Open Mic, January 5, 2019

Blockbuster Opening for 2019 Open Mic

"Saturday night's Performing Arts and Open Mic Show at the Arts Center was a smashing success and an awesome start the new year," said Arts Center president Ron Hackett. "We had a full slate of very talented performers and lots of donations to keep the show going. John and Jean Woodall gave the Arts Center an especially generous gift, and we appreciate their support."

Host Robert Foster started the show with a cover of Chris Stapleton's "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore." He followed that with Lyle Lovett's "If I had a Boat" and Cat Stevens' "Father and Son."

Len Bullard, a studio recording artist from Huntsville, started his set with "By the Time I get to Phoenix," that was written by Isaac Hayes and recorded by Glen Campbell. His next song was

"God Bless the Child," that was written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939 and covered by the band Blood, Sweat and Tears. Bullard played with pre-recorded tracks on this song, and the recording included his son on the horn parts. He finished with a whimsical tune from his youth entitled, "Green Grass," by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.

Marty Scott from Tullahoma teamed with guitarist Drew Tucker from Fayetteville and began his set with "Mr. Bojangles," that was written by Jerry Jeff Walker and recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They continued with "Leonard," by Merle Haggard and "Place Out On the Ocean," Jamey Johnson.

James Hackney from Petersburg took the stage next to perform "Holding Things Together," by Merle Haggard and "Murder on Music Row," by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell. His wife Emily joined him on stage to pay tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash by reprising their famous "Going to Jackson" duet.

Randal Mills from Petersburg is a frequent performer at the performing arts shows. He started his set with "Hurt," by Johnny Cash. His next song was "House of the Rising Sun," which is a traditional folk song of uncertain authorship. Musicologists have even linked it to a 16th-century ballad entitled, "The Unfortunate Rake." He finished his set with "God is Great, Beer is Good," that was written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones.

Singer and songwriter Steve Payne, a retired Navy veteran from Huntsville, performed three of his original songs. He began with "Someplace Like Home." His next song, "June Breeze," was a tribute to his grandfather who liked to pray while taking long walks in the woods. He finished with a song that he wrote for his wife entitled, "You and Me."

Troy Durm from Tullahoma took the stage with Drew Tucker on guitar. Marty Scott joined them to sing an original song written by Durm and Scott as a tribute to Durm late wife who succumbed to breast cancer two years ago. The song is entitled, "Pink is the Color of Hope," which is also the name of their county music cancer benefit that will be held at the South Jackson Civic Center in Tullahoma on February 23, 2019. Durm and Tucker continued with a Bob McDill tribute set that included "Good Ole Boys Like Me," and "Don't Close Your Eyes."

The show ended with singer and songwriter Greg Mitchell from Fayetteville who joined with guitarist Ron Hackett, also from Fayetteville, for a set of Mitchell's original songs. Their first song entitled, "Sunday Morning at the Opry" was inspired by Mitchell's visit to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on the morning after a show. Their next song was about a small town in Texas northwest of San Antonio. Mitchell wrote "Bandera Moon" hoping that George Strait might be interested, but the publisher Mitchell pitched to didn't agree. Their last song was Jimmy Buffet inspired tune about love in the Florida cayes entitled, "Take Me."

Photo courtesy of Ron Hackett