When I was about age 12, I started taking an interest in country music. One of my earliest memories of those days is about the late country entertainer “Little” Jimmy Dickens. While listening to him sing on the Grand Ol’ Opry, I would visualize the entire entertainment act as follows: Little Jimmy Dickens only lived about two blocks from downtown, which had a square, and the “Opry was on the square, in Nashville. Each Saturday, early evening, Little Jimmy Dickens’ mom would take him by the hand, and walk with little Jim to the Opry stage. With his other hand he is holding his guitar. After he sings his song, and his mom waiting backstage, they walk together back to their home, two blocks away. Jimmy Dickens was a great entertainer, taken from us too soon . . .
While the above events may have taken place in a similar manner, it is far from the reality of how a entertainer gets to be a star on the Opry, or any other famous venue. There are thousands and thousands of singers and musicians that never get a chance to be on the Grand Ol’ Opry, Louisiana Hayride, or other venues. In one sense, it has to be being in the right place at the right time; For instance, suppose the late Glenn Campbell was at a night club, as another diner, and while he is dining, they have a stage, and some unknown artist is doing his best to entertain the clientele with his songs. Should he be any good, someone like Glenn Campbell could take an interest in this act, and offer his assistance and recommendations to those of authority.
But most entertainers, not making much money, but still enjoying what they do, jump at any chance for flexing their skills to show what they have to offer. If you are an entertainer that has never had a break, never progressed beyond your hometown to entertain, it is still all up to you to prove to others that you can entertain large crowds of “listeners” with the music that they love to hear. If you can grab the ear of those type of folks, that is your avenue to success.
Hugo Buchanan is a resident of Lady Lake.
