High In The Ozark Mountains, Right In The Middle Of The Best Music In The World!  870-269-5700

The 36th Annual Old Time Country Music Festival was conducted August 29th through September 4th at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in LeMars, Iowa. There were over 600 entertainers on 10 stages for the festival featuring music of  ‘when it was country’ country, bluegrass, gospel, folk, ragtime, mountain, traditional and Americana. International shows, jamming everywhere, workshops, dances, celebrities and more. The Chicken House Opry opened up each day’s activities at the Pioneer Hall, 9-11AM.

Punjo Reed and Lucy Jackson were each inducted into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. Punjo also received an award for producing the Best Old Time Family CD of the Year…..The Reeds – The Family, The Music, The Legacy.

Lucy Jackson, from the Opry, conducted a well-attended keyboard beginner’s workshop, Monday through Friday, 12 Noon-1:00PM.

From 1:00PM to 2:00PM each day, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Robert Earl Reed, Sr., Ph.D., from the Opry, lectured  on songwriting…..do’s, don’ts, publishing, etc. During the same time slot, Tuesday & Thursday  Dr. Reed  lectured  on comedy. Creative writing of material, stand-up, crowd communication, off-broadway comedy skits, etc. During the songwriters seminars, those participating wrote a song each day.

Those from the Opry making the trip north included Punjo & Lucy, Ike Thurn, Junior Fulks, John & Paula Nordrum, Jerry & Helen  McCullough, Kathy Voss, Jane Parker, Marvin Judd, Dar May, Jay & Patty Kent, Russ & Deanne Guyer, James Lieder, Al & Donna Schulz and more.

The 37th Annual event will be conducted August 27th – September 2nd, 2012.

For more info on this big music festival go to: www.orgsites.com/ia/oldtimemusic or call: 712-762-4363

For The Rio Grande Valley (McAllen-Mission Area): Don’t look now but the Chicken House Opry has a new bus! Plans are to use the bus to help those who cannot drive catch a ride to the Opry…..no charge to ride the bus, but it is just for our elderly seniors who have no other way to get to the Opry. Check with the activity director of your upper valley RV park for a sign up sheet. Keep an eye out for us and be ready for a real music and comedy treat!

Robert Reed and Lucy Jackson of the Chicken House Opry have been selected as nominees to this year’s America’s Old Time Music Hall of Fame.

Bob Everhart, president of America’s Old Time Music Hall of Fame, made the surprise announcement Saturday, March 5 at the Chicken House Opry where he was a guest entertainer. America’s Old Time Music Hall of Fame honors those who try to preserve the roots of country music. The event will be held Aug. 29 in Le Mars, Iowa.

Everhart explained to the Winter Texan Times that members of the Hall of Fame nominate 30 people each year. The people nominated are either performers, promoters or songwriters. Previous inductees into the Hall of Fame include LeRoy Van Dyke, Johnnie Cash, the Carter Family, “Whispering Bill” Anderson, Terry Smith, Sherwin Linton, Red Johnson, Claude Gray, Patti Page, Loretta Lynn and many others.

Robert Reed and Lucy Jackson operate the Chicken House Opry in Mission and the Wild Horse Theatre in Mountain View, Arkansas. Both theatres are dedicated to preservation of old time music, including bluegrass, gospel and classic country.

The couple recently hosted the first annual American Music Roots Festival, held in February at the Chicken House Opry in Mission. The event featured four bluegrass and gospel family bands including the Redhead Express, the Link Family, the Harper Family and the Alaska String Band.

“We are honored beyond words to be chosen as inductees. We have always worked to preserve the old-time bluegrass and country music. [This] is a labor of love for us,” said Lucy Jackson. “It’s a great honor. We were in shock when he made the announcement because we did not know it was coming.”

“It’s unbelievable to me,” said Robert Reed. “I never expected anything like this to happen to me.”….

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UPDATE: Punjo Reed and Lucy Jackson were inducted into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame, September 3rd, 2011 during the 36th Annual Traditional Country Music Associations ceremonies in LeMars, Iowa. “We had a lot of help in getting here,” Punjo said as he and Lucy accepted the awards. “A lot of talented people helped us along the way.” Others inducted with Punjo & Lucy included Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Jeanie Seely, Little Roy Lewis and more.