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Valley Star Awards Show is Feb. 20

2019 Williamson Branch 1The 2019 Valley Star Awards Show will feature a lineup of six of the top entertainers who are performing this season in the Rio Grande Valley parks and resorts. This year’s show features performances by Rusty Rierson, Helen Russell & Company, Tavie Spivey & Shake Rattle & Roll, Kai, Gene Turner (aka Mr. Pickpocket) and the Williamson Branch. All six performers are nominees for this year’s Valley Star Awards selections.

Read more: Valley Star Awards Show is Feb. 20

Valley Star Awards deadline nears

Rusty Rierson 2You have just six more days to cast your vote for your favorite entertainers as your votes determine the winners of the Valley Star Awards. The deadline to turn in your ballot is Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Each year we ask Winter Texans to help us choose the top entertainers who perform in the Winter Texan resorts in the Rio Grande Valley.

Now is your chance to decide who will receive the top awards at the annual Valley Star Awards Show, hosted by the Winter Texan Times and Robert and Billie Ferguson.

We will tally your votes and announce the winners at this year’s Valley Star Awards Show. The show will be held Feb. 20, from 1-4 p.m. at Mission Bell Resort.

Read more: Valley Star Awards deadline nears

Dave and Daphne

Genres: Country, Yodel
Specialty: Guitar and Vocals

Dave and DaphneDave Salyer has toured the world with Barbara Mandrell, performed for presidents at the White House and appeared on countless TV shows.

Roy Clark proclaimed Dave as one of the most fabulous guitarists on the planet and I quote, “I can't believe this guy; If I could get my hands on him, I'd kill him!!" Barbara Mandrell simply states, "Dave Salyer is the best guitarist I've ever had.”

Dave credits his uncles—(Bluegrass Legends and Grand Ole Opry Members) Jim & Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys, for his love of music and musical ability and talents.

Currently, Dave performs specific show dates with his uncle Jesse at The Grand Ole Opry. His solo repertoire ranges from “Orange Blossom Special” to “The Flight of the BumbleBee” and from “Wildwood Flower” to “The William Tell Overture”. He is also an accomplished vocalist, songwriter and humorist!! But most of all, Dave is just a regular guy with a God-given talent to touch people with his music!

Daphne Anderson is a beautiful female vocalist born and raised in Albany, Georgia. While attending college, she performed in pageants, talent contests, and churches.

She has toured with some of the greatest Southern Gospel Music Groups of all time!---The Bill Gaither Group, The Florida Boys, The Cathedrals, Rex Nelon, The Hinsons, and many others. The Southern Gospel Music Association voted her their Female Vocalist of the Year! It was during that time she made a BIG decision.

Shortly after graduating from Georgia Southwestern University, she moved to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in music. Daphne is best described as a cross between Shania Twain and Patsy Cline!

The crowds have absolutely fallen in love with her! She's gorgeous, quick witted, and super talented! Her recently recorded CD "One Of These Days" has been met with rave reviews across the U.S. and Canada. Her impressions of country music legends, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and the aforementioned Patsy Cline are phenomenal!! Add to that the ability to yodel out the Patsy Montana classic, "Cowboy's Sweetheart", captivate you with the smash hit from the movie "Titanic",--My Heart Will Go On", and bless you with a gospel classic, "The Lord’s Prayer", and you're just beginning to scratch the surface of her diverse talent.

Contact Info: 615-400-4939, oprywest@comcast.net
Website: https://www.daveanddaphne.com/
Tour Dates: https://www.daveanddaphne.com/upcoming-shows
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dave+and+daphne
Music: https://www.daveanddaphne.com/music

Who will be Entertainer of the Year?

Many of our Winter Texan readers enjoy the shows and dances hosted by the mobile home and RV parks and resorts where their favorite bands and entertainers perform. Each year the Valley Star Awards, hosted by Robert Ferguson and the Winter Texan Times, presents awards to the Rio Grande Valley’s top Winter Texan entertainers – or as we call them, “Wintertainers™.”

This year’s Valley Star Awards Show will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 1-4 p.m. at Mission Bell Resort. So now it’s time for you to vote for your favorite entertainers – and Entertainer of the Year for 2019.

There are some new names on this year’s list of nominees for the Valley Star Awards, which includes Entertainer or Group of the Year overall, Male Vocalist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and eight other awards. The ballot appears in the Jan. 23 edition of the Winter Texan Times, or simply click here to see the ballot online. Some of the newer nominees include the Kody Norris Band, Rusty Rierson, Rick McEwen, Shake Rattle & Roll, Texas Wheels, Sweetwater, Kelli Marie and more.

Read more: Who will be Entertainer of the Year?

Valley Star Award winner Helen Russell returns

20190102 Helen Russell promo12The 2018 winner of the Valley Star Awards “Best Small Band Variety Show,” Helen Russell and Company, is in demand with a very full schedule of shows at the RV resorts in the Rio Grande Valley this season.

From country to bluegrass to classic rock to gospel, Helen Russell said she strives to make sure the audience enjoys their show. She said they pride themselves in “giving 100 percent, whether there are 50 people in the audience or 300.”

Regarding being voted “Best Small Band Variety Show” last season, Russell said, “That was only our second year and we didn't think we had a following big enough to win that award. We felt really honored, especially since we had only been here one season prior. It has been awesome. It's more and more like coming home every year.”

Read more: Valley Star Award winner Helen Russell returns

Rusty Rierson

Genres: Country
Specialty: Country, Gospel, Christmas

Rusty Rierson 2Rusty Rierson is a native of Leon, KS. He has been entertaining audiences for 23 years although this is his first full season in the RGV. Growing up on the family farm he fell in love with agriculture and pursued the degree at Kansas State in Agricultural Economics. Rusty graduated in 2008 and then completed a masters degree in Animal Science from K-State as well in summer 2011. Rusty got into music when his father, Roger, suggested that they take lessons together. In 2005, Rierson won the state wide "YF&R talent find contest" hosted by Farm Bureau and performed at the Kansas State fair where he is annually invited back. In 2007 Rusty won the "Colgate Country Showdown" at the state level and placed in the top 15 nationally. He competed again at state in 2008, 2010, and 2011, before signing with his first Nashville record label.

Rusty has played all over the US (including Alaska). Rusty has toured abroad in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Scotland, England, and Ireland. He often travels with the "Better Horses Radio Show" and has played rodeos, barrel races, and horse events all over the midwest, including at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in 2009. Rusty has opened for and shared the stage and worked with artists such as Sawyer Brown, John Berry, Doug Stone, Michael Martin Murphy, Dustin Lynch, T. G. Sheppard, Moe Bandy, David Frizzell, R.W. Hampton, Johnny Lee, Bill Gentry, Leroy Van Dyke, Helen Cornelius, Billy Dean, Johnny Western, Love & Theft, Cassadee Pope, Collin Raye, Suzy Bogguss, Radney Foster, Logan Mize, Jimmy Fortune, Craig Campbell, Joe Diffie, Maddie & Tae, John Anderson, Walker Montgomery, Don Williams and many others.

Rierson always plays tribute to George Strait, Don Williams, and some of his other heroes, as well as his own music. Rierson says he hopes people will see his music as "a breath of fresh air". Rusty has produced 8 albums and 1 DVD. There are now more than 100,000 copies of his albums in print.

In 2012, Rusty released his single "Souvenirs", a project recorded in Nashville with producer Richie Owens. The song briefly charted on the Music Row Breakout Chart in the U.S. but went Number 1 for 4 straight weeks on Europe's Country Music Chart, and held off country superstar Toby Keith to the 2nd position the whole time. Rusty charted a few other singles in following years: “Hey Hey Hello”, “Something Bout You”, "Upon This Rock", "That's How Sure I Am", and "Life's Too Short". In addition, he has released multiple Christmas singles to radio over the past few years including most recently his first duet release, a song with Kaylee Keller of Garden City, KS.

Rusty has appeared on numerous television and radio shows including The Shotgun Red Variety Show, Phil Mack International Country Show (on SKY TV), Better Horses with Ernie Rodina, and numerous other local and international shows. Rusty currently manages his own record label: “The Record Ranch”. The label also currently represents Stephanie Layne (Nashville), Camille & Haley (Tulsa), & Mollie Beaver (Wichita, KS). For more info visit www.recordranchrecords.com or www.rustyrierson.com.

Rusty is managed by L. Rice:
(956) 564-1923 or txrices@hotmail.com.
To contact Rusty direct:
(316) 200 4389 or rusrye@gmail.com.
Website: http://www.rustyrierson.com/
Tour Dates: http://www.rustyrierson.com/calendar.html
Videos: http://www.rustyrierson.com/music.html
Music: https://youtu.be/Gnvqj54l_k8

Tavie's 'Rock & Roll' Show

Genres: Rock & Roll
Specialty: Classic 50's and 60's Music
Website: https://www.rocknrollshow.net/
Tour Dates: https://www.rocknrollshow.net/gigs
Videos: https://youtu.be/DS42xjnmIkQ
Music: https://youtu.be/DIg7jlDGNtg

TavieTavie’s “Rock & Roll” Show will take you back to a simpler time, a time of innocence...the 50’s and 60’s. Feel free to come dressed in your poodle skirt and saddle shoes, as Tavie does, and be ready to “rock & roll.” Tavie has performed all over the U.S. and at venues across Germany and Italy during her 27 year tenure in the U.S. Army, and has been heard on oldies stations across the country for many years. She has performed with talent such as The Coasters, Jimmy Clanton (Venus in Blue Jeans), The Country Comedy Tour, The LaBamba Show and for venues such as the Texas Country Music Hall of fame and for The NASA Columbia Space Shuttle Project to name a few.

Read more: Tavie's 'Rock & Roll' Show

Tom Wurth

Genres: Country, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Blues, Pop, Rock and Roll
Specialty: Guitar and Vocals

Tom Wurth WEBOut of the gate Tom Wurth was nominated for a Grammy at only twenty years of age. That milestone built a foundation for his career. The Grammy experience fresh in his mind, Wurth pushed forward with his songwriting aspirations.

Read more: Tom Wurth

Valley’s Top Entertainers named at Valley Star Awards

20180222 ValleyStarAwards GU IMG 8415If the goal of entertainers is to make an audience laugh, cry, ponder or feel emotion and become fully engaged, then the Valley Star Awards achieved its goal in spades.

Each year, Winter Texans vote for their favorite entertainers in several categories leading up to the overall Entertainer of the Year. The event is organized by producer Robert Ferguson along with the Winter Texan Times.

Read more: Valley’s Top Entertainers named at Valley Star Awards

Top entertainers to perform at Valley Star Awards Saturday

20160220 Valley Star Awards LG WEBThose attending the 2018 Valley Star Awards Show are in store for a delightful evening of entertainment by some of the Rio Grande Valley’s best performers. Performing at this year’s Valley Star Awards are Dave & Daphne, Lindley Creek, Jason Whorlow, 4 His Glory, Kellie Marie, and Vance Greek.

This year’s Valley Star Awards is being held at a new location and a new time. The show will held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17 at Casa Del Valle in Alamo.

Read more: Top entertainers to perform at Valley Star Awards Saturday

Taste of the Valley
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Wintertainers™

Click the Read More link below each Wintertainer™Booking Information, Music Samples, Images, Videos and more!

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Valley Star Awards
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