Six & Mickey Gilley Shows

Six Show (The Knudsen Brothers)

An orchestra of Human Voices! Another WOW! WOW! WOW! show. They didn't allow flash photography, so I didn't take a chance and didn't take any photos. They come from a family of 10 boys and no girls, apparently their mom and dad (Arnold and Joyce Knudsen) wanted a girl. 6 of them teamed up to create a fantastic show with NO instruments--just their sound effects and voices. Every song they sang was one that we really enjoyed from the 50's and Motown to the Beach Boys. Brothers Owen and Jak did most of the sound effects (drums, etc.) with the rest, Lynn, Kevin, Barry and Curtis singing, though all could sing. All but two were born in different states--they were a traveling family (IA, NM, AZ, TX,WA). Now they live and perform here in Branson. If you get to Branson, don't miss this show! I took the below pictures from their website.

4 of the SIX Group

McFarlain's Restaurant (Again)

Twelve of us went to McFarlains for dinner in between shows. The fried green tomatoes were the first thing on our mind--oh, so good! Again, Mem and I had chicken pot pies.

Mickey Gilley Show with Comedian Joe Riley

The Mickey Gilley Show was good, but comedian Joe Riley was really the hit of the show! He had us in stitches!

Mickey Gilley on Piano with his Band

Mickey Singing "Put Your Dreams Away"

Mickey Gilley and Comedian Joe Riley

Mickey as "Sonny"

Tropical Storm Ike is supposed to blow thru in the middle of the night tonight with heavy rain. We decided to stay in Branson for one more night and leave on Monday morning, cutting our visit to Nashville down to a day and a half. So tomorrow will be a get caught up day.

Gatlin Brothers & Presley's Country Jubilee

Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers - Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater

Our show day started at 10:00 a.m. this morning with a great show by the Gatlin Brothers! We would rate this show as one of the top 3 shows that we have seen so far--Jim Stafford and Shoji Tabuchi being the other 2. We've got 3 more shows to attend before we "round em up" and "head em out" on Sunday. They sang songs like "Broken Lady", "She Used to be Somebody's Baby" and "All the Gold in California".

Steve, Larry & Rudy Gatlin Posing for pictures before the show started

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Performing

After the show, those wanting CDs, pictures, etc., signed waited down in front of the stage for them to do so. We had gotten a DVD and Larry & Mem a CD, so we took advantage of getting signatures and pictures with each of them. Here are a few of them:

Mem & Larry Gatlin
(We enjoyed hearing about the song and book that Larry wrote and sang for his granddaughter entitled "Boogers and Snot"*)

Donna & Rudy Gatlin

We had lunch at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill. Mem and I opted for their baked potato soup while the guys got burgers. Boy, was it good!

Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill

Plaza View Restaurant at the Grand Plaza Hotel

The gang got together again tonight for dinner. We had a singer playing his guitar during dinner playing requests and a dance floor that was used often. Here's a picture of one of our tables.

Across from each other: Lou & Anita, friends of Mason and Flo, Mem & Larry, Donna & Chuck and Linda and Jim

Presley's Country Jubilee Branson's Original Show

This show has been running in Branson for more than 40 years and combines country music, gospel and comedy. WOW! What a show! Most all were family members. Here's the Presley that started it all and he's in his 90's and still performing!

And The Family Comedians

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*Boogers and Snot: A Funny, Inspirational Book for Kids Larry Gatlin's Children's Book. Grammy Award-winner Larry Gatlin has been entertaining audiences for over four decades, from childhood gospel performances to the White House to Broadway. So when his granddaughter feels lousy with a cold, he knows exactly how to cheer her up--with a funny song. Gatlin blends his talents as a singer/songwriter and as a loving grandpa in his new picture book, Boogers and Snot: A Grandfather's Story (recently published by Eakin Press). Featuring color photos of the entertainer along with his granddaughter, Parker, the book reveals a grandfather's solution to soothing his little angel's awful cold-by making her laugh at a song he makes up. In the book he shares the song, titled "Boogers and Snot," with other kids and "grownup kids" at a Christmas church service to remind everyone that God loves them, even when a bad cold leaves disgusting results. The book is a grandparent collaboration, with photos taken by Larry's wife, Janis. Printed music and a CD are included for those who want to play and sing along. The book will be in bookstores in mid February and copies are available on http://www.eakinpress.com/ or at http://www.larrygatlin.com/ .

Jim Stafford & Joe Diffie Shows

Jim Stafford - Comedy

Jim Stafford's show, "Laughing Out Loud" with son Sheaffer, 14 and daughter G.G, 11 kept us in stitches. Sheaffer is quite an accomplished pianist and fiddle player and G.G. was great at the piano too and quite a good dancer. This was quite a side-splitting 2-hr show!

Jim Stafford

Sheaffer & Jim Stafford

G.G. Stafford

Landry's Seafood Restaurant

In between shows today, the group got together for dinner at Landry's Seafood Restaurant. Some of us had just come from the Jim Stafford Show and others from "Six". There were 12 of us: Mason (Jim's brother from OK) & Judy, Jim & Linda, Ralph & Janice, Diane and Don, Larry & Mem and Chuck & I. We sure enjoyed the seafood.

Janice, Diane, Mem and Donna at Landry's

Joe Diffie - Yakov's Theatre

What is it about restrooms in Branson! At Yakov's Theatre there was a sign over the toilet paper dispenser that said, "FOR YOUR ROYAL HINEY." Bob Nelson was the emcee and comedian that also performed at Joe's show. He sure was funny. This has been a day of laughs and I have "cheek aches" - the face kind!

Joe Diffie Performing Songs Like "John Deere Green" and "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox"

Shopping and Shoji Tabuchi

Shopping

Mem and I did a little shopping this morning at the Books A Million, Kohls and Wal-Mart stores. We each found a book that we had been looking for. Kohls had a great sale on jewelry (60% off) and we had some specific outfits that we were looking for jewelry to coordinate. We were not disappointed.

Danna's BBQ & Burger Shop

Janice suggested we all meet at Danna's for a big lunch today at 2:00 instead of going out for dinner later. Good Idea! Alot of us had their ribs and barbeque--and will have them for lunch tomorrow too!

Shoji Tabuchi Show

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! What else can I say about the Shoji Tabuchi show that we all attended tonight. We were center stage on row two. We really got to experience the "mist", "bubbles", "confetti" and "snow" throughout the show! Shoji sure had some spectacular jackets and I tried to get a picture of him in each of them, but I'm sure I missed a few. His beautiful daughter, Christine, also performed and was a big hit.

To start off with, we all had to check out the Gentleman and Ladies Rooms! I took some pictures in the Ladies Room and Chuck took the camera in the Gentleman's Room. WOW! A billiards table in the Gentleman's Room had women wanting a tour too! And can you believe it, crushed ice in each urinal! At intermission, there were two ladies in the Ladies Room directing us to which toilet room to go to next. It went very well and the line moved right along.

Ladies Room Pics at the Shoji Tabuchi Theater

Gentleman's Room at the Shoji Tabuchi Theater

Ralph (the Duke) Washing Up

Before the show started, there were clowns up and down the aisles and on the stage to keep us entertained. And then Shoji, in his colorful jackets, and Christine came on stage and dazzled us!

Shoji "Elvis" Tabuchi

Fish Jacket (Picture doesn't do it justice!)

Christine & Shoji Tabuchi

Parsons & Bowdens Enjoying Shoji

Mathenys & Halsteads Enjoying Shoji!

Show Time - Roy Rogers, Jr. & Country Tonite

Happy Trails to You!

Our first Branson show was the Roy Rogers, Jr. & the High Riders show at 10:00 a.m. at the Happy Trails Theater with a self-guided tour of Roy & Dale's museum after. Before the show started, they showed the "This is Your Life, Roy Rogers" TV show up on the screen. Boy, that brought back memories. They also showed pictures of Dale and told about her career BEFORE becoming a cowgirl and Roy's wife. We sure enjoyed all of the music that they sang and played and especially enjoyed Roy Rogers, Jr. (Sandy) telling us about his father and mothers (Dale was his step-mother as his mother had died shortly after giving birth to him) and all of his sisters and brothers. This was a great first Branson experience.

Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Theater & Museum

Museum Picture of Roy & Dale

Roy Rogers, Jr. (Dusty), Chuck, Donna & Dustin Rogers

(Doesn't Dustin look like his grandfather!)

We went to lunch at McFarlains Family Restaurant at the IMAX Entertainment Complex. Mem and I thought we'd died and gone to heaven when we started eating the fried green tomatoes that we got as an appetizer! We had chicken pot pies, stir fry and country fried steak with corn bread. Oh, so good! No, there was no room for desert. We thought this might be a good place to get desert after a show, BUT as it turned out, they are not open late enough for shows that get out at 10:00 pm. We stopped at the Factory Merchants Outlet and shopped at the Crocs store. Chuck and I each got a pair of Crocs and Chuck even got Republican "Elephants" to put on his!

Country Tonite - Oak Ridge Boys Theater

Larry & Mem and Chuck and I went to this show tonight at 8:00. I enjoyed the gift shop--I got a black cowgirl hat with sequins and some "bling" jewelry at a reasonable price. Picture of hat to come later one night when I wear it. NOTE: It turns out that I never wore it because I'd just have to take it off during the show so people behind me could see and I'd have to hold it for 2 hrs.

This was a very fast moving, brightly colored show! It was hard to get any good pictures because everyone was moving so fast! Here are a few of the best ones.

The young lady about the middle of the stage sure could sing and perform. I think she is 11.

Bob Nichols was the Emcee and Comedian

Branson - Getting Organized!

This morning, Mem and I headed down to the Campground Office to get tickets (vouchers) to most all the shows that we want to see this week. There are about 80 shows to choose from! Wow, how to decide! The Halsteads and us have decided to take in mostly country western/country shows while we are here like Roy Rogers, Jr, Country Tonite and Joe Diffie. We were fortunate to get tickets to all the shows at the times that we wanted and even got good seats, usually center, second row! This seems to be a great time to be in Branson for shows and the weather has been good too in the 70's. We drove around Branson getting the lay of the land and even picked up most of our tickets at the different theaters to save us from having to stand in line just before each show time. I got a new job--ticket lady--and I held all the tickets for the shows that the Halsteads and us were going to go to! I'll retire from that job on Thursday!

We went downtown Branson for lunch and then stopped in a few of the shops there including Dick's 5 and 10. You could spend hours in this store; they had everything you might need there! We picked up 2009 calendars for $1.00 and I got a new Christmas hat for $1.99!

Donna & Mem Outside of Dick's 5 & 10

All of us were invited over to Mason and Flo's for dinner. They have a park model and 2 RV lots in the Fall Creek Resort. Wow, what a spread from appetizers to ham, sweet potatoes and baked beans. Flo had ice cream and cake for dessert, BUT no one could fit it in. They have a Statue of Liberty on one of their lots and we had our picture taken with her.

Mason, Linda, Jim, Chuck, Ralph, Janice, Donna, Mem, & Larry with Miss Liberty!

Branson Bound!

We left St. Charles and headed out about 8:30 this morning to overcast skys, but no rain. The rest stop on Interstate 44 was closed that we had chosen for our lunch break, so we found a Wal-Mart store parking lot instead--of course! We arrived in Branson early afternoon. We are camped at the America's Best Campground just outside of Branson (Site 63 tolsons; Site 65 Halsteads; Site 62 Mathenys; Site 61 Parsons). This campground even has a car/RV Wash. We were given a huge packet of information about the attractions in Branson and spent many hours looking over the info and trying to decide what we wanted to see and do! Tomorrow we will go and buy our tickets.