By By Ida Brown/The Meridian Star
May 3, 2001
This year's re-formatted Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival kicks off tonight.
As in previous years, the annual salute to the Singing Brakeman will begin with Gospel Night. Scheduled to begin at 7 at the Temple Theater, the evening's line-up will feature Annie and Kelly McRae, 2nd Mile, Liberty Quartet, the Reed Brothers Band and Tim Frith and the Gospel Echoes.
Seating will be reserved and tickets are $10.
South Louisiana's Tab Benoit will perform his own brand of Cajun rock 'n' blues as the headline performer Friday night. Blue Mountain, whose sound is a mixture of North Mississippi country blues and mountain songs with the edge of rock 'n' roll, will also take center stage.
On Saturday, Mississippi native and singer/songwriter Greg Crowe will be the headliner. Described as "dirt road country at its best," Crowe's latest projects include a self-titled CD and the Tennessee Titan's official theme.
Regional favorite Britt Gully and the Water Moccasins also will perform Saturday night. The band's sound has been described as hillbilly, honky tonk, hot rod, honk-a-billy music.
Concerts on Friday and Saturday will begin at 7 p.m. in the Temple Theater Ballroom. Tickets are $10 for general admission seating. Tickets may be purchased at Good Vibrations, The Music Emporium, the Sound Shop or the Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau.
Tickets also are available at the Temple Box Office, located on Eighth Street and 24th Avenue. The box office will be open today from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets may also be ordered by phone by calling 693-5353.
In addition to three nights of live musical entertainment, talent competitions for both youth and adults will be held Friday and Saturday at Bonita Lakes Mall.
Preliminaries for the adult talent competition will be held Friday, with finals slated for Saturday. The overall winner will receive a $300 cash prize.
The youth talent show will be held Saturday with the following age divisions: 3-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12-40. According to Barbara Watson, coordinator, 30-40 single vocalists, instrumentalists and groups will perform.
The annual Jimmie Rodgers Golf Tournament will be held today at Briarwood Country Club. The tournament will be a six-man scramble.
For more information on the festival, call the Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau at 482-8001 or (888) 868-7720.
Ida Brown is lifestyles editor of The Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3224, or e-mail her at ibrown@themeridianstar.com.