photos that I took at the show, including my meet and greet photo with Lynyrd Skynyrd: THE XL TOUR (CAMDEN) ALBUM
These are photos from the March 22, 2013 show at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. The Wallflowers opened for Eric Clapton. The tickets said no cameras, but I managed a few from my point and shoot.
[Artist of the Week is a new feature on CreativelyMusical.com. It’ll be where I share some of the artists I like and have an interest in. These articles will include a few facts and some personal thoughts about each artist, plus some of my favorite songs as well. I won’t promise you’ll hear the most famous recordings they’ve done, as I have come to love deep album cuts more than radio singles. Sources for each article will be at the bottom where available.]
Rickey Medlocke
Rickey Medlocke
Rickey Medlocke
Rickey Medlocke and Gary Rossington
Rickey Medlocke, New Years Eve, Nashville TN
Rickey Medlocke, New Year’s Eve, Nashville, TN
Mark Matejka and Rickey Medlocke – New Year’s Ever, Nashville, TN
Rickey Medlocke, Garry Rossington, Johnny Colt
Artist: Rickey Medlocke
Birth Date: February 17, 1950
Rickey Medlocke has been playing music nearly all of his life. While most famous for fronting Blackfoot and playing guitar in Lynyrd Skynyrd, he has been playing and performing since he was a child.
He got his start playing with his grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, learning such instruments as the banjo, guitar and drums. He also learned to play the mandolin and dobro, as well as the keyboards as he got older.
Rickey played with Blackfoot from its inception until rejoining Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the early seventies, playing drums on the Muscle Shoals sessions. He also wrote and sang a few songs on those sessions.
Music is a passion for Rickey; he practices or plays every day and has an energy on stage that performers a third his age can’t match. For me, personally, that energy is what has captivated me and just made me a fan from the first time I watched him live.
I will rarely say I am the biggest fan because a lot of the time I’m late to the party. I had known a Blackfoot song or two and a Lynyrd Skynyrd song or two. But in 2010, the first time I got to see Lynyrd Skynyrd live I was hooked. I had to have everything I could get my hands on. Now I had seen Lynyrd Skynyrd and Montgomery Gentry on CMT Crossroads, I remember taping it. I am a Montgomery Gentry fan. I knew of Blackfoot from Warrant covering “Train, Train.” That was about it until 2010.
In 2010, my boss opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The rest as they say is history. I was hooked on everything Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot. I bought the “Lyve” DVD before I went to New Jersey to see Lynyrd Skynyrd live and I just fell in love with Rickey and the way he played. It is one of those things you can’t explain. He’ll often say that the pre-crash version of Lynyrd Skynyrd had this “magic” about them, well he does, too.
Through interviews, articles and stories I have learned a lot about Rickey, Blackfoot, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the whole scene that they emanated from. I still have much more to learn, but as time goes by I learn a lot about what drives people with longevity in this business. Rickey was once asked how to describe himself in three words. Those three words were “a real musician.” That is the definition of someone who would play no matter what, they live and breathe music and it is a big part of their soul.
I appreciate that, it is what has endeared me to the musicians that I admire. Many of those are guitar players – Marty Stuart, Keith Urban, Vince Gill – and they all have a passion for music that shows in everything they do. Rickey’s passion is evident, always front and center, he enjoys himself and that makes him fun to watch.
Rickey, of Native American heritage, is also working with First American Productions on a series of documentaries about reservations and Native heritage in America. The first episode of “Homeland Nation” was about the Mescalero Apache. Rickey narrated, interviewed guests and wrote and performed songs for the soundtrack. Additional episodes are in the works as well.
The music selections for Rickey’s Artist of the Week feature are selections from throughout his career with Blackfoot, Lynyrd Skynyrd and solo pieces as well. All of the following selections, except for “Guitar Slinger’s Song And Dance” can be found on Rhapsody and links are below (and iTunes).
You can also check out the following YouTube videos:
1. Native American Music Awards 2008 (Rickey was inducted into the Hall of Fame) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGmgbgB8Axk – This video contains the song “Guitar Slinger’s Song And Dance.”
Tracks on Christmas Time’s A-Coming
Tracks on The Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Collection
