I am almost at the end of a full week of book signings and I’ll be finishing off at Brace Books in Ponca City tomorrow (Sunday 12/13) from1-3.
Welcome back. The name “Jim Halsey” may not ring a bell in everyone’s memory bank at first so with his upcoming appearance at the Pawhuska Library tonight I’ll start this week with a little background on this legend in the music industry. Jim and I have been friends for about 8 years and during this time I have learned about the many famous artists he has managed. I don’t have time or space to list all of them but the roster includes Reba McIntyre, James Brown, Minnie Pearl and Roy Clark. He has traveled around the world putting on shows for kings and queens, dictators and presidents. In 1988 Jim brought Roy Clark’s Friendship Tour to communist Russia which was the first event of its kind in the USSR. Halsey productions were front page news in magazines and newspapers across the country as Jim’s performers played to sold-out crowds. Radio City Music Hall in New York City was a popular venue for many of his acts such as the Judds and the Oak Ridge Boys, bringing country music to the big apple. Carnegie Hall was the site of another big country concert featuring Roy Clark, Freddy Fender, Hank Thompson and Don Williams and from what Jim has told me the crowds loved their country sound. Jim was also the one who organized the Oak Ridge Boys and today he continues to manage them as well as Roy Clark. For over sixty years Jim has been a leader in the music industry working with the biggest stars and making friends in high places. Tonight this impresario with be speaking in our neck of the woods. Quite a thrill!
Traveling with Jim will be his wife of 35 years who is quite famous in her own right, Minisa Crumbo Halsey. I recently wrote about Minisa who is quite famous in own right both as an author and as the daughter of the renowned artist Woody Crumbo.
Tonight from 4-6 p.m. the three of us will be signing books and visiting with the public about travel, writing, famous people and anything that people might want to know. It’s free and I hope to see you all there.
You longtime readers know that museums are a favorite destination for me, both here in Oklahoma and out on the road. When I’m in the area I love to visit and write about the Will Rogers Museum, Woolaroc and the Tom Mix Museum. I have also written about the Pawnee Bill Museum and the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum which are also great places. I find something magical in these places which preserve our history and I’m not the only one who is drawn to them. The museum directors I have spoken with lately tell me that attendance is way up and that their plans for next year’s exhibits and special events are in full swing.
One upcoming event is the Western Heritage Awards Gala which is held at the Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City every April. I have covered this event extensively where I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with celebrities like Tom Selleck, Ernest Borgnine and Michael Martin Murphy. Last year Bartlesville native John Hughes was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners for his contributions to the ranching industry. This is a two day party filled with good food, great entertainment and some fun people watching and all the proceeds benefit the museum.
Awards are also given to books, films, television productions and music which reflect western life. This year my book Footprints in the Dew has been nominated for best non-fiction book of the year. The book is currently on the Oklahoman’s list of top ten bestselling books in the state and readers from coast to coast have been giving it great reviews. With this latest recognition I am hoping a film could be a possibility. For more information and to check out my book signing itinerary visit www.originalbuffalodale.com.
Till next time I’ll see ya down the road……………….
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