2017 - Year in Review

It's been a good year- It's been a hard year- it's going to be a better year

It's funny to let this semi-blog go without adding to it a bit more often.

January:
We started the new year in Montana, after the Broadmoor Christmas Shows with Ken Miller and Melissa Manchester.

I enjoyed playing at the new golf clubhouse at the Yellowstone Club with all the celebrities and blessed successful people. Also Spanish Peaks was fun.

The Grateful Music Foundation gave 12 ukuleles to the Big Sky School system and I helped teach with Tim Sullivan. It's great to start kids off with a uke- It opens the door to guitar- of course the piano is the instrument to learn music on for theory and everything else.

I went to the NAMM Show in Anaheim again. I lasted about one day- It's fun because I'm with 50,000 of my best friends - all dressed like me with long hair and black t-shirts and everyone is so excited about the newest electronics and acoustic guitars. I spent some time with Dick Boak and also met Eric Dyce at the Santa Cruz booth- Eric designed a great signature guitar that I played and loved- Richard Hoover builds beautiful guitars and there might one in my future.

February:
I played for Bob Downey's annual Keystone Dartmouth Alumni Ski Weekend. It's always fun to see everyone and to learn from the lectures.

Then it was off to Nashville to finish recording a new album with Chris Nole at his home studio. Chris plays the piano, gets great sounds and Nashville legend Sam Bush played on this as a friend / a favor to me to enhance Shady Pine (title of the album) and new song about a multi media show I've created called Buffalo Bill.

SIDEBAR:
I've been researching Buffalo Bill's life to create a multi media show for two years now and to perform for the two months that I will be spending in Denver. Medical issues have me confined to home and that's a good thing. I did the shows at the Masonic Lodge in Golden, The Old Town Pickin' Parlour in Arvada, Scott O'Malley's Western Theater in Colorado Springs and at Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum in Golden on June 3rd - the 100th anniversary of his funeral. I also performed this in Big Sky Montana at the Warren Miller Performing Art Center and in Napa Valley at the Circle R Ranch for a YPO Golden conference. And a fun show in Wood River Nebraska - (These folks are the best) I've been collecting Buffalo Indian Head nickels that I pass out to patrons. I've given more than 400 away. I find them on Ebay and it's a fun hobby.

I'm doing the Buffalo Bill show in Nashville in November and possible some Florida schools.

March:
Punta Mita was an incredible experience playing with California musicians. I produced the show and had the joy of playing golf with Gary Mule Deer at a Jack Nicklaus golf course - there was a special 3 parr with the green in the ocean. We parred it each day with my first drive landing 12 inches from the hole - Nope - we didn't birdie it but we parred it. I loved Punta Mita and the generosity of the patrons who brought us is a memory for a lifetime.

I performed at Thunderbird Count try Club in Palm Springs. The Russell's have been so good to me for many years. I was supposed to go to Sun Valley and play for Osborns and Chapmans and others but we lost Don Warden.

Don Warden was like a father figure to so many. He was with Porter Wagoneer from 1955 until 1974. He left to be Dolly Parton's road manager and I met him in 1977 when TIMBERLINE opened for her and then became friends in 1979 when I joined her band. Don is the reason we bought real estate. He was a major influence leading by example and it was very sad to say goodbye to him in Nashville.

Then it was off to Snowbird Ski Area to perform with Liv Taylor - My pal is so incredible and I love playing with him.

I flew to Las Vegas and performed with Tom Nixon- Tom is a treasure and this is where he played poker with the former sheriff of Las Vegas. Ha ha ha - The poor magistrate actually thought he could win&even after Tom told him he was going to cheat him. That was one of the funniest moments of the year.

April:
Florida- golf - swim - rinse - repeat
Erich Stratmann's Caberet - 12th year? San Francisco and living at the Marines Memorial Club each year for a week is really fun.

May:
Masonic Lodge Buffalo Bill performances:
May 16 - 19 - 25 - 26 - 30 - 31

June:
Masonic Lodge Buffalo Bill performances:
June 3 - 6 13 - 16 - 20 - 22

Hamilton Montana - The Stock Farm and hanging with the Dagley Family is more fun than a barrel of Monkeys. My suite has a power door and and a remote to open it for me and (for the Jeep too). Gold at Montana's #1 golf course and people that are so incredibly nice. I am blessed to be done with Dr Pugh's crew and grateful to look back on the past few months with a big sigh of relief!