Entertainment Stories

From Rifleman to Recording Artist   by Michael McCall
In the 1958-1963 TV series The Rifleman, young Johnny Crawford played Mark McCain, the only child of widower rancher Lucas McCain, portrayed by Chuck Connors.

Singing Without Limits   by Michael McCall
When Bradley Walker's name rang out inside the Ryman Auditorium in October, the entire audience rose in a standing ovation.

Hometown Harmonizers   by Alanna Nash
Former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson may have hailed from Staunton, Va. (pop. 23,853), but The Statler Brothers really put the town on the map.

Titan of the Tuba   by Marta W. Aldrich
Winston Morris stands center stage, anchoring a fanfare of gleaming brass instruments and 26 student musicians who comprise the oldest and most recorded tuba ensemble in the world.

Making Classical Cool   by Michael McCall
Most classical concerts begin with the performers walking out in a stiff and serious manner and quietly arriving at their instruments without speaking a word.

Life After the Brady Bunch   by Paulette Cohn
Baby boomers best remember Florence Henderson as one of America’s favorite TV moms: Carol Brady on the popular 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch.

Donna Fargo: Singing a New Song   by Alanna Nash
Country singer Donna Fargo delighted millions of music fans in the 1970s with upbeat songs such as 'Funny Face' and 'The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.'

Pickin' Grinnin' and Giving   by Pam Windsor
Even though 2007 marks his 60th year as a performer, Roy Clark is as excited as ever about making music.

Trent Willmon Contest Winners
The cold rain and choppy water didn't stop two Kansas City natives from enjoying their fishing trip with country music star Trent Willmon.

Alabama Goes Back to Church   by Chris Neal
Randy Owen, lead singer of the country group Alabama, had a couple of very good reasons for wanting to make a CD of gospel music.

Sharing His Faith   by Beverly Keel
Until they saw him on television playing the bumbling but loveable farmhand Eb on Green Acres in the late 1960s, almost no one in Tom Lester’s hometown of Laurel, Miss., thought he would become a successful actor in Hollywood.

Spreading the Chicken House Gospel   by Audrey T. Hingley
In 1973, Ray Pollard allowed a local gospel group to use the vacant chicken shed behind his house in Montpelier, Va., for a practice session. Word got around, and about 35 people showed up to enjoy the music.

Singing the Language of Love   by Cynthia Rubin
At the Sarasota Memorial Nursing Home Center in Sarasota, Fla. (pop. 52,715), an assembled audience of patients slowly but surely perks up...

Christmas Classics   by Katie Dodd
When you ask people to name their favorite holiday films and shows, few cite recent releases. Instead, more than any other time of year, Christmas inspires movie fans to gravitate toward the classics that they first saw as children.

'Little House' Popularity Endures   by Bob Gulla
The Little House on the Prairie television series, which ran for nine seasons beginning in 1974, struck a lasting chord with audiences on its way to becoming one of TV’s most popular and enduring programs.

Dance Hall Days   by Kristen Tribe
A crowd gathers around the stage at Gruene Hall, singing along as Kelly Willis belts out a tune on a steamy summer night in New Braunfels, Texas (pop. 36,494).

Making 'Kangaroo' Music   by Bob Gulla

Rockin' Role Models   by Pam Windsor
Seventh- and eighth-graders pour into the gym at South Laurel Middle School in Laurel, Ky., quickly filling the bleachers.

Happy Birthday, Dick Tracy   by Beverly Keel
Dick Tracy, the stern, upright, big-city police detective in the bright yellow fedora who snagged some of the most sinister criminals known in the comic-strip world, turns 75 years old this week.

Collecting Treasures of The King   by j. poet
Robin Rosaaen stands in front of her apartment in suburban San Jose, Calif.