James Drury and The Texas Trailhands
by Tom Keener
Veteran actor James Drury joins The Texas Trailhands for an exciting evening of western music and nostalgia at 7:30 pm, Friday, June 10. Sponsored by Bach to Books, free tickets are issued at 6:30 pm. The Texas Trailhands will perform their special brand of "Cowboy Swing” and will introduce James Drury who will discuss his career in western films and television. The Texas Trailhands performance at the library will be as close to a campfire swing as you can get.
James Drury is the star of the first 90-minute color western TV series, ‘The Virginian’, which aired from 1962-1971. ‘The Virginian’ is the third longest running western series in the history of television. The television series was adapted from the 1902 Owen Wister western novel, “The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains”. Like the novel, the protagonist was never given a name other than the Virginian. James Drury used that to his advantage in creating a mysterious air surrounding the Shiloh ranch foreman. "Nobody knows the name of my character," James Drury says, "not even me."
James starred in the legendary science fiction masterpiece Forbidden Planet (1956), which was his second film, and as Crewman Strong, he was devoured by the monster. After The Virginian, he appeared in Alias Smith and Jones and Walker Texas Rangers.
The Texas Trailhands present an upbeat unforgettable experience. Bandleader Miss Devon declares, “We are cowboy swing. We’re not country or country and western ... We’re very particular about which songs we do. A song has to pass quite a few litmus tests or they’ll limp away brokenhearted.” Miss Devon is the singin’, yodelin’ voice for Jessie, The Yodelin' Cowgirl on the Grammy-Winning CD "Woody's Roundup featuring Riders In the Sky", released by Walt Disney Records in August 2000. Miss Devon is also Jessie the Yoddling Cow Girl on the follow up CD for Toy Story Two. In 2009, Miss Devon won the Academy of Western Artists “Western Music Female Performer of the Year.”
Guitarist and yodeler Miss Devon will be accompanied by “Hoot Al” on acoustic bass, clarinet, guitar, lead and harmony vocals, “Rodeo Kate” on fiddle and flute, “Red River Rick”, lead guitar & harmony vocals, “Chuckwagon Chuck” on harmonica, guitar, and percussion.
Wear your western clothes!
Call 214-509-4911.
|
