Folk Legacy Trio Returns to Sun City MacDonald Ranch By: Sam Wagmeister / People & Places An unknown and unpublicized trio hit the stage at Sun City MacDonald Ranch five years ago and captured the hearts of an audience that exploded to their feet after a 3-song performance. They publicize themselves as the World’s Oldest Boy Band, the Folk Legacy Trio. The Trio brought to the stage an ancestry of music that shaped their audiences’ early lives. George Grove and Rick Dougherty combined for four decades with the Kingston Trio; Jerry Siggins carved his musical monument with The Diamonds, performing their hits Little Darlin’ and The Stroll. After completing a month-long Midwestern tour earlier this month, the Trio returns to Sun City MacDonald Ranch November 18. See next page for details. New management brought changes to the Kingston Trio, a group that had five Number One albums. Veterans Dougherty and Grove, who combined for over fifty years of experience and a resume that boasted audiences that numbered in the millions found themselves on the outside looking in. They agreed that retirement wasn’t in their future. An extensive search led them to Siggins. Still there was apprehension whether they could find an audience. Grove, a longtime Henderson resident and Vegas Voice reader gambled that this magazine would provide the answer. An email inviting a Vegas Voice editor to Grove’s home for a preview performance was inadvertently overlooked; a followup email elicited a response from the embarrassed editor (that being me!) and an obligatory promise to attend. From the opening number, the audience of friends and neighbors was transported to the era of bell bottoms, madras, tie-dye, incense and musk. Hang down your head Tom Dooley. Where have all the flowers gone. He’s the man who never returned. Emotions flooded the audience. Vegas Voice’s former show producer, Evan Davis, restructured an already tightly scheduled Sun City MacDonald Ranch variety show to include the Trio. The explosive audience reception reassured the three that an appreciative audience still existed for their iconic music. Although their performances are now in larger community centers, churches and mid-size concert halls, they still look forward to return to their Sun City MacDonald City audience where this iteration began. By: Beverly Washburn / Hollywood Memories In 1954 I was cast in a show called “The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty.” The weekly sit-com ran for 3 seasons; from 1953 until 1955. The episode was called “The Christmas Story.” I played a “bratty” orphan who comes to stay with the McNulty’s. When they take me to a Christmas party, I decide that there is no such thing as Santa Claus. I spend the whole evening trying to pull off Santa’s beard to prove it. At the beginning of the show, I have a little raggedy doll named Amy to whom I talk and tell my troubles to. At the party, Santa gives me a package, and when I open it, it’s now a beautiful new Amy - no longer raggedy and now wearing a new dress! Santa then leaves, and in walks the guy who Mr. McNulty had hired to play Santa, apologizing for being late! It was such a sweet story, and one that might not work in today’s world, but this was the 50s, and things back then were a lot simpler and innocent. 12 The Christmas Story November 2023 I loved working with Ray Milland. He won the Academy Award for best actor in 1945 for his performance in “The Lost Weekend.” Milland got that role by default since Cary Grant turned it down. He is the only recipient of an Oscar to have uttered not a single word during his acceptance speech, opting to simply “bow” his appreciation before casually exiting the stage! I feel so fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful people in my career, but sadly, in a way, I wish I could have appreciated them a little more at the time. I guess when you are just eleven years old it’s hard to understand that they are famous. To me, they were just ordinary people, but perhaps that’s a good thing too. Ray Milland died of cancer at age 81 in 1986. He was truly a dear man and a joy to work with. Until next time, remember: You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream. Beverly Washburn graced the silver screen as a child actress and is the author of Reel Tears. You can contact Beverly at: bjradell@ hotmail.com.
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