"This is primarily an entertainment and information concert, with 4 hours of live music with features, client interviews, and officials of the four centers and area Lions clubs interspersed. The Telethon of Stars is one of the longest running, locally produced Telethons in the USA and is telecasted in the 81th largest DMA market in the USA (Paducah, KY-Cape Girardeau, MO-Harrisburg/Marion, IL). It is also streamed LIVE via this website."
The beneficiaries of the event are Easter Seals West Kentucky in Paducah, T.L.C. of Southern Illinois, UTM Infant Stimulation Program-Martin, Tennessee, and Easter Seals Southeast Missouri. "These centers deal with disabled children and adults," says TelethonofStars.org. "All of the money raised by the Telethon goes directly to these centers." You can mail a donation to ...
Telethon of Stars
c/o Independence Bank
P.O. Box 966
Paducah, KY 42002-0966
Lee Greenwood headlined last night's broadcast, 6:30-10:30 on Channel 6, and he was great. We'd been out late Friday night, up early Saturday and out of town to a kid's birthday party most of the afternoon and evening. Man, I'm telling you, I was beat by 9 o'clock and ready to konk out. But I flipped on Channel 6 and saw Lee Greenwood coming on, and he kept me going until about 9:45--that's saying something. I didn't realize how many Lee Greenwood hits I knew ("Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands" is an excellent song), and I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake long enough to catch his closer, which, of course, had to be "God Bless the USA."
Now we've got a pre-recorded gospel concert happening on Channel 6 until 8, and we might have a comment or two until the little girl gets up and wants to watch Curious George or I need to get my shower for church, whichever comes first.
In addition to Lee Greenwood, last night's main concert featured a bunch of artists who were a big deal in the 1960s. Brian Hyland did "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and a bunch of other songs you know. Johnny Tillotson did "Poetry In Motion," and he was one of the first 50 people in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The Chiffons' hits included "One Fine Day" and "He's So Fine," and Shirley Alston Reeves scored with "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how excited I'd have been to be watching Channel 6 last night if I had been part of the Class of 1966, and I look forward to the "Kentucky Minute" post of the 2035, 79th Channel 6 Telethon, which I assume will feature Michael Stipe, Billy Ocean, Salt-N-Pepa and Susanna Hoffs.
ReplyDelete1969/#freakinweekend HP Nation need to know the lineup of the 1969 Channel 6 telethon:
ReplyDelete• Emcee: Doug McClure
• Diana Trask
• Linda Bennett
• Lynda K. Lance
• L.M. Grandpa Jones
• Dorothy Olson
• Stan Gunn
• Don Cross
• Bob Sobo
Per the Nov. 14, 1969, Southern Illinoisan: "News 6 Lions Telethon The 13th annual Lions Club Telethon of Stars begins and will be telecast round th2 clock, ending . at 1 p.m. Sunday. Contri- butiens will aid handicapped children. Master of ceremonier, will be Doug McClure of "The Virginian" TV series; guests will inc.ude Grandpa Jones, Dorothy Olson, Diana Trask, Lynda K. Lance, Linda Bennett and other singers dancers and musicians. The telethon is sponsored by Lions clubs in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee; contributions irom each state will be returned to that state for aiding handicapped children."
DeleteThe 1969 edition is among the most warmly remembered by long-time telethon followers ...
ReplyDeleteAt its Facebook page in July, WPSD asked, "What's your favorite or fondest #telethon memory? Staying up late? Music? Helping a great cause?"
ReplyDelete"We found out my family was related to Doug McClure and then he got too drunk to be on TV ! LOL"
ReplyDeleteThe WPSD schedule that appeared in the Kentucky New Era failed to show that the telethon would be pre-empting Channel 6's usual programming this 1969 weekend, so Hoptown 1969 me very likely missed seeing Doug McClure. And that's a shame, because he enjoyed catching him on The Johnny Cash Show this 1969 summer.
ReplyDeleteSays Wikipedia: "The character of Troy McClure on The Simpsons was designed after him along with the late Troy Donahue. Mike Reiss, executive producer of The Simpsons, said that Doug McClure's daughter informed him that Doug was a big fan of The Simpsons. She said that while watching an episode Doug saw the character Troy McClure on the show and said, "Are they making fun of me?" Doug said he thought the parody was funny and his daughters would call him Troy McClure behind his back as a joke."
ReplyDeleteGood for Doug McClure!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Doug performed "Gentle On My Mind" on the 1969 Channel 6 telethon.
ReplyDeleteHere's "Miss Country Soul," Diana Trask, who might've either come to Paducah because of her drummer or met her drummer because she came to Paducah.
ReplyDeleteLinda Bennett ... bringing the steam! Hubbahubba!
ReplyDeleteI love "Cry Me a River."
DeleteWe saw Linda Bennett earlier this year on Channel 6, in a Bob Hope special that aired Jan. 16 but was filmed Dec. 22-28, 1968.
ReplyDeleteIn a few years, Linda's going to put out one of the more curious Christmas songs you and Alan Colmes have ever heard.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't with Bob Hope, but Lynda K. Lance made a trip to Vietnam, too.
ReplyDeleteHey, cool! Lynda K. Lance once did a jingle for Burger Chef!
ReplyDeleteHere's Lynda with "Fool of the Year."
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hoptown 1969 me will support Niagara's Grandpa Jones for Kentuckian of the Year, with Hee Haw being a surprise hit.
ReplyDeleteThe great Wikipedia: "In 1969, Jones became a charter cast member on the long-running television show Hee Haw, often responding to the show's skits with his trademark phrase "Outrageous". He also played banjo, by himself or with banjo player David "Stringbean" Akeman. A musical segment featured in the early years had Jones and "his lovely wife Ramona" singing while ringing bells held in their hands and feet. A favorite skit had off-camera cast members ask, "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?" He would describe a delicious, country-style meal ("Buttermilk biscuits smothered in chicken gravy, home-fried potatoes, collard greens and Grandmother's fresh-baked blueberry pie à la mode!" The cast would reply, "Yum, yum!"), though he sometimes would describe something not so good, ("Because you were bad, thawed out TV dinners!" The cast would scoff, "Yuck!") A running gag was a window that he pretended to polish had no glass. Jones would slip his fingers through the empty frame. He also joined Buck Owens, Roy Clark and Kenny Price in a gospel segment at the end of some shows."
I remember those gospel segments. In fact, I remember almost everything in this entry.
DeleteGrandpa represents!
ReplyDeleteI've traveled o'er this country wide seeking fortune fair
Up and down the two coast lines I've traveled everywhere
From Portland East to Portland West back along the line
I'm going now to the place that's best that old hometown of mine
Eight more miles and Louisville will come into my view
Eight more miles on this old road and I'll never more be blue
I knew some day that I'd come back I knew it from the start
Eight more miles to Louisville the hometown of my heart
There's bound to be a gal somewhere that you like best of all
Mine lives down in Louisville she's long and she is tall
But she's the kind that you can't find a traveling through the land
I'm on my way this very day to win her heart and hand
Now I can picture in my mind a place we'll call our home
A humble little hut for two we'll never want to roam
The place that's right for that love sight is in those bluegrass hills
Where gently flows the Ohio by a place called Louisville
Grandpa Jones is going to bring down the house in Paducah: Let the government run its business/and let me run my own.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Independent's obituary: "After signing to RCA in 1952, he found himself recording predominantly novelty numbers including "I'm No Communist", "Herd O' Turtles", "Gooseberry Pie" and "TV Blues", but balked, perhaps understandably, when asked to tackle "Hey, Liberace". Unhappy at the musical direction in which he was being pushed, he then switched to Decca. His output for the label, although limited, included some of his finest work: "Eight More Miles To Louisville", "Waiting For A Train" and the superb "Falling Leaves" which was belatedly issued in 1992."
ReplyDeleteIt appears that Grandpa Jones might've moved his older sister out to Burbank. That's nice.
ReplyDeleteGrandpa Jones was the one who found "Stringbean" and his wife.
ReplyDeleteOn one of our first dates, my future wife told me in terrific detail about the murder of Annville's David "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife. We got engaged pretty quickly after that.
ReplyDeleteThat is awful. I had forgotten this, if I ever knew it.
DeleteDorothy Olsen, the Singing School Teacher, has something for the younger set.
ReplyDeleteStan Gunn sounds like he had a lively career: "Stan Gunn was a country music entertainer who played supper clubs and lounges throughout the South and the Midwest with his band back in the Seventies. He had a syndicated music show on TV and from what I've heard Gunn died in 1994. ... I always liked his music he use to play in or bar in Bradley SD ... I remember seeing Stan Gunn at the Colony Village Restaurant on Interstate 80 near Amana and Williamsburg Iowa in the early 70's ... Stan used to play at my dad's bar "The Stardust Inn" in Iowa City. ... i knew stan in denver he was playing at a place called the lemon tree ... I remember listening to Stan at Cowboy park in Wessington, SD. Was a little girl and I was head over hills in love with him. I also remember Connie who sang with them. We shared a birthday. His son Stosh lived at cowboy park for a time too. I still have 3 of Stans albums and will not part with them. They are autographed by Stan, Connie, Leon, and Elmo. My love of country music started with Stan and his band. Great memories."
ReplyDeleteOh, my, there's a whole Stan Gunn YouTube channel!
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, Don Cross, who is remembered fondly among long-time telethon watchers.
ReplyDeletePADUCAH, Ky. (AP) _ Donald F. Crosthwaite, a broadcaster and entertainer, died Saturday from complications of a stroke. He was 72.
Crosthwaite, known professionally as Don Cross, was the co-host of Paducah television station WPSD's ``Lions Club Telethon of Stars'' each year from 1968 until 1991. During a 30-year recording career, he released several pop, country, gospel and nostalgia albums.
He later managed and owned two radio stations in Mayking before selling them and returning to Paducah in 1985.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia; a daughter, two brothers, a sister, and a granddaughter.
St. Louis's Bob Sobo and the New Design also enjoyed a long, long telethon run.
ReplyDeleteWell, that was fantastic. I enjoyed both the 2015 and 1969 Channel 6 telethons.
ReplyDelete