UP-COMING
NEWS & EVENTS
RECORDING
IS IN THE WORKS
Building
on the phenomenal success of his James Burton
tribute, Hey, Rah, The Guitar Man from 2005 (see
details below), plans are afoot and rehearsals
are under way to head to Red River Studios in
Bossier to record Mseveral of Kesilman¹s
latest compositions, in particular the John MLennon/Paul
McCartney tribute, The Walrus and the Blackbird.
Robin Vosbury is scheduled to produce. Kesilman
will not only sing and play the 12-string guitar
on the recording,but will also play piano. He
will also be backed on the recording by some of
the area¹s most acclaimed musicians.
SUMMER
OF LOVE
Back by popular demand, on Thursday, May 24, Chuck
Kesilman will return to the stage at Lee¹s
in Shreveport to host Chuck Kesilman & Friends
present A Celebration of the Summer of Love
40 Years On. This will be a star-studded night
featuring the most respected names in the Shreveport-Bossier
music scene performing their favorite songs from
the 60s including classics from The Beatles to
Dylan to The Rolling Stones and beyond. Look for
a number of exciting surprises and an exciting
night of unforgettable performances of classics
that defined an era.
Scheduled to perform at this time: Chuck Kesilman,
Paula O¹Neal, Pat Huddleston, Dan Garner,
Cookie Garner, Barbara Jarrell, Lip Service, Amelia
Blake, Ted Lindsay, Mark Griffith and more to
be announced. Artists are always subject to change.
This
show will surely be as popular as Kesilman's Beatles
extravaganza held on February 8 to celebrate the
43rd anniversary of the group's first appearance
on The Ed Sullivan Show. (see details below)
KESILMAN
AND FRIENDS AT ERNEST'S ORLEANS
On April 13 & 14 and April 20 & 21 Chuck
Kesilman and Friends (Paula O'Neal and Pat Huddleston)
will bring their musical magic to Ernest¹s
Orleans Restuarants lounge. The group will deliver
an eclectic blend of classic hits and standards
along with a few originals thrown in for good
measure. Be prepared for surprise guests to pop
in, you never know who will show up at one of
these special performances.
Chuck Kesilman is a seasoned performer who not
only writes and sings but is an acknowledged master
of the 12-string acoustic guitar, not an easy
instrument to perfect.
Bassist/singer
Paula O'Neal is a popular entertainer in her own
right and also occasionally appears with her band
GroupTherapy. Besides laying down some solid bass
grooves, O'Neal sings lead on several of the groups
songs and does precise harmonies on others.
Pat
Huddleston is one of the most respected musical
talents to ever come out of Shreveport. From the
days of his late, lamented group Rain, through
touring in support of a number of name acts, Huddleston's
keyboard talents are unrivaled. His distinctive
vocal style, sometimes compared to the great Leon
Russell, adds an edge to the group in addition
to some of the finest keyboard work you could
hope to hear. A true Shreveport legend if ever
there was one.
Chuck Kesilman and Friends will
appear beginning at 8 p.m. on each of the nights
at Ernest's Orleans where you should definitely
bring an appetite for some of the finest dining
Shreveport has to offer before you catch the group
in concert.
High
Points HERE CAME THE JUDGE
Chuck
Kesilman, along with other local music business
luminaries like Dan Garner, Cookie Garner and
Mark Griffith, was proud to serve as a judge for
the finals of the prestigious James Burton International
Guitar Festival's Guitar competition on Saturday,
March 31at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport.
Having gotten his first guitar at the age of 14,
Kesilman wasexcited and proud to be a part of
this historic event which encourages young musicians
and provides guitars and lessons to children who
otherwise might not be able to afford one. Kesilman
felt if was an honor to be associated with the
James Burton International Guitar Festival and
legendary guitarist James Burton who was the subject
of his 2005 hit song, 'Hey, Rah, He¹s The
Guitar Man'. (see below)
THE
BEATLES EXTRAVAGANZA-2007
On
Thursday February 7, Chuck Kesilman produced and
hosted a Beatles Extravaganza at Lee¹s on
E. Kings Hwy. in honor of the groups first appearance
on the hallowed stage of The Ed Sullivan Show.
Performers, in addition to Kesilman himself who
hosted and started off the night, all artists
sang their favorite Beatles songs. They included:
Sid Crump, Buddy Flett, Cookie Garner, Dan Garner,
Pat Huddleston, Barbara Jarrell, Lip Service,
Paula O¹Neal and more. The backing stage
band included: Danny Wilder, Steve Lane, Derrick
Russell, Rick Seal, Tim Brogan and others. The
night was the most successful the club had ever
seen with SRO crowds packed into the club from
before the concert began to long after 11 p.m.
that night. The club reported running out of several
items and having to call in
extra employees to deal with the unprecedented
crowds.
The
night was presented as a benefit for Jolene Humphries,
Kesilman¹s former singing partner who is
suffering from cervical cancer with no health
insurance. Jo, as she is known, actually attended
the event and even felt up to singing two songs
herself.
In
support of this event, Kesilman was interviewed
and performed on morning television in Shreveport
and he and the show were the focus of articles
in both Forum Newsweekly and The Times (a featured
teaser appearing on the front page).
Kesilman
has hosted these anniversary events several times
in the past few years, but this one produced a
new level of success. All you Beatlemaniacs,stay
tuned for next year!
GOING
NUMBER ONE
In
2005, Kesilman wrote and recorded a tribute song
to Shreveport's legendary rock guitarist James
Burton. The song, titled 'Hey, Rah, The Guitar
Man' went on to achieve international hit status
through the newartistradio internet network. The
song stayed in the Top 40 for 15 weeks,the Top
20 for ten weeks and rose to number one in April
of 2005. Through internet downloads, 'Hey, Rah,
The Guitar Man' has garnered sales of over 5,000
units making it a financial windfall for its composer/performer.
Building on this success, expectations are even
higher for the upcoming release and promotion
of the aforementioned 'The Walrus and The Blackbird."
