“Coat of Many Colors” is the Most-Watched Film on Broadcast Networks Since May 2012

UPDATE:   Less than a week after 15.6 million viewers watched “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” NBC is giving families another chance to watch the TV movie with an encore special presentation Christmas Day at 9/8c (p.m.).

“I hoped to bring some families together so they could sit and watch a move like this. I really wanted to celebrate the people, my whole family, who made me who and what I am today. I’m so blessed and thankful for everyone who watched and I hope this story reaches many, many more when NBC shows it Christmas night,” said Parton.

NOTE:  Jennifer Nettles, who played Avie Lee Parton (Dolly’s mother) in the movie is appearing at Choctaw Casino’s Grand Theater, along with Brandy Clark, Lindsay Ell, and Tara Thompson, on April 29. Tickets are available through links on the Website: ChoctawCasinos.com.

For many more photos, click here. All photos by Mary Jane Farmer

Kellie Pickler played to a near-sold-out audience at Saturday night (Dec. 5, 2015) at Choctaw Casino’s Event Center in beautiful downtown Grant, Okla. This was the make-up date after she was obliged to postpone her appearance this past fall.

Pickler brought with her two guitar pickers, a keyboard player who also played guitar and accordion, a drummer, and a bass player. Each had his key role in the 75-minute concert. The guitar pickers acted as backup harmonies and the keyboard picker also sang a duet with Kellie, dedicated to Pickler’s grandmother as one of her favorite songs — the June Carter and Johnny Cash classic “Jackson.” She also sang a Loretta Lynn classic, and beyond that, the concert consisted of exclusively her own recordings.

Pickler’s engaging smile radiated through most of them, such as the song her husband wrote for her, “No Cure For Crazy.” It was a more somber song, no smile, “My Christmas Carolina,” dedicated to her late grandmother, who, she told the audience, raised her “and was the one I called ‘Mom.’ She smiled when an old friend, seated on the front row, handed her a shot of something drinkable. Later, then, she got that friend up to sing on one of her final songs. Well, actually, she sat down on stage front and he stood to join her.

Also, many of the fans in the crowd have, evidently by the shout-outs, been watching the new CMT television series, “I Love Kellie Pickler.“

You can keep your eye on the SceneInTown.com Live Music Calendar or go online to Choctaw Casinos, drag down the “Destinations” link, and then click on the left side under Entertainment. Either place, you’ll find that The Bellamy Brothers are playing at the Grant Event Center on Friday, Jan. 8, and that on Saturday, Feb. 20, the Texas/Okie duo of Maddie & Tae (of course, it’ll be full band), will be appearing in concert. There’s links there to buy those tickets.

Short story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. For more photos, click here.

They came, they played, they conquered. “They” being the classic soft rock band, Heart, who played Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in the Grand Theater, Choctaw Casino, Durant, Okla.

Ann and Nancy Wilson have fronted this band since its inception in the 1960s. It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that they had their first hit, “Dreamboat Annie.” Since then, they have collected numerous awards and trophies for their contribution to music.

They brought in a sold-out crowd, and that included their own V.I.P.s, who not only received Meet n Greet photos with the sisters Wilson; but also got a unique grand tour across the Grand Theater stage and an up-close look at all the sound and musical equipment before the downbeat. Ann took most of the lead vocals and introductions, and Nancy took most of the front-line instrumentation. Behind them were a tight group of four other musicians.

Next Saturday, Nov. 12, will have a Nashville trio of singers, not necessarily acting as a trio, but probably taking the stage in sequence. Frankie Ballard, Randy Houser, and Craig Campbell. Go to ChoctawCasinos.com for more details.

Short feature and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

For many photos, click here.

For a look at the new Pizza Hut Christmas commercial featuring Michael Bolton, click here

Michael Bolton was a walking music machine during his 75-minute set at Choctaw Casino’s Grand Theater Friday night (Nov. 20, 2015), and during that time, he held the audience’s complete respect and attention. He started out explaining “the rules” which (loosely paraphrased) were: Take as many photos as you want to, just try to get them in the best light. And sing along with him.

Bolton started out, first song, sitting on a barstool and picking his acoustic guitar, as the seven musicians behind him kept up a rhythm, melody, and harmonies unparalleled. Behind them, all night long, were backgrounds added by video, but which were only there to enhance, not to distract the listeners. (A few of those backgrounds are included in these photos, just for reference.)

Bolton was, throughout the show, appreciative of those musicians who added such energy and quality to the songs. They played steel guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, grand piano, drums, saxophone, and sang backup vocals. At times, they would disappear from the stage when a song needed to be presented acoustically; other times, Bolton would leave the stage to give the band completely over to the audience. A few of those times were for a saxophone-led song with strong piano accompaniment. And narrowing that down, one of those times gave Bolton time for one of his concert traditions — to come out into the audience, stand on a kitchen-height stool and let fans take photographs and videos up close and personal. “When A Man Loves A Woman,” was the song he belted out then, and which he finished up after returning to the stage. (You can find the photo, most likely, that he paused to pose for while making that trek to the stool — only hint given here is that the surprise of the camera’s flash is apparent.)

He also presented a couple of songs as duet, with one of his female singers.

This reviewer, there early, was privileged to catch the guitar picker in a 15-minute solo about 3 hours before time for the concert to begin. He came out, sat on the piano bench in the dark auditorium, and picked the sam-hill out of that electric guitar.

Next up, Dec. 3, at The Grand Theater is the Canadian/American band Heart, which has spanned and helped defined rock music since the 1970s. This is billed as a “sold out” concert, but it couldn’t hurt to see if there’s not a few seats still available.

(Sorry, no band names were available, although Bolton mentioned them from the stage, this reviewer was holding a camera instead of pen and paper.)

Crystal and Will Yates

For more photos, click here

Friday the 13th was good for Leann Rimes, who brought her A-game, along with a really simple, clean sounding band, to Choctaw Casino’s Event Center in Grant, Okla., and who had a dynamite warm-up duo to get the crowd really ready for her. Crystal Yates, winner of the Country Showdown nationwide contest, and her husband, Will, a top-shelf musician who backs her up instrumentally as well as vocally, provided a 30-minute-ish set for the standing-room crowd before Ms. Rimes took the stage.

And when Leann took that stage, she owned it. For the next hour and a half, that stage, those lights, that sound system, and that crowd belonged to Leann Rimes, 100%. “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “Nothin’ Better To Do,” “The Rose.” You name her hit – she sang it. And beautifully belted out Patsy Cline’s hits, to boot.

The next show at the Grant Choctaw facility will be Nashville recording artist Kellie Pickler. Shows start at 8 p.m. there, and the Friday night shows are followed by a live band at The River Bar in the same facility.