The Clique, Edgar Winter to appear at Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame
show
Legendary rocker
Edgar Winter and The Clique will be inducted into the Music Hall of
Fame at the 21st annual Gulf Coast Hall of Fame show.
Don Ball said he’s
as excited as he’s ever been about a concert, considering John
Kanesaw, one of The Clique members, lives in Groves. “Sugar on
Sunday” is one of the band’s ‘60s-era hits. Kanesaw said it’s been
fun getting the band back together.
“We’re all very
excited. We’ve been rehearsing in Houston on the weekends,” Kanesaw
said.
Ball said Winter
is not scheduled to perform at the concert.
The concert,
formerly called the Janis Joplin Birthday Bash, will begin at
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan,
19, at the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center on the Lamar State
College Campus, 1800 Lakeshore Drive.
Ball bills the
show as an all-star tribute to the world famous music of the Golden
Triangle and the Gulf Coast area. In addition to The Clique,
performers will include the Beat Daddy’s from Mississippi and Joplin
impersonator, Andrea Mitrovich & Band “98 in the Shade.”
The induction
presentation will be part of the concert. Artists who have had a hit
record on the billboard charts, who now or have previously resided
in the area between Houston and New Orleans, are eligible to be
inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Advance general
admission tickets are $20 and will be available on Saturday, Dec.
29, at the following locations until noon, Friday, Jan. 18 at The
Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, A&S Music in Nederland,
Swicegood Music in Beaumont and the Penny Record in Bridge City.
General admission tickets will be available the date of the show at
the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center for $22. Children 12 and
younger, accompanied by an adult, will be admitted free.
The event raises
funds for the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame exhibit at the Museum of
the Gulf Coast which showcases memorabilia of area artists including
Janis Joplin, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Ivory Joe Hunter, Barbara Lynn,
Johnny Preston (“Running Bear”), Jivin’ Gene (“Breaking Up is hard
To Do”), The “Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson, Phil Phillips (“Sea of
Love”), Isaac Payton Sweat (King of the Cotton Eyed Joe), Cookie &
the Cupcakes (“Matilda” & “Got You On My Mind”), Tex Ritter, George
Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Bird, Harry James, ZZ TOP, Frankie Ford,
Dale and Grace, Percy Sledge, B.J. Thomas, Wayne Toups, Lonnie
Brooks “Guitar Jr.,” The Fabulous Boogie Kings, Clarence “Gatemouth”
Brown and Jo El Sonnier, Clarence “Frog Man” Henry and Joe Barry
plus numerous other Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana
performers.
The Port Arthur
Convention and Visitors Bureau has put together a Gulf Coast Music
Hall of Fame package which includes hotel lodging and tickets to the
concert. Details may be obtained by calling the visitors bureau at
1-800-235-7822, (409) 985-7822 or e-mail at
“pacvb@portarthurtexas.com.” Please put “Gulf Coast Music” in the
subject line. The Port Arthur web site is
http://www.portarthurtexas.com. The Ramada Inn, 3801 Texas 73, is
the headquarter hotel with hotel packages including lodging and
tickets for two for $126.25 including tax (based on availability).
For information, call 962-9858.
For information on
the concert, call Ball at 722-3699.
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Wagner’s a winner: Citizen of the Year is surrounded by
‘families’
Darragh Doiron
The Port Arthur News
Dick Dowling
Elementary choir students raised crystal clear voices to heroes
Friday at the Port Arthur News Citizen of the Year awards
banquet and ceremony at the Holiday Inn Park Central.
When they did
another ditty about their principal,
Dwight
Wagner ('69), they didn’t realize
he would receive the top honor of the day. Their song about
loving their leader also included lines about his “hairy arms”
and references to his being “over 50.” Their lyrics made guests
laugh, and Wagner sway to the music as students had their say.
It was
actually grown-ups who made little whoops when Wagner’s name was
called as the Citizen of the Year.
“I’m happy to
be here in this community. This town has been so good to me,” he
said between standing ovations.
No one had
better mess with Port Arthur while talking to Wagner, a singer
who penned “City by the Sea,” Port Arthur’s theme song. He says
his area is full of positives.
“When I drive
through Port Arthur, I see beautiful people … beautiful faces …
If you can’t say something good and help us, don’t say
anything,” he said.
Johnny Brown,
Port Arthur ISD Superintendent, was among well-wishers.
“I’m just so
very proud of Dwight. He deserves any recognition which might
come his way,” he said.
Brown said
Wagner doesn’t just talk about helping others, he acts on it.
Debra Ambroise
and Marilyn Baptiste nominated Wagner for Citizen of the Year
for his community work and love of children.
Wagner said he
attended with his family, which included his mother, Erma, and
niece, Andonnia. He also referred to his PAISD family, which
surrounded him with hugs.
“That was
good,” Dowling choir member Alex Rouly said as the program
wrapped up.
McKenzie
Jones, another student, said he is committed to being a longtime
friend of his principal.
“Even when I
move on to high school, I’ll still be seeing you,” he told
Wagner as students posed with copies of a special section on the
program.