News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The Sisters Starry Nights Benefit Concert Series celebrates its 11th season by welcoming iconic singer and songwriter Rodney Crowell with his special guests Chely Wright and Will Kimbrough on Saturday, April 26, at Sisters High School.
A limited number of tickets is available at Leavitts in Sisters or at the door.
"Rodney is truly a Nashville legend," said event co-producer Susan Arends of Crowell, who is donating his performance in support of Sisters schools. "He has made his mark over the last 30 years as a singer, a guitarist, a producer and, without question, one of the greatest songwriters in country music history. With all the talent he and his band are bringing to the Sisters stage, it is going to be a night you don't want to miss!"
For Crowell, Starry Nights will be the last in a series of benefits he has played over the past few months.
"The first half of this year I set aside for doing benefits of different kinds," he said.
Crowell has had a long ride as a performer and songwriter who has a reputation for both commercial success and artistic integrity.
After spending the early part of his career as a member of Emmylou Harris' famous Hot Band and then forming the band The Cherry Bombs with good friend Vince Gill, Crowell released his first solo album in 1978 and began writing a string of smash hits for other artists, including "Leavin' Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" for Harris and the Oak Ridge Boys, "Til I Gain Control Again" for Crystal Gayle and "Shame on the Moon" for Bob Seger.
In 1988, Crowell broke through with "Diamonds & Dirt," which produced an unbroken string of five number one singles. His recent hits include: "Ashes By Now" for Lee Ann Womack; "Please Remember Me" for Tim McGraw; and "Making Memories of Us" for Keith Urban.
Crowell's own recent records have reflected a different style of writing and a more pointed concern for social commentary.
"It changed," Crowell said of his writing. "It was part of a conscious decision."
As he sought to further refine his art, he has sought to write with what he calls a "singular sensibility," a finely honed take on the world around him that belongs to him alone.
That has meant some forthright shots at the current political climate, at materialism and other things that frankly make the songwriter angry. Yet, the toughest of his songs are always tinged with humility - he never lets himself off the hook - and balanced by a search for wisdom.
"I'm no more right than anybody else," he said. "I'm just reporting what I see," which he acknowledges is really the fundamental role of an artist.
Crowell's show Saturday night will dip into his deep catalogue of hit songs, as well as touch on his more recent, "edgier" material. Crowell won't compromise on his artistic vision, but he doesn't have an agenda, either.
"You have to be wise about how you don't compromise," he said. "My trip there (to Sisters) is not in service to my career. It is important to me to serve the causes of others."
Starry Nights has successfully served the cause of keeping program funding available for Sisters schools across a decade of sometimes tight budget times. A fund-raiser for the Sisters Schools Foundation, Starry Nights has so far raised more than $750,000 in net proceeds since its inception. Event organizers anticipate that after this year's series, Starry Nights will top the $800,000 mark.
Crowell will be joined during his set by his special guest, country music star Chely Wright. Her hits include "Shut Up and Drive," "Single White Female," "Never Love You Enough," "Jezebel" and most recently the number one hit "Bumper of My S.U.V.," which touched the hearts of our deployed military and their families around the world.
Opening the show is a solo set by acclaimed singer-songwriter Will Kimbrough, who will also perform Saturday in Crowell's band. His brilliant guitar playing has made him a sought-after sideman, accompanying artists including Jimmy Buffett, who recorded Will's "Piece of Work" on his "License to Chill" CD. Todd Snider, Kim Richey, Mavis Staples, Billy Joe Shaver are among the many others he has worked with both in the studio and onstage.
Joining Crowell will be Starry Nights veteran and renowned keyboardist, songwriter and producer Tim Lauer, who has toured and recorded with many of the leading artists in country and pop music.
Acclaimed bass player and Oregon native Denny Bixby rounds out Crowell's band. He spent 18 years in Nashville, during which time he toured and/or recorded with Nanci Griffith, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, Great Plains and a host of others. For the past six years he has played bass and sung for Rodney Crowell. Now living in Portland, Bixby has released his own contemporary jazz album, "Fish Out of Water."
Lobby doors open at 5:30 p.m. and theater doors at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m.
For more information contact Shirleen Cundiff at the Sisters School District at 541-549-8521 ext. 4007. To purchase tickets stop by Leavitt's or call 549-6451.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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