PRESLEYS' COUNTRY JUBILEE
BALDKNOBBERS JAMBOREE
FIRST FAMILIES OF ENTERTAINMENT BALDKNOBBERS JAMBOREE In 1959, Mabe brothers Bob, Bill, Lyle, and Jim began performing twice a week in a converted roller skating rink on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront in downtown Branson. The brothers combined popular country tunes with Ozark Mountain music and threw in a dash of comedy to entertain audiences. In 1969, the Baldknobbers, as the brothers called themselves, built a theater on Highway 76, making their act the longest continuously running show.
O L D M AT T ’ S C A B I N AT S H E P H E R D O F T H E H I L L S
For more than a hundred years, Branson has been attracting visitors to the Ozarks, lured by natural beauty and outdoor recreational activities.
SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS HOMESTEAD & OUTDOOR DRAMA A few miles east of Silver Dollar City, Dr. Bruce Trimble and his wife, Mary, began staging an outdoor pageant in 1959 based on the best-selling novel “The Shepherd of the Hills.” The amphitheater was actually located on the site where the models for author Harold Bell Wright’s characters lived. Under the direction of Mary, with her son Mark and his wife Lea, the production grew into one of the nation’s most popular outdoor historical dramas. In 1985, Gary Snadon (school teacher and former cast member of the outdoor drama) along with his wife, Pat, purchased the homestead. SILVER DOLLAR CITY In 1960, the long-term plans of Hugo and Mary Herschend came to fruition with the opening of a small, old-time Ozarks village attraction atop the long-popular Marvel Cave, about 10 miles west of Branson on Hwy. 76. They called it Silver Dollar City, and it offered an 1880s steam train ride, demonstrating craftsmen, themed shops and music. The first year, it drew 125,000 people.
Following Hugo’s death, Mary and her sons Jack and Peter continued to direct the growth of the family business, and by 1963, Silver Dollar City was Missouri’s top tourist attraction. In 1967, Silver Dollar City received national exposure when the “Beverly Hillbillies” TV show filmed five episodes at the Branson theme park.
The company later expanded to include other popular Branson attractions: White Water water park and the Showboat Branson Belle. Today, Silver Dollar City has grown into a multi-million dollar entertainment complex. The park also hosts six festivals each year. In 1998, Silver Dollar City was given the Applause Award by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions as the top theme park in the world. The family-owned company, Herschend Family Entertainment, currently owns, operates or partners in 19 properties in nine states. In 2004, Jack and Peter Herschend were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the amusement industry’s largest organization worldwide, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. PRESLEYS’ COUNTRY JUBILEE In 1963, the Presley family began a music show at The Underground Theater near Talking Rocks Cavern with special guests from “Ozark Jubilee,” including Red Foley. They made history in 1967 when they built the first music theater on Hwy. 76. Today, Presleys’ Country Jubilee stars three generations of Presley family members including two original members of the show: Gary and Steve Presley, Lloyd and Bessie’s sons. Together with other cast members, each night they perform a variety of music on a wide range of instruments, and a much loved array of comedy skits.
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