Country music isn’t that complicated.
“It’s music that touches people’s hearts and gets them moving,” said Country Yodeling Hall of Famer Margo Smith. She was in vintage form Friday night at the Showcase of Talent show before a sellout crowd at the La Hacienda Recreation Center.
It was Country and Western night for the monthly showcases hosted by Diana and Joe Arlt. The showcases are growing more popular each month and selling out quickly. The shows are also attracting some major talents in The Villages, like Margo Smith.
Villager Smith scored two No. 1 hits during the 1970s with “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “It Only Hurts for a Little While.” There were plenty more hits but she is best known as the “The Tennessee Yodeler.” Smith brought the house down Friday when she did her trademark song, “He Taught Me How to Yodel.”
Near the final part of the song, Smith, wearing a black and white striped shirt, pointed her hand up in the air and raised her yodel voice into high gear. She yodeled faster and faster and higher and higher until the appreciative audience let out with a rousing cheer.
On Oct. 8, Margo will star in a benefit at the Savannah Center. Tickets are available at The Villages Box Office locations. The goal is to raise money for the children’s hospitals through the Ukulele Kids Club for seriously ill children.
“Kids love ukuleles,” Smith said. “They’re small instruments and easy to handle. I’m doing this to help kids and I hope everybody will help us.” Smith’s band, along with special guests Phil Caltabellotta and Earl Lavier will appear with The Villages Banjolele Club Variety Show and the Minnie Pearl Fairway Praise Band.
“It’s going to be a great night,” Smith said.
The same could be said for the Showcase of Talent.
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John Manion and the Off Broadway Dancers kicked off the show with a rousing, toe-tapping version of “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”
Another country dance unit, the Orange Blossom Specials, put on a square dance displays with 16 dancers and caller Duane Rodgers on stage. They were moving and grooving to Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again.”
But the most moving moments came from some heart-tugging country songs.
Jan Lavin displayed a wide range of emotion and feeling on the ballad, “In My Daughter’s Eyes.” Terry Kress seemed to capture just the right melancholy mood on “Paper Roses.” And Lea Howard hit home with a deeply powerful version of Tim McGraw’s ode to a soldier’s sacrifice and loss on “If You’re Reading This.”
Lydia Leduc said that country music, “is music that tells a story. That’s one reason it’s so popular. It also has its own beats and rhythms, from rockabilly to modern rock sounds and ballads. People love it, and they love dancing to it.”
Leduc sang “I Was County When Country Wasn’t Cool,” and The Villages’ line-dance teacher choreographed a couple of twirls and moves on stage.
Mary Roberson gave an authentic feel to Loretta Lynn’s classic, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Irene Pierce did the same on Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn” and Diana Arlt did justice to Patsy Cline’s “Blue.”
The country boys also did their parts.
Joel Heckman sang straight from the heart on “I couldn’t Leave You If I Tried.” Gary Kress seemed ready to share a six pack with Travis Tritt after Kress sang, “Pretty Good At Drinking Beer.” Frank Marchitelli joined the gang with a defiant version of “Country Club.”
Ray Leggiero made his way into the audience, meeting the ladies as he covered Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Looking.”
In addition to music, Shirley Knight provided some laughs with a couple of country jokes.
“This night was a lot of fun,” Diana Arlt said. “It was an honor to have someone like Margo Smith here, but everybody was great. That’s why we do these shows; to give everyone a chance to perform.”