SUMMER FUN – COUNTRY STYLE
Summer fun isn’t just for kids! The superstars from The Country Music Cruise 2017 are heading off to their own versions of summer camp this year, filled with tons of fun, great food, greater friends and – of course – the very best in music.
Here’s what some of them have planned:
VINCE GILL will be spending some time at his home away from home, the Grand Ole Opry, where he’s been a member for 25 years. He’ll perform two special concerts on August 13th.
CHARLEY PRIDE is celebrating an incredible 50 years in country music by taking an epic road trip. Charley’s golden anniversary tour will take him to the Grand Ole Opry (June 10 and 11) just before Vince Gill arrives and throughout the US and Canada. http://www.charleypride.com/about/tour
THE OAK RIDGE BOYS will be enjoying long, sunny days (and lots of gotta-have-it fried food) at county fairs this summer just like you and me. They’ll be stopping by the Lawrence County Fair (Proctorville, OH), Sauk County Fair (Baraboo, WI), Northeast Missouri Fair (Kirksville, MO), Jefferson County Fair (Hillsboro, MO), Ohio State Fair (Columbus, OH), Kentucky State Fair (Louisville, KY), Southeast Missouri District Fair (Cape Girardeau, MO), Oklahoma State Fair (Oklahoma City, OK) and the Tulsa State Fair (Tulsa, OK). http://www.oakridgeboys.com/tour
Download BRENDA LEE’s version of “Summer Wind” and let it play on through the fall.
LEE GREENWOOD released his “Proud To Be An American” book last year on the Fourth of July. This year, he’ll be honoring our nation’s birthday with a concert at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. https://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-williamsburg/attractions/events/leegreenwood
If we invite TANYA TUCKER to our backyard barbeque, do you think she’d bring her world famous chicken chili to share with us? Here’s her recipe (originally printed in Cooking with Country Music Stars):
Tanya Tucker’s Chicken Chili
1-2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp vegetable shortening
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes (canned tomatoes and chilies)
1 ½ cups stewed tomatoes
3-4 cups kidney beans (better with homemade beans)
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar (or 1 packet Sweet-n-low)
¼ cup dry red wine
3 Tbsp chili powder (add more if you like)
4 chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp sherry
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups chicken broth (if chili is too hot)
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in shortening until tender. Add Ro-Tel and stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, salt, bay leaf, sugar, wine and chili powder. Simmer together for 1 hour.
Boil chicken breasts for 1 hour in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain and reserve broth. Remove skin from cooked chicken and shred by hand or in a food processor. Add to tomato and bean mixture. Simmer to 1 hour. Add sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken broth if desired for consistency and taste.
And what’s summer without a good old fashioned family reunion? JOHNNY LEE will head over to Mickey Gilley’s Stampede in Houston for a concert on July 22nd. Wonder if they’ve got a mechanical bull there?