For more information:
Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO Promotions Manager
(901) 325-6518
tlsullivan@wkno.org
January 29 , 2008
For Immediate Release
NEW HEADLINERS FOR THE STARS OF LAWRENCE WELK CONCERT
The
annual Stars of Lawrence Welk Concert, scheduled for Sunday,
February 17 at 2:00 p.m. at the Germantown Performing Arts
Centre, will go on as scheduled though one of the headliners – Ralna
English – will not be able to appear. Guy Hovis will
be joined instead by Welk stars Mary Lou Metzger and Ava
Barber.
Susie Dowdy, Ms. English’s national publicist
and booking agent, issued the following statement. “Ralna
has been hospitalized with Crohn’s/colitis and while
there, she had to undergo emergency surgery to remove her
gallbladder. Even though she’s recovering nicely, her
doctors told her she can not travel at this time.”
This
is only the second time in Ms. English’s 50+ year career
she has missed a performance date because of illness and
she deeply regrets the inconvenience to her many fans.
Guy
Hovis was one of the featured performers on the Lawrence
Welk Show, but is best known as one half of the singing couple
Guy and Ralna. They were married from 1969 to 1984 and were
one of the most popular singing acts on the show from 1969
to 1982. Guy continues to tour as a soloist and with Ralna.
He served as state director for Senator Trent Lott since
1990.
Although Mary Lou Metzger is best known as the girl
who danced with Lawrence Welk at the end of his weekly television
show, she is no stranger to other aspects of the entertainment
industry. Mary Lou started singing and dancing on the Steel
Pier in Atlantic City when she was just seven years old.
Her first exposure to acting and live theatre was as Lee
Proctor in a community theatre production of “A Guest
In The House.”
Her latest adventure is producing, both
video and stage projects. For the past seven years she has
created the Christmas shows for the Welk Resort in Escondido
and last year she was brought in as Associate Producer of
the “Wonderful Century of American Music” show
at the beautiful 2300 seat Champagne Theatre in Branson,
Missouri. For several years she has had the privilege of
traveling to cities around the country singing the praises
of public television, a cause very dear to her heart.
Born
and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Ava Barber grew up singing
in her oldest brother’s rock ‘n’ roll band.
She began singing professionally at age 10 and joined a local
Country Music television show at age 14 in Knoxville. Ava’s
mother, an avid fan of the Lawrence Welk Show, suggested
that Ava send Welk her demos and records.
Ava wrote to Mr.
Welk in 1973. A couple of months later she received a letter
from Mr. Welk telling her that if she was ever on the West
coast to come and do the show. Being part of a nationally
watched television show, and having a hit record, opened
many doors for Ava. She’s appeared on many television
shows such as: “Nashville Now”, “Music
City Tonight”, “Crook & Chase Show”,
and made two appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. She has been
touring with the Stars of Lawrence Welk Concert since 2000.
Tickets
are $20 for WKNO members and groups of ten or more and
$25 dollars for non-members. To reserve tickets call Germantown
Performing Arts Centre at (901) 751-7500 or visit www.gpacweb.com.
The
event is being made possible in part by H.W. Durham Foundation
and The Best Times.
WKNO is a non-profit organization,
private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than
50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the
power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide
the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs
that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information
about WKNO, visit wkno.org.
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