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Showing posts from October, 2021

Jim Stafford Theatre, Site of Conway's Final Concert, To Be Demolished

Last week I read the sad news that the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, site of Conway's final concert on June 4, 1993, is scheduled to be demolished following an auction of its contents today .  A trip to Branson has always been on my bucket list, and this important Conway destination would've been at the top of the list of places I would want to visit, but now that will never happen. The story of how Conway ended up performing at the Stafford Theatre in his final weeks is rather interesting. Ready to cut back on the amount of time he spent out on the road, he had signed on to play 180 shows in 90 days from late April to early December in 1993 at (Mickey) Gilley's Theatre in Branson. In the early morning hours of May 10th an electrical short in a neon sign outside the building created a spark and the theater was destroyed, as were Conway's instruments and equipment which were on stage at the time.  Conway was booked for 80 more days at Gilley's through the rest of

Made in Vermont Conway Doll

Last month I picked up a free local newspaper at the grocery store, and my eyes were drawn to a story about a lady who lives 15 minutes away from me that makes soft felt dolls of TV and movie characters . As I read the article I couldn't help but wonder if she might be able to make a Conway doll, and when I saw that Tyler Mahan Coe (of country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones fame) asked her to make a doll of him, I knew country music stars just might be on her radar too. I visited the shop's Facebook page to see more of her creations, and lo and behold, she had already made a Conway doll over the summer! I messaged her that very night to ask if she could make another, placed my order, and 3 weeks later a Conway plushy was in my hands.  I knew he would be adorable, but he was even more adorable than I imagined. I think I said "OMG!" out loud 50 times after opening the package. He's incredibly well made, and I especially love the CT necklace stitched right i

Conway Street Art in Downtown Little Rock

Little Rock's Best Park parking lot needed a creative solution to cover up the oddly shaped eyesores which were once vents for an underground parking deck. This summer they commissioned artist  @elenizzle  to paint street art on them featuring eight beloved Arkansas musicians including Johnny Cash, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Al Green, and most importantly, Conway! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Niz (@elenizzle) If you're in the Little Rock area off 7th Street between Louisiana and Center I would love to know how it looks in person!