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TOUR DATES AND OTHER APPEARANCES New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Gritzfest 2010
Bonnie performed at Gritzfest II in Huntsville, AL, on 26 February. This second all-star benefit and Southern Rock home coming was a cracker, with perrformances from Tommy Crain (Charlie Daniels Band), Tommy Talton (Cowboy) and siblings Jimmy, Jack and Donna Hall (Wet Willie).
WIth Tommy Crain and Jack Hall in her band for the night, Bonnie sang "Strongest Weakness" and "Beautiful", before being joined by Donna Hall for a rousing version of "Where There's A Will There's A Way". Gritzfest organiser Michael Buffalo Smith has written a detailed account of the event and posted lots of pictures and videos (including two of Bonnie's songs) at the Gritz website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performances for 2009 included the following, more details of which appear below: Jan 30 - Asheville, NC, with Mr. Groove Band
RECENT ENGAGEMENTS: November 21,2009 - Springfield, TN Bonnie's last engagement for 2009 was "an evening of classic Rock & Roll" at Springfield Middle School with other artists including Bruce Channel, to benefit the Robertson County Reads program. Bonnie enthusiasticly reported: "I soooo kicked it in Springfield. Brought Bekka with me and it was wonderful for all of us, as well as the audience. We all were over the moon for a long while. Billy Swan, Dickey Lee and Bruce Chanel, Bekka and I were old friends, so we just enjoyed each other and everyone else. Right when I thought it couldn't get any better in walks Lee Roy Parnell. Bekka and I were so thrilled. Lee Roy can FLY you know. So it was just a wonderful night."
~ Sep 05, 2009 - Franklin Jazz Festival, Franklin, TN Bonnie and Mr Groove Band helped The Franklin Jazz Festival celebrate its 20th year.
See here for the Baton Rouge Blues Week and Baton Rouge Blues Festival line up, April 19-25 2009, including Bonnie and Mr Groove scheduled for the Main Stage at 4.50 p.m. and sandwiched between Percy Sledge and Bobby "Blue" Bland - oh boy!
Bonnie and Tommy have recorded together and been friends and admirers of each others' work for many years. The show at The Cox Capital Theatre was part of the Stay and Play Concert series, designed "to raise awareness for the efforts of Big House Foundation for the creation of the Allman Brothers Museum and Capitol Theatre Inc. which exists to preserve the historic Cox Capitol Theatre".
Bonnie's sister, Loretta, proudly reports below on this fantastic special event - which sadly had to be kept secret beforehand, due to the "surprise guest" plans for the band's 40th anniversary shows: "What a night I had at the Beacon Theatre in New York, when Bonnie and Bekka appeared with the Allman Brothers Band! This was a very special trip, as Sis wanted to show me New York and I was such a tourist. When we saw the Statue of Liberty from one of the bridges going into the city, I was so overcome with patriotic feeling that tears shot out of my eyes. But that was just the beginning. We were treated royally upon arrival, staying at a hotel just around the corner from the theater, so we didn’t have to fight traffic or anything. Bonnie and I walked to Central Park - walking in New York City is an experience in itself, I almost had sensory overload. It was just blocks away and although it was a bit brisk, we enjoyed it so much. The next day was sound check and we waltzed over to the theater like New Yorkers, except of course we kept saying “Hi” to people, which is not usually done. Hey, we are Southerners! Time after time, waiters, shop owners, and passersby that gave us directions were helpful and kind. At sound check, we were welcomed with hugs and great smiles. I was then placed in a special chair stage left, where I could see the stage very well. The first thing that struck me was that the Allman Brothers still had it! And when Bonnie and Bekka took the stage and ran through the first number, I was so proud. And so was the band!! They were all grinning from ear to ear. Butch Trucks nearly split his face grinning. Show night was incredible!! The stage door crowd called out to Bonnie as we entered the stage entrance. She, of course, went to them and signed many autographs and spoke to the fans. Once inside, I was again escorted to my special place and enjoyed the special background of the Allman Brothers over the years with many shots of Duane playing. The light show was intriguing, timed to the music. And what music... the band was so hot it was steamin’!! The Beacon Theater is a beautiful house with three tiers and every seat was filled. The roar of the crowd when Bonnie went out on stage was nearly deafening. And I was in tears with Gregg and Bonnie's duet of "Oncoming Traffic", which I have always felt was one of the greatest songs ever written. When Bekka joined her Mom, they just tore it up. Again, the band was grinning like bandits. Bekka stood in for her Dad on "Only You Know and I Know", and it was amazing. It also touched not only me, but Duane Allman's daughter who was sitting next to me. We shared prideful tears during the whole song. Then Bonnie, Bekka, and Susan Tedeschi broke into "The Weight" and it just tore the house down. I was so proud of my sister and niece I almost burst!! I had a most wonderful night and a wonderful trip." For further information, see the News page and a full review at Swampland. The full show can be purchased on CD at Hittin' The Note.
~ March 7, 2009 - 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN Bonnie and Mr. Groove returned to 'home territory' at 3rd & Lindsley. As on some earlier shows, darling daughter Bekka joined in the music making with lots of love, smiles and possibly a happy tear or two. Check out three expertly filmed songs (Hurt, Some Of My Best Friends & Strongest Weakness) on YouTube.
Americana Crossroads Live is a radio show recorded in front of a live audience. Also on that day were guitar duo Delta Moon and multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett, who played sax on a couple of Bonnie's albums in the mid 70's and made various contributions to her latest,"Beautiful", in 2008. You can see Bonnie singing "Strongest Weakness" on YouTube, followed by a duet with Randall on "Witness For Love", one of the two songs he wrote for the new album.
~ January 30, 2009 - Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC Bonnie appeared with Mr. Groove at the Grand Ballroom of the Grove Park Inn, during the
Bonnie headed the special guests at Bluesfest 08 Benefit for the Second Wind Cancer Retreat with William Bell in Atlanta, GA, on October 5. Second Wind is a large House that borders the Chattahoochee National Forest near Blue Ridge, Georgia, and is for cancer patients recently recovering from treatments. A very worthy cause! The concert was dedicated to the memory of blues guitarist Jeff Healey, who passed away from cancer in March.
As for the past three years, Bonnie helped out teaching at "Kids On Stage" in Leaper's Fork, Tennessee. "The Mission of the Kids On Stage Summer Academy is to provide world-class experiences in the visual and performing arts that, through process, performance, and production, empower students to be self-disciplined lifelong learners." Watch part of a song writing session with Alex Harvey on YouTube.
Bonnie performed at the South By Southwest Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas and introduced her new album, "Beautiful", to the radio, tv, and news representatives who attended. Bonnie was also honored to appear on the Panel at the Festival . This is a world wide industry affair and to be on the Panel as a representative of music was quite a feather in the hat!
Bonnie appeared with the excellent Mr Groove Band in the Council Oak lounge at The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, FL, on the following Friday and Saturday dates: October 5 & 6, 19 & 20, 26 & 27 and November 2 & 3. Bonnie appeared for four weekends in the new room and had people flocking, even from the gambling, to hear her.
Bonnie was among a number of special guests at a couple of benefit concerts in Alabama for Scott Boyer, following his arterial surgery in February 2007. April 4,
2007 - Shoals Theater, Florence, AL
April 18,
2007 - Alabama Theater, Birmingham, AL Further details
at Myspace: Scott
Boyer and Scott
Boyer benefit.
The Capricon Rhythm
Section and Bonnie take a conference call
Other
news Details of any further shows will be posted here, as arrangements are firmed up. |
After a couple of relatively quiet years and limited appearances for a variety of musical friends and worthy causes, Bonnie re-enters the big stage once more with piano maestro and long time friend, Chuck Leavell. Soon after joining the Allman Brothers on their 1973 Capricorn album, "Brothers And Sisters", Chuck was prominent amongst label-mates who provided such fine accompaniment for Bonnie's own album, "It's Time", a year later. Bonnie and Chuck are now looking forward to rejoining forces on the opening day of one of the world's greatest annual music festivals. Keep an eye on the 
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