Milestone celebration includes Friday night Alvin Opry Reunion & Dance

Each year country music artist Tony Booth and a collection of his musician friends gather to perform a night of ‘real country music’ at Billy’s Hall in Pearland, 4070 Wells Drive, dubbed Tony Booth Day. This year the celebration expands to two days May 5-6, 2017 with a commemorative Friday night Alvin Opry Reunion dance to set the mood from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. and the party continues on Saturday starting at 8 p.m.

The Alvin Opry hosted country music artists every Friday night in a modest Alvin dancehall for 26 years before closing its doors in 2014 due to the health-related issues of the owner. Alvin resident Tony Booth was a regular at the Alvin Opry. Pearland resident and country music fan Lynn Brown met Booth in 1993 at the Opry. By 1996 Brown became Booth’s booking manager and Tony Booth was touring and performing again on a regular basis.

Inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014, Booth at 19 became familiar with the comment, “What they call country music today is not really country.” His style of music continues to be considered real country. In 1973 Booth was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music along with Conway Twitty, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Charley Rich. The Tony Booth Band won Band of the Year from the Academy of Country Music 1970-1972.

Booth recorded 12 albums for United Artist, Capital, MGM and Heart of Texas. Hit records include Keys in the Mailbox, Lonesome 7-7203, Cinderella, When a Man Loves a Woman, Carwash Blues, Old Faithful, Happy Hour, Secret Love.

Today, Booth performs 40-50 shows per year including gigs in Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Sweden and of course Texas. Many times he appears with legends including Johnny Bush, Darrel McCall, Brian Collins, Dallas Wayne, Justin Trevino, Dottie Jack, Doug Boggs just to name a few.

“For years we’ve talked about reuniting with our friends from the Alvin Opry and this year seemed like the perfect time to do it being at the 10-year mark with Tony Booth Day,” according to Brown, booking manager for Tony Booth.

Entertainers at the Friday, May 5 Alvin Opry Reunion dance at Billy’s Hall, 4070 Wells Drive include Tony Booth, Brian Collins, Lauretta Turner, John Mark Davis, Miranda Diede, Kim Lanier, Missy Brown, Rhonda Walters, Sylvia Riggs, Shalane, Shawn Johnson, Jim Beaumont, Mary Dooley, Arnold Parker, Royce Melton, Tommy Reed and The Texas Express Band with emcee Tracy Pitcox. Tickets are $10 and $15 at the door and in advance. For tickets call 713-252-9773.

The line-up for Saturday, May 6 at Billy’s Hall, 4070 Wells Drive includes Tony Booth, Johnny Bush, Brian Collins, Dallas Wayne, Randy Cornor, Larry Booth, Justin Trevino, Dottie Jack, Doug Boggs, Robin Booth, Lauretta Turner, Jerry Locke, Tommy Reed, Buddy Hrabel, Matt Reed & Harris Kubos, and Emcee Tracy Pitcox. Tickets are $30 and $40 at the door and in advance. For tickets call 713-252-9773 or 713-806-5791.

Country music fans that want to plan a weekend stay for Tony Booth Days can take advantage of special hotel rates offered by Pearland hotels.  For details go to www.visitpearland.com/tonybooth.