Kurt L. Moore

Myrle Henry’s Florida Opry 

The Stars Were Shining

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Myrle Henry’s Florida Opry

The stars were shining brightly, both above and under the big tent at the Plant City Strawberry Festival when Myrle Henry presented his Florida Opry.

Jack Greene, a long-time music icon in the Country Music industry, was the headliner for the show. Jack pretty well had 1967 to himself as far as country awards go. That year, referred to as the year of Jack Greene, saw him become the first artist to ever receive four Country Music Association awards. He garnered Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for his recording of “There Goes My Everything.” Since then, that feat has only been matched by three entertainers; Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Randy Travis.

Jack sang the songs that made him the star he is and then brought Candi Carpenter onstage to join him. Candi has been with Jack for over two years as a featured artist on his show, “Yesterday and Today.” Candi, who turned 18 last year, has a stunningly bright future ahead of her. She sang a great rendition of “Cowboy Sweetheart,” that featured her yodeling talent. On her web site, www.candicarpenter.com, she tells how she learned to yodel.

Her story puts me in mind of Roy Clark telling of the first guitar he ever had. He said he got the guitar as a gift and it came with a Sears Lick Book. That is how he learned his licks. Well Candi, in the same fashion, bought a book titled “Learn to Yodel the Cowboy Way.”

The book had a warning on the first page stating that while learning to yodel, the sounds might be annoying to others. She says, the book was right. Fortunately, for her and for us, the audience, she finally got the hang of it. Dear reader, I will say it again,Candi, as far as I am concerned, has a great, bright and shiny future ahead of her.

Garyelvis Britt, a local Plant City resident and a world class Elvis Tribute Artist, was on the program as well. Garyelvis, founder of the “Love Me Tender Charity Day,” which, in memory of Elvis Presley, is a Teddy Bear day for hospitalized and orphaned kids and a food day for local food shelters, is noted for his many contributions of time and talent to charities of all types.

To learn more about this special charity, go to: www.garyelvis.com. Garyelvis is a very personable performer who goes out of his way to see that everyone gets his or her dollar worth of entertainment. An example would be when Garyelvis, while singing an Elvis song and passing out scarves, in the traditional Elvis style, went all the way to the back of the tent and passed a scarf on to a disabled woman who would not normally have had the opportunity to get one. Now folks, that is one classy guy.

Another gal, who performed on the Opry and has a tremendous future ahead of her is Mikki Taylor. Mikki, only in her early 20s, has amassed an amazing 1000 plus performances. What Mikki does is nothing short of phenomenal. Not only does she have one of the strongest, clearest and most beautiful four-octave voices I have ever  heard, but she does ventriloquism with a pet monkey.

Mikki is very polished in her performance and well, so is the monkey. She is funny, extremely talented and pretty easy on the eyes. Mikki is destined to go far quickly in her career.

A bunch of bright-eyed, excited kids clogged their way into the audience’s heart on the Opry that night. The Circle M Cloggers from Bartow, Florida were all over the stage as they performed several clogging skits, much to everyone’s delight. The kids were in perfect unison, their costumes were right on the mark and their clogging was some of the best I have ever seen on any stage, anywhere.

The Wacaster Ministries, Sebring, Fl, was well represented by the Wacaster family, Darren, his wife Hope and son Matthew. Matthew, I would like to say, was backed by his mother and father. Matthew is a 12 year old bundle of talent who started singing with his family at the age of three. Matthew was the star of the Wacaster Ministries trio. Darren and Hope were excellent as well, but you know how it is with pets and kids, they are just so darned cute. http://www.thewacasterfamily.com"

 Seriously, Matthew has a real future ahead of him. He reminded me of Joe Tinoco, who operates a show in Branson, Missouri, has Tinoco Productions and has made movies with Dolly Parton. Well, anyway, Joe started his career at about the age Matthew is now and went on to become extremely successful. Also, Matthew looks a bit like Joe. I will say, without an iota of doubt, that this kid is really going to go places he has not, in his wildest dreams, dreamt of.

Ken McWilliams and the Nashville Band  performed background music for most of the evening. The band did a few solo musical numbers that were up-tempo, lively and had the audience toe-tapping and hand clapping.  Every man in the band was of star quality and as they played together they made  great music.

Myrle Henry, into his eighth year with the Florida Opry, would have to do something pretty spectacular to out-shine the show he put together for the Strawberry Festival this year. Florida Opry old-timers and new-comers all agreed; this was the best show ever.

© Copyright 2005—Kurt L. Moore—All Rights Reserved.

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