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Back ground music ,,Riverbank Ramble'' Composed and played by Rex Franklin mp3 format 128kb quality

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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM

REX AND NOELENE FRANKLIN

April 2007

Hi once again, from the Taranaki area,

Hello to you all,

The Old-time Country Music Society in Napier celebrated 25 years of twice-yearly concerts, and the special weekend was the 24th and 25th of March. Saturday night, a special dinner , and it was booked out, followed by a dance, and the great Country sound of Ritchie Roberts' band, from Wellington. ROGER TIBBS did a guest spot, as did TREVOR DAY, from Australia, and these two items went down a treat.

During the course of the evening, special certificates were presented to people who had supported the concerts, some of them from day one, back in 1982. HERBERT BURKIN was one of these people, he has covered all the concerts on his radio show on AM1431 in Hastings................Next came the big concert on the Sunday, and the band opened with the old song "When you and I were young". It was a tribute concert, and the first act was BRIAN FAIRGRIEVE singing Slim Whitman. A joy to listen to. IVAN BURKIN followed, singing songs of Webb Pierce, and MURIEL GROOM singing some songs that made Kitty Wells the queen of CountryMusic in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

JOHNNY MORRIS then sang songs made popular, very popular by Canada's WILF CARTER, or MONTANA SLIM, as he was sometimes known. The first half was completed by Wellington group DIXIE LIX, who performed songs of the famous CARTER FAMILY, and I was able to sit in a concert seat and really enjoy this group, who play dobro, acoustic guitar, 5 string banjo, mandolin, and double bass. Their harmonies were just great, I could have heard much more from this group.

The second half opened with our band playing"It is no secret" , followed by the seasoned performer ROGER TIBBS, from Lower Hutt, and he told us important milestones of the famous singer/movie star Gene Autry. Naturally, he made a superb job of the 6 Autry songs he sang. Most of the singers told a story about the singers they were representing, and I was most interested, and a little envious, in hearing what JUNE BOURKE had to say of her experiences, and knowledge of the great Australian singer/yodeller SHIRLEY THOMS. June made a superb job singing Shirley's songs. ( I got to see Shirley in Tamworth in 1980, but she did not sing on that occasion) Lower Hutt's GARY JACOBSEN followed, singing songs, and telling the story of Ernest Tubb, and the final act was the well-known Australian singer/songwriter TREVOR DAY, and he did a tribute to Tex Morton, which went down a treat.

Just after half-time, JUDY GUGICH came onstage, and presented all the band members with a special framed certificate, noting the years those particular musos had played in the band. The longest-serving member was SCOTTIE SMITH , of Napier, who has been involved for over 20 years, and still enjoys the experience. He usually plays mandolin. The second-longest was myself, I'd travelled to the Century Theatre with Noelene, for the past 18 years, and I played rythym guitar to KIETH HYDE'S LEAD GUITAR, up until his untimely death in 1994, after which I took over the lead guitar job.

There have been many many singers and instrumentalists featured on the show in the first 25 years, and they include TOM SWATZEL from the USA, TERRY SMITH and CHARLIE GROTH, COLLEEN TRENWITH, the famous fiddler from the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, JOHN GRENELL, the late GARNER WAYNE, SMOKEY MARSHALL, COLE WILSON, Australia's JOHNNY GREENWOOD, COLLEEN HONEYMAN, as well as ERNIE WILSON , PETER KIRWIN, CLIFF BURGESS, GRAEME AND JANICE FITZSIMON, THE ROWE BROTHERS, BRIAN BURKIN, DOUG AND DIANNE WATSON, ALICE COOMBE, RON HAYWARD, JAN AND GARRY BAI, THE HILLBILLY PALS, HERBERT BURKIN, HEATHER HOLLAND, BARRY FRANKLIN, (my younger brother) MURRAY McPHERSON, IAN MURDOCH, MAX McCAULEY, DUSTY SPITTLE, VANESSA DUNCAN, BRIAN AND SHEILA POPE, COLLEEN SOLLY, BRUCE AND PEGGY TAPP, THE CANADIAN SISTERS, ALLAN GREENWOOD, BRIAN FISHER, SHORTY RANGER, RAY GIBBS, REX AND NOELENE FRANKLIN, and many more.

Judy and Martin

Judy and Martin and their hard-working team deserve a big pat on the

back for their continued support over those 25 years, where no instrument

is plugged-in, it's all acoustic, and a sold-out concert on Sunday the 25th

shows the people still want more.

I finally got to meet, and have a short talk to, TREVOR RUFFELL, who

is a very goodand knowledgeable radio presenter, playing programmes such

as "Way out West" on Kidnappers AM 1431 on a weekly basis.>

Noelene is doing very well after her big operation, and we will be on the stage together very soon, with rest homes,

The Dannevirke Country Music Club, (on the 15th of April) and other bookings pending, and we look forward to heading back to Hawkes Bay, to the Hastings RSA in the coming months.>>

P>S> The backing band for the Old-time concert on Sunday were myself on lead guitar, RITCHIE ROBERTS, rhythm guitar, LEON SPEAKMAN double bass, RANDALL PETRIE, dobro, SCOTTY SMITH mandolin, and CONNIE BALLENTYNE on fiddle. We come together from all parts of the North Island, and really enjoy each other's company.

Till next time, my best wishes,

Rex and Noelene Franklin.

Contact- Ph. (06) 753-2962. E-mail rexfranklin_74@hotmail.com

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