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1983 Black Gold Festival
Ronnie McDowell has performed concerts in Hazard, Kentucky on three different occasions. He first appeared at Memorial Gym in 1977, shortly after the release of his number one song, "The King Is Gone," a tribute to the late Elvis Presley. McDowell was back in town six years later at the 1983 Black Gold Festival concert at Daniel Field in Hazard. He made his final Black Gold appearance in 1992. McDowell is a one of a kind performer, an ever-growing multitude of talent and unquestionably one of country music's best loved entertainers. As one of Tennessee's favorite sons, he is truly a symphony of genuine, natural, creative talent; however, even the most descriptive words in the English language can't express the magic within McDowell and the way that he has touched legions of fans throughout his twenty year musical career. Since the age of six, McDowell's ambition has been to make music. When his friends spent hours listening to songs on the radio, McDowell spent hours trying to emulate those very sounds. Like young, artistic entertainers usually do, McDowell sang and looked into his bedroom mirror with visions of taking music to -the stage. But, he soon discovered that he had serious inhibitions about performing in public. He just couldn't do it! At least, not until 1968, when McDowell was in the Navy aboard the U.S. S. Hancock, where his buddies provided him with plenty of "liquid courage." Finally, the boy from Portland, Tennessee took his first step onto a public stage. The response was overwhelming for the boy who had previously hidden his talent from the outside world. The audience loved McDowell and, as a result, his singing career started sailing at one hundred knots per hour. He formed a band, the Remniscents, and entertained his fellow seamen during their Alaskan tour of duty. When McDowell returned to Tennessee he began to make a living as a commercial sign painter, but his heart was still yearning to take his career in music to the next level. Opportunity found McDowell once again in the form of "Deep In The Heart Of Dixie," a McDowell-penned song recorded by Roy Druskey. McDowell still claims, "Hearing that song over the radio for the first time will always be one of the biggest thrills of my career." However, it took another of McDowell's multi-tracked talents to make his self-penned songs become big hits, his own voice. And it took one of McDowell's long time musical idols, Elvis Presley, whose death ironically brought forth the song that would catapult him into national fame. Hours after Presley passed away, McDowell and Lee Morgan co-wrote "The King Is Gone." McDowell recorded it, and it became his first top five hit. Almost overnight, the song became a smash hit, selling several million copies while creating instant stardom for McDowell. Throughout the 1980s McDowell continued to write hit songs for himself, including "I Love You, I Love You, I Love You," "World's Most Perfect Woman," "Watchin' Girls Go By," and "All Tied Up." In addition, McDowell also had hits penned by other writers including, "Wanderin' Eyes," "You Made A Wanted Man Out Of Me," "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation," and "Older Women." McDowell continued his string of hits into the 1990s with "Unchained Melody." He taught country music fans to dance the cowboy hip-hop with his recording of "Yippy-Ti-Yi-Yo." He took his music to the Supreme Court, where he was the first artist to ever perform at the prestigious Jefferson Awards. McDowell also played a command performance for President Bush, was honored for his humanitarian efforts with a House Joint Resolution by the Tennessee General Assembly, and was invited to entertain homecoming troops of Operation Desert Shield. He was tapped by national advertising executives to record commercials for Chevrolet trucks, while also being selected as a regular guest performer on TNN's "Music City Tonight" show on a weekly basis. McDowell is recognized as the creator of country's first animated video, which he put together for his single "American Music." Ever the multi-talented artist, McDowell is also a recognized sculptor, having created a life-sized statue of "The King." The correlation between Elvis Presley and Ronnie McDowell has continued to this day with McDowell's special recording, A Tribute To The King. Recorded by Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, and the Jordanaires, the 20-track release contains several of Presley's most memorable tracks. McDowell's current Intersound Country release, Now &Again: The Best Of Ronnie McDowell, celebrates his 20 years in country music with newly-recorded versions of his most popular hits including "Older Women" and "In A New York Minute." He also showcases his incredible vocal ' talent by tackling the popular Titanic theme, "My Heart Will Go On," and a rich acoustic arrangement of the Bobby Darin hit, "Dream Lover." Outside of the studio, McDowell continues to tour on a regular basis with a schedule that takes him all over the country. His loyal fan base extends across the map with fan clubs in more than twenty cities. His work has been admired by greats like D.J. Fontana, Scotty Moore, the Jordanaires, the Stamps, and dozens of other country and legendary acts. His artistry, class, and talent extend the boundaries and continues to entertain his fans. For Ronnie McDowell, it's the music and the smiles that make it all worthwhile. |
