Shepherd of the Hills Gazette | May/June 2009

Peter Pan opens at The Man-sion May 23, with Cathy Rigbystarring in the enhanced ver-

sion of the Broadway hit! I talked re-cently with the Tony Award nomineeand was impressed with her energy and

enthusiasm, notonly for the showbut also for thetheater and its

crew. She was animated as she talkedabout the “wonderful talent pool.”

The exciting production at The Man-sion is not like any you’ve seen; asCathy described a sword fight andtalked about the Lost Boys, I got thefeeling, this is not your grandmother’sPeter Pan. Besides Broadway sets andprops being brought in, new ones arebeing added. Cathy is excited, too,about the rain curtain at The Mansionand how it will make some of thescenes even more spectacular.

Peter Pan is not the first Broadwayproduction to be staged at The Man-

sion. Joseph and the Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat was, well,amazing, and CelebrateAmerica graced the stagefor several years; I loved it.It was co-written by GeneBicknell, owner of TheMansion and The OakRidge Boys Theatre.

Bicknell has an en-tertainment back-ground and feels it isimportant to bring na-tionally known enter-tainers and shows toBranson. The suc-cessful business-man was in nearlytwo dozen movies.When I asked if aparticular rolestood out, he justsmiled and said,“Well, mostly I remember I didall my own stunts!” I wonder if he did

any flying, like Cathy Rigby will be doing!The James M. Barrie tale is cele-brating its 100th anniversary. Peter

Pan runs May 23 –August

9 and Novem-ber 1 – December 12at The Mansion.“This timeless musi-cal masterpiece com-plete with evilCaptain Hook, acrafty crocodile andthe enchantment ofNeverland will touch,inspire, dazzle andcharm every genera-tion.”

Tom Mullica’sRed Skelton Tribute,mornings at The Mansion, isremarkable. Getreacquainted withGertrude and Heathcliff,Clem Kadiddlehopper,Freddie the Freeloader!

Tom’s recreation ofSkelton’s voice, facial expressions andmovements, even the pantomime, is ex-traordinary. Skelton said, “Tom Mullica,master showman, is the best in hisfield. He is real Theatre.” Good recom-mendation!

Guest stars this year at The Man-sion include Johnny Mathis, EngelbertHumperdinck, Kenny G, The GatlinBrothers, and Asleep at the Wheel. Al-ways a great show at The Mansion!

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS GAZETTEPAGE 2 MAY/JUNE 2009

ByLinda Burlingame

Cathy Rigby flies into Branson as Peter Pan

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS GAZETTE PAGE 3MAY/JUNE 2009

The influence RoyRogers and Dale Evanshad on an entire gener-

ation is remarkable. At the RoyRogers & Dale Evans Museumand Happy Trails Theater, kids

of all ageswalk intothe worldof Rogersa n d

Evans. For those of us who grewup “playing cowboys” it’s an es-pecially spectacular trip.

The museum is amazing.Trigger, Trigger Jr., Buttermilk,and Bullet, and Nellybelle — youremember Pat Brady’s Jeep,don’t you? I even nicknamedmy tricycle Nellybelle. There are

hundreds of photos, includingDale as a gorgeous young ac-tress and black and white pic-tures of Roy and Dale’swedding, New Year’sEve 1947.

There are alwaysnew things to see atthe museum. Dustysaid, “As much as yousee here, there’smore. Dad never threwanything away!” You’llsee guns, hats, boots(never saw so manyboots), souvenir batsand baseballs, foot-balls — Dusty says hisdad was a big sportsfan. Toys, lunch boxes,

guns and holsters — speakingof guns, ever see a car withguns for the door handles?!

Roy’s mother’s doll collec-

tion on display is veryspecial, as well.

Continued on Page 5- See Museum

ByLinda Burlingame

Museum draws cowboys and memories

Soyou ask, what is there to do inthe Ozarks for the months ofMay and June? There are lots of

cool things to do.One of the best is playing in the water,

because the water temperatures rise to apleasant 70-75 degrees. It becomes the

right time for get-ting the boat out ofstorage, and haul-ing it to your lake ofchoice. Here in the

Tri-Lakes area, folks get to choose be-tween our three lakes.

The two best lakes for water sportslike swimming, sailing, parasailing, scubadiving, going crazy on a jet ski, fishing, oreven water skiing, just to name a few,would be Table Rock Lake and BullShoals Lake. Don’t worry if you don’t ownyour own watercraft you can always rentone at the many marinas located on thelakes.

Let’s talk a bit more about the warmwater lakes, at both Bull Shoals and Table

Rock Lakes, although man-made, theyhold some of the cleanest water in the na-tion. Table Rock Lake has approximately43,000 acres of surface water with 800miles of shoreline. A plus to this lake isit’s only minutes from the famousCountry Music Boulevard, also knownas the Branson Strip, which is home toover 100 live shows.

Bull Shoals Lake on the other handstarts in Forsyth at the foot of the Pow-ersite Dam. Which is about a 30minute ride from Branson. This lakehas approximately 1,000 miles of pris-tine shoreline which winds it‘s way intoOzark County. Both lakes are a watersports paradise, be sure to bring along allthe fun floating devices for pulling behindthe boat. It sure is fun just to see if youcan make the person(s) riding the pullalong craft go flinging off as you makethem ride all the crazy turns and wavesmade by the boat. “Man what fun.”

Clean camping grounds can also befound lining both lakes. Fishing is very

good at both lakes; we have many folksthat come to the area just to fish. Therehas been some hunkers come out ofthese lakes, so be sure to bring a pole or

two with you. For you really adventurousfolks, scuba diving in the lakes can be ablast, and you can get your plans all setup before getting to Branson by givingAndy and his crew a call over at ScubaSports. They’ll see that your trip is justright.

Now about that third lake, if you liketo just ride on the boat or kayak down ascenic waterway to take in the sights, youmight select Taneycomo Lake with its’ wa-ters staying a cool 48-50 degrees yearround. While not the lake to swim in, itsure has some of the best scenery youwill see in the Ozarks, as you cruise upand down the old White River channel. Be

sure you have your camera for this trip.Fishing this lake can be just as fun ascruising it, with a record trout beingcaught. Fishermen from all over the na-

tion have come here to try their luck.But if it is the stuff the locals are

doing that you’re looking for, you willneed to grab a tube, a tractor tiretube works best, and head to thecreek. Here you will find manyOzarkian families slashing and tubingdown the creek and having a ball.Yep, some of the best water fun youwill ever have, and man the price isright. All you need is an inner tube, acooler full of something cold to drink,

and a few snacks. Be sure to look for thestate signs that show which creek you arenear, and how to get to it, or grab a mapof the area so you don’t get lost. Find anice low water bridge, and jump in!

Oh yeah, I need to mention, if you’regoing to float it is best to find a friend tohelp with placing a car where you areplanning to get out so you have a rideback to where you started. Trust me, car-rying a tube and ice cooler for miles is nofun. We have many creeks to choosefrom, and they are very clean creeks, soplease take the trash with you so they willremain clean for your next trip.

Hope to see you on the water.


The Shepherd of the Hills Historical SocietyPublisher

SHARENANAUGHEREditor

PAT SNADONContributing Editor

JOHN LOGANIllustrator

JAPHETH CAMPBELLOnline Director

JEN SHEPPARDLayout & Design Manager

LINDABURLINGAMECRYSTALCLIFTONBRYAN SHEPPARDKIM SOCHOCKIKURTMOORE

Advertising Executives

PAULALIVELYDistribution

SHANE NAUGHERTechnical Director

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Subscribe to the Gazette and keep up onthe fun in Branson - even from home!Did you know you can subscribe to theGazette? You’ll receive each issue athome - what better way to stay in touchwith Branson until you can visit us again?Plus - you’ll receive special offers &coupons throughout the year!

ByBryan Sheppard

Water fun in the hot summer sun

The live stage show inthe Happy Trails Theater isoutstanding. Dusty — RoyRogers, Jr. — and his son

Dustin both sing; Dustydoes a touching song hewrote about his father,King of the Cowboys, and

tells sweet, funnystories about hismom and dad, hismany brothersand sisters, andgrowing up ontheir Californiaranch. The musicis great … Rose ofSan Antone,Navajo Trail, clas-sics like HighRovin’ Cowboy.The High Ridershave been withDusty more than20 years and theyare very talented.

Close youreyes and you’re a

kid again, at the movieson Saturday afternoon, atthe show with DustyRogers, Dustin Rogers,and the High Riders.

Before the showstarts, you’ll see Ralph Ed-wards surprising RoyRogers in a 1953 episodeof This Is Your Life! Some

of us grew up to be betterpeople because of Royand Dale.

The museum, theshow, an amazing giftshop … “cowboy up” andget on over to the RoyRogers & Dale Evans Mu-seum and Happy TrailsTheater!


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StreelarciemomC.N04 2o.cveiol.bleuwww538 .2.332741

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sontown BrannowDt, emo.clo@aellirgveiolueblom

Drop by the Branson Mill on Gretna Road orthe Branson Craft Mall on Hwy. 165 and youwill see a picking porch. Those picking

porches are there for a reason, a very goodreason. You can drop by almost any time ofthe day and chances are you will catch

someone on one ofthose porches apickin’ and a grinnin’.

Art Reed, MasterLuthier, (one who makes stringed instru-ments), built the picking porches as a placeto demonstrate the fineness of his crafts-manship. One never knows who will beplaying on one of the porches on any givenday. The picking porch is a favorite place forBranson musicians to drop by and sit aspell. There is no schedule of playtime onthe porches so just about any time of theday, you just might be surprised who youmight find there.

Art and his hearty crew make dulcimers,mountain dulcimers, hammered dulcimers,sweet harps, banjos, fiddles, guitars, do-bros and mandolins. His instruments aresought from around the globe because his company,Artfolk is also on the Internet. Artfolk crafts some ofthe finest instruments in the world.

Art started out over half a century ago playing onLee Mace's Ozark Opry up by Bagnell Dam at the

Lake of the Ozarks. While performing there he methis wife Faith and they are together yet in the busi-ness of making people happy with their wonderful

musical instruments and through the music they playon the picking porches. They also have severalrecordings you can pick up and Art has designed sev-eral how-to books for playing the instruments hemakes.

One day as I was passing through the Branson MillI heard music being played as soon as I entered. Iwalked on back to the picking porch and found Art

and Faith playing music with a cou-ple of teens from Mountain Grove.The teens, while visiting Branson,made a point of seeing Art andFaithe, borrowing a couple of instru-ments Art had made and sitting infor an afternoon of picking and grin-ning. The music was truly amazing.

You will have to experience thethrill of hearing music the way it wasplayed in the beginning. This is theway all music started, on someone’sfront or back porch. This is pureAmericana at it’s best.

Stop by and check it out for your-self. The picking porches are locatedin the Branson Mill on Gretna Roadand south of Country Boulevard 76on Highway 165 at the BransonCraft Mall. It will be a treat you willnot soon forget. On yes, don’t forgetto bring along your camera, you will

want to take a few photos too.If you would like, go to www.artfolk.net and take a

look for yourself. However, you will have to visit in per-son to see and hear the pickin’ and grinnin’.

ByKurt Moore

Pure America out on the Pickin’ Porch

Museum ... Continued from Page 3

The Magnificent Variety Show,starring Tamra and Joe Tinoco,is in its eighth great season of

showcasing seven decades of block-buster hits, morethan 75 favoritetunes. There arefun dance num-bers and 300 cos-

tume changes for the gifted cast ofsingers and dancers with unforgettablemelodies from the 40’s to today’s hits— you’ll want to sing along.

The musical memories start in the40’s, from timeless songs like Chat-tanooga Choo Choo to beautiful, clas-sic Gershwintunes. 50’s hitsfeature songsfrom artists likeDoris Day … toElvis. The cos-tumes anddance numbersmake the songsfun for everymusic fan, andthe entertain-ers do a first-rate job withthe music.

Each of thesingers anddancers has anexcellent voiceand there arereally nice solopieces. Joe andTamra’s 4-year-old daughterTalya delightsaudiences witha couple of numbers as well.

Patsy Cline, Frank, Dean andSammy are just some of the excellentselections for the 60’s. The Magnifi-cent Band sounds fantastic with all themusic styles. Disco from the 70’s —Stayin’ Alive — what fun.

Broadway numbers, music from leg-endary groups and duos like The An-drews Sisters, Mills Brothers, The

Diamonds … fabulous songs and mem-ories, they whirl through the decades.One of my very favorites is when Tamrasings a Barbra Streisand song from themovie Funny Girl.

There are also marvelous comedybits, with a seven-decade musical re-view includes swing, rock ‘n’ roll, coun-try, pop, Latin, Broadway, Gospel and aheartfelt tribute to our veterans.

The Magnificent Variety Show has 2and 8 p.m. shows until September 4,when The Osmonds return to their orig-inal theater, across from Titanic Bran-son. (The Osmonds will do 8 p.m. andMagnificent will do 2 p.m.)

There was a lot about the Osmondsas they celebrated 50 years in showbusiness with an international celebra-tion with a sold-out world tour. In 2009they come home to Branson, so be sureto see The Magnificent Variety Showand The Osmonds on Hwy. 76.

For more information go to Magnifi-centVariety.com and OsmondsThe-atre.com.


ByLinda Burlingame

Osmonds Theatrecomes alive in 2009


Aquilt can become an heirloomto be treasured for genera-tions. Quilts & Quilts is an

amazing place. The most gorgeousquilts are available for sale, as well asmore than 10,000 bolts of fabric and

more than 1000book titles. Youcan make yourown heirloom quilt

or a myriad of other items; many aresewn and on display.

Quilts & Quilts Country Store itselfis the story of three generations.Marlys owned and ran the store 20years ago, and we quickly becamefriends. Later, daughter Cindy andgranddaughter Lacey came on thescene and we became friends too. Now

there is a fourth generation, little Eve-lyn!

Through the generations, a quiltrepresents love, warmth, security,beauty … I look at the three womenand think how they have passed down,

from generation to generation, love offamily, good manners, good work

ethics, quick wit andready smiles … so manyimportant things.

All the ladies who workat Quilts & Quilts areskilled at what they doand a great help withwhatever you need.Whether you are makingquilts, shirts, jackets,dresses … it’s sewing andquilting paradise! Thereare gift items, acces-

sories, cards and other fun things as

well.The quilts are works of art. Only the

finest handmade quilts are chosen forthe store, from just a few quilt makersacross the country. A beautiful hand-made quilt is an extraordinary gift, for aloved one or for yourself. Perfect for awedding, birthday or a new baby. Thereis an outstanding array of quilts, bothhandmade and machine made. You’llfind a good selection of styles and col-ors, as well as prices.

Whether you are making a quilt orsewing another project, everything youneed is at Quilts & Quilts CountryStore!

ByLinda Burlingame

An heirloom begins at a generational store

Ijust love to fish,” said Phil Lilley, owner/operatorof Lilleys’ Landing. Phil remembers when he wasjust a young boy his grandfather

taking him on fishing trips. It wasthen that Phil learned he loved fish-ing. He was born in Texas but grew

up in SoutheastKansas, wherethere were notmany lakes tofish, so Phil

would fish the small ponds in thearea by his home.

For many men, being able totravel to Branson for a weekendfishing trip is all the medicine theyneed to get them through a longweek of work back home. Thesesame men dream of returning tolive in the Ozarks, so they couldfish the waters in the area andrelax after retirement. When Ifirst asked Phil about fishing Tan-eycomo Lake, I thought I was going to get a storyabout a man that dreamed of one day retiring and

moving to the one place he loved to fish, like most ofthe men I knew back home. Boy was I wrong.

Phil and his wife Marsha, had met throughPhil’s father, Jerry Lilley.Marsha worked closelywith Mr. Lilley at LabetteCounty Medical Center inParsons, Kansas. Marshawas the reporter on thehospital beat which leadher to know Phil’s fatherquite well, well enoughthat Mr. Lilley introducedPhil and Marsha to eachother and the rest, as onewould say, is history.

With both of the familiesenjoying vacation trips toBranson, it would seem tobe the right fit. Marsha’sfamily would find themselvesspending most of their timeon the water, but Phil’s fam-ily would do more of the at-

tractions in town with Phil fishing when he could.

Both Phil and Marsha felt that God was moving theminto the ministry field, so they began to pray for helpfor guidance, both knowing the outdoors was a goodfit. Leading them to search many area’s like EurekaSprings, Ark. “We thought a camp would be the rightchoice,” said Phil, but it just didn’t seem to fit. Thenthey started looking at different resorts in the Bran-son area. It just seemed the Lord knew best andwould close a door if it was not his will.

So to keep from forcing the will of God, Phil andMarsha settled on living in Springfield so they couldkeep an eye on the Branson market. While in Spring-field their first daughter Sara would join the family.About a year and a half later God opened the rightdoor. That door would be known today as Lilley’sLanding. You know it is God’s will when things hap-pen beyond your control. The couple owning the re-sort had found themselves in a place of life wherethey needed to sell the resort and retire. With theprice being in the right range, and Phil using somebusiness ideas, things began to look up. Phil andMarsha were becoming the new owners of a lakefront resort on Taneycomo Lake.

Continued on Page 15- See Dream


ByBryan Sheppard

Living the dream on Lake Taneycomo


Earlier this spring 20 membersof the Country Tonite cast andcrew went to Iraq to entertain

our troops! Tony Orlando and other en-tertainment personalities, includingthree Miss America’s, were part of the

trip that would alsot a k ethem toKuwait

and Germany. Some of theshows were on battle shipsand carriers, some at for-ward operating bases.

Gene Bicknell, owner ofThe Oak Ridge Boys Theatreand The Mansion, wentalong. Bicknell said, “I can’tgive enough credit to Ameri-can Airlines,” for providing allthe travel and organizing thetrip. American Airlines hasfull time staff for such projects.”

A big tip of the (cowboy) hat to Coun-try Tonite! Back home, Country Tonite is

all new this year. Their lively, high-actionshow at the Oak Ridge Boys Theatre fea-tures a live band, talented vocalists anddancers, wonderful costumes, staging,and original, innovative choreography.

The costumes are fun and rangefrom cute old jeans to matching fringed,

bangled ‘n’b e a d e d ,br i l l iant lyc o l o r e doutfits. TheC o u n t r yT o n i t eBand istop-notch.FunnymanB o bNichols isyour host —you’ll lovehis comedy

and hi-jinks.When the Oak Ridge Boys aren’t de-

lighting audiences at their Branson the-

ater, they are wowing fans around theUnited States and Canada with their leg-endary hits and high-energy show.You’ve heard their powerful four-part harmonies in songs likeAmerican Made, Gonna Take aLot of River, Bobbie Sue, Elvira,and Thank God for Kids, but untilyou’ve seen them “live on stage”you haven’t seen the Oaks.

Dalena Ditto Country VarietyShow, is on stage mornings at TheOak Ridge Boys Theatre, featuringcountry music, 50’s and 60’ssongs, gospel, and a generousportion of hilarious comedy.Dalena is a gorgeous, talentedlady who fills the stage with re-markable talent. The Boys, herband, do an excellent job with allthe genres of music. Patty David-son is an extraordinary ventriloquist.“Dan,” “Lucy” and Patty do an incredibleversion of “Who’s On First?” It’s a fun,fast-paced show.

The Oak Ridge Boys Theatre boastsgreat guest stars in 2009. The GatlinBrothers, Collin Raye, Restless Heart, Lit-

tle Texas, T.G. Sheppard and DebbyBoone — what a lineup. Don’t miss allthe great music and fun at The OakRidge Boys Theatre.

ByLinda Burlingame

Country Tonite, Oak Ridge Boys delight fans

The Dutton Family is an amazingly talented andenergetic family that works together to bring youa fast-paced, fun, delightful show with a lot of

variety. They do country, pop, bluegrass, gospel, classi-cal, Broadway - they truly are talented musicians. Thereare fiddling champions, a harmonica champion, award-

winning soloists, and they haveperformed with symphonies acrossthe country. Some of the Duttons'favorite artists are The Eagles,Ricky Skaggs, James Taylor, and

Rascall Flatts. What a variety.The Duttons have creative and unique production

ideas, resulting in an outstanding show. All good vocal-ists, they play a variety of instruments,violin, guitar, bass, viola, banjo, man-dolin, keyboard, harmonica, anddrums. I'm probably leaving out some,I know Timothy plays 20 instruments.Six of Dean and Sheila Dutton's chil-dren are in the show: Tim, and his wife Judith, Amy, Abi-gail, Benjamin, and his wife Brande, Jonathan, and wifeBelle, and Josh, with his wife Evette, with the number ofgrandchildren in the show changes each year.

I love the Mary Poppins number they do, little chim-

ney sweeps on roof tops, sliding down chimneys. Thegrownup kids have fun, too, with numbers like LaBamba. Tres Hombres Tim,Ben and Jonathan.

Jonathan's wife Belle isfrom Samoa and does abeautiful tribute to veter-ans, a story her grand-mother told aboutAmerican soldiers savingtheir people in World War II.Belle, a featured dancer atthe Polynesian CulturalCenter in Hawaii before

coming toB r a n s o n ,traveled in2006 toSamoa toaudition per-

formers for a show here: Is-land Fire.

Island Fire is Polynesian entertainment at its best.(The dinner with the show is part of the secret!) There’sa lot of tradition in the music and movements. One

dance is Fire Knife Dancing, which is passed downthrough generations. The Island drums and native cos-

tumes lend a really rich,exotic flavor. The enter-tainers are fromSamoa, Hawaii, theCook Islands, Tokelauand Fiji. There’s even alesson in scamperingup a palm tree to husk,crack and milk a co-conut!

All the Duttons andtheir spouses work torun the theater and theDutton Inn. They pro-duce the show, includ-ing musicalarrangement, choreog-raphy, technical supportand production. Even

making the fudge — four tons of it a year sold in the giftshop. That’ll keep you coming back. Enjoy both greatshows at The Dutton Family Theater: The Duttons andIsland Fire.


ByLinda Burlingame

America’s Got Talent finalist: The Duttons

““II lloovveedd iitt!! IIaabbssoolluutteellyy lloovveedd iitt!!””

~~ SSiimmoonn CCoowweellll

Og swung his club over hisshoulder as he and Omoostarted from their cave for a Sun-day stroll across the tundra. Theythought they would take in thenearby volcano which had beenmaking funny noises for the past

f e wmoons. Ontheir wayOg gotstung by

an angry bee. Og decided to fol-low that particular bee back tohis domicile and take revenge.Once there and having brokenopen the bee's home with hisclub, Og tried some of the stickystuff he found stuck to his cluband then invited Omoo to trysome too. He then found somestuff that had holes all through itthat had the sticky stuff on it too.We know that was the comb.They then treated themselves tothe first candy bar ever. That wasthe very first taste of sweets the

human race consumed. Frombefore the Ice Age to the age ofAquarius to the new millennium,man has been stuck with asweet tooth.The Logsdon family has

known that for a lot of years.About 12 yearsago, that samefamily opened“Simply Irre-sistible,” an origi-nal Bransoncandy shop,and original itreally is.From the

moment yousee thewooden dog,(Yep, like acigar store In-dian, but a dogwith a scarfaround hisneck), thebrightly colored

signs and then look through theglass to see the stuff inside, youare hooked. No way around it.There is eye candy galore.The stuff they have in their

store is priceless. Just forstarters, they carry more than400 different kinds and brandsof candy. The place is a museumof stuff you will fondly remem-ber, perhaps from your child-hood. How about candies suchas Mary Jane, Oh Henry’s,Black Jack Taffy or how aboutthese all time favorites; Bub-blegum cigars, candy ciga-rettes, candy lipstick andcandy necklaces. Theyalso carry sugar freecandy.While you are there,

look all around. The floor ispainted for your enjoy-ment, as is a complete old-fashioned bathtub filledwith candy. On the wallsyou will find candy bar

boxes that date back to grandpaand beyond. You will find fishingrods and reelsthat your greatgrandfather mayhave used plus aton of old fishinglures. There isalso a pretty bigcollection ofDaisy and RedRyder BB guns. Isaw one justlike the one Iused to have asa kid. (Yeahand I’m still akid).Then look

up to the ceiling. I am nottelling you what’s there, you willhave to see it for yourself. Don’tmiss the goose escaping fromhis cage.This is one of the most en-

tertaining stores I have everbeen in and it is right here in His-

toric Downtown Branson.The Logsdon family have en-

joyed the candy business somuch they

are opening a second storejust around the corner on MainStreet.Simply Irresistible is at 116

South Commercial, downtownBranson. Call 417-334-8616 formore information or directions.


ByKurt Moore

Candy, candy - who’s got the candy?

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS GAZETTEPAGE 10 PAGE 11THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS GAZETTE


#1 Hits of the 60’s - Caravelle Theatre ...................... 339-1960

‘50s At the Hop - Branson Meadows.......................... 335-5300

‘57 Heaven Museum - Dick Clark’s AB Theatre......... 332-1960

Acrobats of China ..................................................... 336-8888

Allen Edwards - Golden Corral ................................. 336-6297

Amazing Pets - Grand Country Music Hall ............... 335-2484

American Bandstand Theatre ................................... 332-1960

American Presidential Museum ................................ 334-8683

Andy Williams - Moon River Theatre ........................ 334-4500

Asleep at the Wheel - Music City Centre .................. 339-7469

Area ‘57 - Dick Clark’s AB Theatre ........................... 332-1960

Baldknobbers Jamboree ........................................... 334-4528

Bambi: Princess of Magic - Music City Centre .......... 339-7469

Bob Anderson Dinner Show - Dick Clark’s AB .......... 332-1960

Bob Nelson Show - Clay Cooper Theatre ................. 337-7123

Branson Brothers - God & Country Theatre .............. 334-6806

Branson Country USA - Grand Country Music .......... 335-2484

Branson Diva’s - IMAX ....................................... 800-419-4832

Branson Entertainment Hall of Fame ........................ 336-3263

Branson Family Fun Factory ..................................... 332-2110

Branson Scenic Railway ........................................... 334-6110

Branson Variety Theatre ........................................... 334-2500

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Branson Star Theatre .. 334-7131

Brett Family Singers - Dick Clark’s AB Theatre ......... 336-4222

Broadway! Star Spangled Celebration ...................... 334-2500

Buck Trent Breakfast Show - Grand Music Hall ........ 335-2484

Buddy & Beyond - Music City Centre ........................ 339-7469

The Butterfly Palace & Rainforest ..............................332-2231

Celebrate America! - The Mansion ........................... 239-1333

Circle B Chuckwagon Show ...................................... 336-1828

Clay Cooper .............................................................. 337-7123

Club ‘57 - Dick Clark’s AB Theatre ............................ 336-1960

Comedy Jamboree - Grand Country Music Hall ....... 335-2484

Country Tonight - The Mansion ................................. 239-1333

Dalena Ditto Country Variety Show ........................... 239-1333

David Lomascola’s Million Dollar Piano Show .......... 334-7131

Dixie Stampede ......................................................... 336-3000

Doug Gabriel - Jim Stafford Theatre ......................... 335-8080

The Dutton Family Theatre ....................................... 332-2772

Elvis & the Superstars - Owens Theatre ................... 336-2112

Goldwing Express ..................................................... 334-6806

Grand Country Music Hall ......................................... 335-2484

Grand Ladies - God & Country Theatre .................... 334-6806

The Great Passion Play - Eureka Springs ......... 479-253-8559

Hamner Barber Variety Show ................................... 334-4363

Hank & Patsy...Together Again - Owen’s Theatre ..... 336-2112

Happy Trails Theatre ................................................. 339-1900

The Haygoods - New Americana Theatre...................339-4663

Hollywood Wax Museum ......................................... 33-STARS

The Hughes American Family Theatre ..................... 336-3688

Island Fire - Dutton Theatre ...................................... 332-2772

IMAX Entertainment Complex ................................... 335-4832

Inspiration Tower - Shepherd of the Hills .................. 334-4191

Jim Owen Show - Clay Cooper Theatre ................... 337-7123

Jim Stafford Theatre .................................................. 335-8080

Jimmy Osmond - The Osmonds Theatre .................. 336-6100

Joey Riley Show - Mickey Gilley’s ............................ 334-3210

Kirby VanBurch ......................................................... 337-7140

Ladies of Motown - Owen’s Theatre .......................... 336-2112

Legends in Concert - Dick Clark’s AB Theatre .......... 332-1960

Little Opry Theatre .................................................... 336-5348

Liverpool Legends - Starlite Theatre ......................... 337-9333

The Lowe Family of Utah - Welk Theatre .................. 337-7469

Magnificent Variety Show - The Osmonds Theatre ....336-6100

The Mansion Entertainment and Media Center ........ 239-1333

Mickey Gilley ............................................................. 334-3210

Moe Bandy - Jim Stafford Theatre ............................ 335-8080

Motown Ladies - Owen’s Theatre .............................. 336-2112

Music City Centre ...................................................... 339-7469

Neal McCoy - Yakov Smirnoff Theatre ...................... 336-3838

New’s Country - IMAX ............................................... 335-4832

Noah - The Musical - Sight & Sound Theatre .... 800-377-1277

Oak Ridge Boys ........................................................ 239-1333

The Osmonds Theatre .............................................. 336-6100

Ozark Mountain Jubilee - 76 Music Hall ................... 335-2484

Penny Gilley - RFD-TV Theatre ................................ 332-2282

Peter Pan - The Mansion .......................................... 239-1333

Pierce Arrow Theatre ................................................ 336-8742

Pine Mountry Jamboree - Eureka Springs ......... 479-253-9156

Presleys’ Country Jubilee .......................................... 334-4874

The Promise - The Mansion ...................................... 239-1333

The Rankin Brothers ................................................. 337-9333

Red, Hot, & Blue - New Americana Theatre ............. 339-4663

Red Head Express - Circle B Chuckwagon ....... 800-678-6179

Red Skelton Tribute - The Mansion .......................... 239-1333

RFD-TV The Theatre ................................................ 332-2344

Ricky Boen & Texas Mud - Hamner Barber Theatre . 334-4363

Ride the Ducks .......................................................... 334-3825

Righteous Brothers Bill Medley w/Paul Revere ........ 334-4500

Ripley’s Believe It or Not ........................................... 337-5300

Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Museum .......................... 339-1900

The Shepherd of the Hills .......................................... 334-4191

The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama ........ 800-653-6288

Shoji Tabuchi Theatre ............................................... 334-7469

Showboat Branson Belle ........................................... 336-7171

Sight & Sound Theatre ...................................... 800-377-1277

Silver Dollar City ........................................................ 338-2611

SIX - Hughes American Family Theatre .................... 336-3688

Solid Gold Motown .................................................... 336-1141

Sons of the Pioneers Chuckwagon Show ................. 334-4191

Spirit of the Dance - Branson Variety Theatre ........... 334-2500

Tall Timber Lumberjack Show ................................... 338-2957

TITANIC Museum ..................................................... 334-9500

Tony Orlando & the Lennon Sisters - Welk Theatre .. 336-3575

Tony Roi’s Elvis Experience ...................................... 339-4663

Tri-Lakes Center ....................................................... 335-5715

Twelve Irish Tenors - Branson Variety Theatre ......... 334-2500

Veterans Memorial Museum ..................................... 336-2300

Wedding Italiano ....................................................... 243-1500

Welk Resort & Theatre ....................................... 800-505-9355

White Water .............................................................. 334-7487

The World Famous Platters ...................................... 337-9333

World’s Largest Antique Toy Museum ....................... 332-1499

Yakov Smirnoff .......................................................... 336-3838

Show and Attraction Guide

Visit www.bransonhotline.com!Tickets! Contest! Up to Date Information!

Phil andM a r s h aw o r k e dhard overthe nextfew yearsby addingtheir owntouchesto the re-sort so itw o u l dhave afeel ofw h ot h e yare. Ast h eye a r swouldp a s s

three moreblessings would join the family.

First Meagan, then cameCaleb and last to show upwould be Greg.

Today Phil has what mostmen would give their right armto have, a great family, a beau-tiful resort, lots of friends, acelebrity fishing status, butmore important, Phil and Mar-sha have a place that they cando the work of the good Lordabove. You see, when you stayat the resort, not only are youmaking friends, learning tofish, and having the chance tocatch the new world recordtrout from Taneycomo, but Philand Marsha get to do whatthey started out to do, and thatwas to follow the Lord’s will.That’s what Phil credits for alltheir success. They get to min-ster to their guest while staying

with them. Phil enjoys takingfriends out fishing and havingthe one on one time teachingfolks to fish and share a littleof the Lord at the same time. Ifor one would have to say as Ifinished my interview with PhilI left with the sense that I hadbeen ministered to but notpreached at. I left with a won-derful sense of self peace.

So do the words Maraboujigs, #12 to #6, straight shankand a big bowed belly, slenderfeathers for long tails, andwoolly buggers, come up inyour daily conversations? If so,then you know the talk is aboutfly fishing for trout, somethingPhil is a pro at.

Phil knows the waters ofTaneycomo as much as anyonein these parts, and is willing to

help anyone make their wayaround. One might want tostart their plans for a trip tofish the area by visiting Phil on-line where he keeps everyoneup to speed with the happen-ings on the lakes here in theOzarks. You can do that byclicking onto www.ozarkan-glers.com.

It is nice to know that thesame great folks that HaroldBell Wright spoke about in hisbook The Shepherd of the Hillsare still here in the Ozarkshard at work and hospitable. Iguess once one arrives in theOzarks they can’t help but bekind and share a hello to thestranger on the street in pass-ing, or help one in need. It is asif the spirits of those before uskind of keep us all in check.


Dream ... Continued from Page 8


BBrreeaakkiinngg UUpp IIss HHaarrdd ttoo DDoo is at the Branson Star Theatre, on Hwy. 76 behind the OliveGarden. Enjoy musical theater at its best. The show features the timeless music ofNeil Sedaka and is an enchanting, feisty production. Good-looking guys, gorgeousgirls, “diamonds in the rough,” who has a crush on whom — it’s like one of those greatDoris Day movies, with hilarious twists and turns. Sedaka songs like Calendar Girl,Laughter in the Rain and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do are perfect for the script. I got tomeet and interview Sedaka a few years ago. One of my questions was about the pro-nunciation of his name. He said, “Yes, it’s Sedaka, rhymes with crackah.” That’s NewYork-speak for “cracker!” (L. Burlingame)

TThhee JJiimm SSttaaffffoorrdd SShhooww is always fun and fresh, as often as I’ve seen it these 20 years,with comedy, especially when Jim visits with the audience, things happen differentlyeach show and can be hysterically funny. This year Lauren Heavner is a new featuredvocalist. She’s a delightful young lady with a beautiful voice. I saw her the first nightshe sang with Jim’s show, his opening show in February. She has a comfortable andeasy stage presence and is good with the audience. Lauren does a high-energy coun-try song and later, dressed in a pretty fringed dress that shimmies and sways with her,does an energetic version of “L-O-V-E” — with the help of a lucky gentleman in the au-dience. Call 417-335-8080 for reservations or more information. (L. Burlingame)


Moe Bandy’s Show is onstage at the Jim StaffordTheatre this year. 2009

marks Moe’s 20th year in Bransonand his show is still a crowd-pleaser,full of his biggest hits, favorite coun-try western music and more comedythan you can “shake a stick at!”

Moe’s first bighit was I JustStarted HatingCheatin’ SongsToday; it came at

a good time. It was 1975 and Moehad decided to “hock everything” forjust one more recording session. Moehas had many more hit songs and fiveGold Albums. Bandy the Rodeo Clownwas the first #1. Moe and his brotherMike were rodeo riders, so Moecomes by his cowboy songs honestly,even growing up on a real ranch.

Moe says one day when he wasfeeling particularly bumped andbruised he just decided there had tobe a better way to keep yourself busy

… and make a living while doing it! Sohe got serious about his music career.

The tone of Moe’s songs haschanged a bit over the years. ‘Til I’mtoo Old to Die Young is a touchingsong that parents love, “Let me watchmy children grow, to see what they be-come … ’til I’m too old to die young.”Americana is another very movingsong, “Pictures of a people proud andfree.” Americana became the themesong for the first President Bush’scampaign in 1992 and began afriendship between the two that stillexists.

Kerry Garrison is the very talentedfemale vocalist in the show. Her per-formance in “The Sparkin’ Game” isespecially entertaining — hilarious!“Tater Patches” is one of the con-testants vying for the “Bache-lorette’s” vote. “Tater” isMoe’s comic sidekick, andMoe is a perfect straight man.

Moe’s Americana Band istopnotch, some of the best players

anywhere, and several of the bandmembers, like Nick Ochoa, SeanPittman and Barry Bales, have beenwith Moe for many years. Moebrought the band and his ownspecial music and style toBranson in 1990. Beforethat he spent more than six-teen years “on the road.” Hestill travels and does some per-forming on the road during thewinter months.

You’ll enjoy Moe Bandy andall his talented bandand cast in the JimStafford Theatre, onHwy. 76.

Have fun!

ByLinda Burlingame

Moe Bandy: A real singing cowboy!


Entry Form:

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Address ____________________________

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Aunt MollieBaldknobbersCabinChurchDewey BaldDowning StreetFarmFront StreetHarold Bell Wright

Inspiration PointManuscriptMinisterMissouri Pacific RailroadMutton HollowNewspaperOld MattOld TrailOllie Stewart

OzarksRoark ValleySammy LaneStoryThe Shepherd of the HillsUncle IkeWash GibbsWhite RiverYe English Inn

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Taney County was an innermost part of the Indian’s favorite hunting ground when the European explorers first reached America.

On Dec. 15, 1902, the White River Railway Company authorized to build a railroad though Taney County. By early Spring 1903work was under way. On June 10, 1905 the first locomotive from the North arrived in Branson.

On July 1, 1919, Forsyth received electricity for the first time, due to the generators from the Powersite Dam.

Harold Bell Wright floated down the White River twice from Galena to Branson.

Pearl fishing was a common sport in the White River before the Civil War. Pearls brought from $5 to $1500 around 1897.

History comes alive through festivalsTHE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS GAZETTE MAY/JUNE 2009PAGE 20

Back in 1873, Malinda Fortnerfiled a homestead claim in thesmall valley of Turkey Creek just

south of the White River, neighboringwhat is now Branson.It wasn’t until laterthat the small townof Hollister receivedits name, after

Reuben Kirkham’s daughter birthplace ofHollister, California. Kirkham owned thetown’s General Store and established thefirst Post Office.Hollister began to grow over the years,

and it was in 1906 when the Missouri Pa-cific Railroad added Hollister as a pas-

senger stop, which helped the area growwith tourism. It was W.H. Johnson’s visionof making Hollister a unique town to bringthe railroad’s interest in having Hollisteras one of their passenger stops. Johnsonknew the town had to be different andwas inspired while visiting England. John-son sent a personal check of $500 to therailroad with a plan of how the train depotwould look if he was allowed to design it’sunique English style. The railroad was im-pressed with the design and sent John-son his check back and allowed him theright to move forward with his plans.It was shortly after that in 1907 when

a young man published a novel about the

beautiful Ozark hills, and the wonderfulfolks that lived in the area. The way he de-scribed folks washospitable hillspeople and it wasthis very novel thatdrove a large num-ber of tourist to thearea. Missouri Pa-cific Railroad sawthe potential tomake money andsold package deals to tourist.Folks living as far away as New York madethe trip to Hollister to be taxied to the veryplace that inspired this author to write

about the Ozark people. This book notonly inspired folks to the Ozarks but hehelped the town of Hollister to grow into

the enriched history the town holdstoday. The author had an office inNumber 10 Downing St., which wasthe home of the local newspaper atthat time. You would know this au-thor as one of the first Americanauthors to sell more than a millioncopies of his novel titled The Shep-herd of the Hills. Yes Harold Bell

Wright played a huge role in thegrowth of Hollister, and Branson.

Continued on Page 21- See History

ByBryan Sheppard

HonoringHarold Bell Wright:First million selling authorwho first brought the Ozarksto the attention of the World!• Parade • Live Music• Livestock • Contests

• Films • Crafts • Competition

in HistoricDowntownHollister

May 22-23


To finish off your Shepherd of theHills Homestead Tour, experiencewho Harold Bell Wright was by

going to the Harold Bell Wright Museumlocated inside the World’s Largest ToyMuseum on the strip in Branson. Themany artifacts, letters, manuscripts, per-

sonal collections,and other things ondisplay Wright usedwhile living his lifeand writing his 19

books, will definitely give you an insightas to who he actually was. More impor-tantly, his paintings will also give you aninsight as to what he was. You know, thestuff he was made of. Harold Bell Wrightwas made of some pretty sturdy stuff,that’s for sure. He was a man who neverdeviated from his beliefs, no matter whatthe cost. He also, through his writings, en-couraged others by his stories, to do thesame and his message was well received.

You will want to look over the saddleshe used, especially one made by the Ron-stadt Saddle Company of Tucson. Thatparticular Ronstadt's daughter Lindawent on to become quite a singing sen-sation.

You will also be able to view the origi-nal neatly, hand-written manuscriptHarold Bell Wright penned writing Shep-herd of the Hills, as he was camping onInspiration Point looking overthe hills and valleys ofthe Ozarks.

You will recallthe opening ofShepherd of theHills when hewrote: In memoryof that beautifulsummer in the Ozarkhills, when, so often, wefollowed the old trail around therise of Mutton Hollow—the trail that is no-

body knows how old—and from Sammy'slookout watched the day go over the west-ern ridges. Harold Bell Wright was quitethe ro-m a n t i c ,eh?

Y o uwill find,as I have,over the

years,

w h e none sees, touches or smells the things aperson used in their lifetime; it serves tovalidate who that person was. As is saidin journalism, if it was not chronicled, itnever happened. The same is true of peo-ple’s lives, if there were not remnants ofthat person’s existence to prove they ac-tually were, they might not have everbeen. This museum will validate the lifeof Harold Bell Wright.

One may take a few moments to viewa film about his life, and the other arti-facts in the museum will give one a feelas to what he was and what he did withhis life. Take a look at the paintings herendered. You can see and feel the maneven through them. You can almost feel

the many brushstrokes he applied andsense his mood at the time he paintedthem. View his gun collection and imag-

ine what is was like to have had those inyour hands.

Whatever feeling you derive aboutHarold Bell Wright from your visit to themuseum, you will probably be right. Hewas a very simple yet at the same time, avery complicated man who authoredbooks of which more than 60 millioncopies have been sold. That alone shouldsay a lot about who Harold Bell Wrightwas.

The Harold Bell Wright Museum is lo-cated inside the World’s Largest Toy Mu-seum, 3609West Highway 76, (the strip),in Branson. You may call 417-332-1499for directions, information, schedules ortickets.

ByKurt Moore

Learning what Harold Bell Wright was about

History ... Continued from Later the town became

home to Otto Kohler, a Bar-num and Bailey Circusstrongman, and his wifeMattie, which both gaveHollister its unique charac-teristics. Otto was hired asthe town’s public relationsofficer, andwould meetand greeteach trainthat arrivedin Hollister.Otto, withall of hisgold teethsmiling at tourists, and hiswife Mattie, a red headthat was a former showgirl,surely had an everlastingmemory of one’s visit toHollister. The city of Hollis-ter holds a Founders Dayfestival annually to keepthis history alive, with vol-unteers dressed in periodclothing. The festival isheld the first Saturday ofMay.

May is also the montha Harold Bell Wright Festi-val will be held in Hollister,with this year being the

first. The festival will havea parade with heritagecrafts, historical films, livemusic, and horse drawnfloats. This will be a truefestival to carry all it’s visi-tors back in time the waythings use to be here in

the Ozarks when Wright ar-rived for the first time in1896.

Hollister continues togrow with the HistoricDowning Street alive andwell today with shops andrestaurants that visitorscan enjoy while findingthemselves walking thevery streets that HaroldBell Wright strolled alongback when living in thearea.

While here, you willwant to visit College of theOzarks, a college that lets

its’ students pay their waythrough by working on thecampus. While there, besure to visit the Ralph Fos-ter Museum where you willfind unique collections toplease everyone, and forthose of you that happen

to rememberthat famoust e l e v i s i o nshow theBeverly Hill-billy’s, wellyou will behappy to findJed’s old

truck there on display aswell.

With the new Wilder-ness Park being built, andthe new Chad A. FuquaPark, and the opening ofthe new Branson Airportjust south of Hollister, thecity’s future surely isbright. One thing for sureis, the Ozarks still holds asense of kindness, and thesame kind of hospitablehills people that HaroldBell Wright spoke about inhis novel many years ago,can still be found today.

Hollister - 1912


Ihave spent several days on an as-signment to write who Harold BellWright was. Not so much his many

accomplishments, but rather who was thisperson namedHarold Bell Wright. Ihave had manythoughts over that

period of time but could not come to penand ink for the article. The more I learnedabout the man, the more elusive he be-came. Then it became apparent to me hewas a man with principles, Integrity,

courage and a man with a burning desireto witness to themass of common people.I have therefore decided to show only hischaracter and the rest of the story will beapparent.

I will not endeavor to tell of Harold BellWright's torn, tattered and shattered child-hood, nor of his countless bouts with poorhealth, but rather I will tell of the man whowrote the best-selling book, "The Shepherdof the Hills." This is not to say Harold'schildhood or his illnesses did not shapeand formulate his method, style and most

importantly, his message. It did and inmany a profound way.

President Ronald Reagan gave honorand thanks to Harold Bell Wright’s firstpublished book, “That Printer of Udell’s” ashaving a deeply rooted, changing influenceon his life. It imprinted him with ideals andprinciples that guided him to the Dixon, Illi-nois Christian Church tobe baptized. Those prin-ciples from Harold BellWright, themselves de-rived from the Bible anda life built on discipline,led Ronald Reagan tothe point of changing hislife forever. If you will re-member, Reagan, notunlike Harold BellWright, was known as agreat communicator.Both communicatedtheir ideas, thoughts andprinciples in simple,plain soft-spoken lan-guage that the commonman could easily graspand take to heart.

On March 13, 1984,Ronald Reagan wrote aletter to Mrs. Jean B.Wright, the daughter-in-law of Harold BellWright, expressing thanks for the guidance“That Printer of Udell’s” had given him. Thefinal paragraph stated, “The term ‘rolemodel’ was not a familiar term in that timeand place. But I realize I found a rolemodelin that traveling printer whom Harold BellWright had brought to life. He set me on acourse I’ve tried to follow even unto thisday. I shall always be grateful—Sincerely,Ronald Reagan.”

In Harold Bell Wright’s books, therewas right and there was wrong, nothing be-tween. There were also the good peopleand the bad guys, nothing between.Harold Bell Wright and Ronald Reaganwere both principled men with characterqualities hard to find and even more diffi-cult to define.

“That Printer of Udell’s” was of coursea self-described journey through the lifeand times of Harold Bell Wright.

Harold Bell Wright was everyman’swriter. He struck the conscience of thecommon man, woman and child with sim-ple messages of goodness, values, mercyand hope. This was exactly what the every-day folk were searching for and found in hisbooks. They literally responded by the mil-

lions making Harold Bell Wright the firstAmerican author to have sold over a mil-lion books and in doing that, made him thefirst American author to have become amillionaire.

The critics hated Harold Bell Wrightwritings calling his work, “a puddle ofwords and mildewed pap.” It must also be

pointed out that the literary giants of thattime could not sell books as Harold BellWright could. There were a lot more “com-mon folk” than literary ones and HaroldBell Wright got his message to them.

He became a millionaire with his sec-ond published book, but first novel, “TheShepherd of the Hills.” Harold spent sev-eral summers in the Missouri Ozarks visit-ing and staying with friends while learningof the ways and lives of local people. Thoselocal people, with their fears, hopes,dreams and aspirations, were the bodyand heart of his message to the masses.As an itinerate pastor, he realized he couldreach many more people through a bookthan he ever couldministering to the smallflocks attending his country services.

Harold Bell Wright’s message through-out all of his 19 books, the translations ofhis books and several movies made ofthose works was the eternal one of goodand evil, hope, spirituality and eventuallysalvation. The hero of each story was notthe one who cut the handsomest figure,had the biggest farm or even rode theswiftest horse but rather the one with thestrongest character. Just like Harold BellWright himself.

ByKurt Moore

A man of extreme character...Harold Bell Wright

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Shepherd of the Hills Gazette | May/June 2009

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