The Levee Singers by Tom KEENER
The Levee Singers are at it again! As part of the library’s golden anniversary celebration, these legends of the 60s will perform in a free concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, October 14, in the auditorium. A long-time Dallas favorite, the Levee Singers just get better with age, and their popularity proves it. Headliners for years at the old Levee Club on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, these guys are always fresh and fun. Regulars today at the Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas, they performed on famed television classics like The Jimmy Dean Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Danny Kaye Show and Hootenanny. They have also played at the Mapes Hotel in Reno and at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with Joey Bishop. Performing several concerts with Henry Mancini, bandleader Ed Bernet recalls, “Imagine the excitement for me, as an ‘early 30s’ young man, having my entertainment group picked to be on all four of the most popular and well-known musical TV shows of that day.”
A former SMU gridiron star and later a Pittsburg Steeler, Ed headed the hugely popular Levee Dixieland Seven. For a number of years, the group played most nights to a packed house at the Levee, a club Ed built and owned. Today the band comprises Gavin Kelso on bass, Ralph Sanford on guitar, Craig Wensel at the piano and Ed Bernet on banjo. The Levee Singers released
several CDs, including The Best Thing, a collection of their most popular tunes, like “Bye Bye Love,” “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” and “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The band’s CDs will be available at the concert. The Library is located at 300 N. Allen Drive. Call 214.509.4911 for more information. v Tom Keener is the cultural arts manager with the Allen Public Library.
Celebrate the Library’s 50th Birthday The Allen Public Library’s Golden Anniversary celebration will be 2 p.m. Saturday, October 14. It will include a documentary on the history of the library from its humble beginnings on Main Street to its current 54,000-square-foot building at 300 N. Allen Drive. Produced by the library’s Cultural Arts Office, over three dozen interviews of citizen volunteers, including members of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Theta chapter, (sorority that founded the library), current and former staff members and patrons were conducted. Learn more about how their team effort nurtured the creation of the awardwinning library that has had its programs featured in every major newspaper in the United States and has been mentioned in all major local television stations and a host of print and electronic media. A reception will follow. Call 214.509.4911 for information.
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Allen Image | October 2017
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