Fee Hedrick Family Entertainment Group

Pigeon Forge, Tenn., April 12, 2007 - The Blackwood Singers of the “Blackwood Breakfast Variety Show” at the Black Bear Jamboree Theater in Pigeon Forge were the featured performers at a ceremony for the grand opening of the Hall of Fame Café at the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday, April 10. The black-tie event highlighted the accomplishments of five residents of the nursing home dubbed “Hometown Heroes.”

“There’s just nothing quite like performing for seniors and watching their eyes light up and smiles fill their faces as the show begins. . . . We salute these Hometown Heroes,” said R. W. Blackwood, Jr.

John Bowers, administrator of the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center said, “We have a Football Hall of Fame, a Baseball Hall of Fame, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame, but the greatest contributions in society have not been made by athletes or actors, but rather they have been made by the real heroes of our society today - our senior population. America is the most blessed country in the world, but America did not get that way without sacrifices. We wanted to honor the gentlemen who went to war, the wives who stayed home, the teachers who taught all of us, and all of the senior adults who have made a difference.”

The Hall of Fame Café at the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center plans to honor approximately five or six of its residents each year. “Our Hall of Fame honors what these individuals have done and how they have served our society,” Bowers said. “We want to recognize them and say thank you.”

Honorees for the evening included: Bernice “Betty” Bonneville, who was chosen because she was a licensed nursing home administrator and was the first activities and social services director for the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center in 1987 and she made tents for the military; John Benjamin “J.B.” Brewer who was chosen for his military service in the Navy during World War II and Korea; Mamie Mayes who was chosen because she was a licensed practical nurse for 18 years at Lakeshore Mental Hospital and a beautician; Jerry McClelland who was chosen because he worked in the ministry and performed with a gospel group; and Violet Wood, who was chosen because she was a licensed practical nurse, a missionary on the foreign mission field, did a lot of volunteer work, and was a devoted wife and mother.

R. W. Blackwood, Jr., was especially pleased to be singing for honoree Jerry McClelland, who was a gospel-recording artist at the Sun Record Company in the 50’s when the Blackwoods also recorded there. McClelland traveled with some of the original Blackwood Brothers including R. W. Blackwood Jr.’s father. Other known names who were recording at Sun Records at that time include Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich and Carl Perkins.

The unmistakable sound of the award-winning Blackwoods has been around longer than some of the heroes they serenaded. “Our heritage is who we are, and we are always very driven to uphold all our Daddy (an original Blackwood Brother) lived and died for,” said R. W. Blackwood, Jr. The Blackwoods remain a popular gospel group whose harmonies and intricate vocal arrangements span many generations. Members of the Blackwoods who were present for the evening included: R.W. Blackwood, Jr., lead; Donna Blackwood, soprano; Paul Hyde, bass; and John Rulapaugh; tenor. They sang many favorites including “Peace in the Valley,” “Feeling Fine,” and “Oh, Say Can You See.”

To know a little history of the group - In 1934, Roy Blackwood, his brothers James and Doyle, and his son R.W. Blackwood, Sr. founded the quartet that would shape the sound of American Gospel music forever. Today, Ron and R.W., Jr. work together with an outstanding team of singers and musicians to bring both the Blackwood Quartet and the Blackwood Singers together in unforgettable concert events such as this one held at the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center. Group members have changed, but the excitement, the sound, and the legacy continues.

Through the years, Ron and R. W. Blackwood and members of the Blackwood family have won eight Grammy awards, 27 Dove Awards, and five All-American Music Awards. They have sold millions of recordings, and they have been seen on every major television and radio network. The late Elvis Presley often told his friends and audiences that he admired the harmony of the Blackwoods above all other singing groups.

Other performers for the evening included: Kay Irwin, who played a bag pipe melody; Michael Newsom, a local seventh grader and the first place winner of the vocal category in the Pigeon Forge Middle School Talent Show who sang, “Who Am I?”; and Dr. Laura Stockdale, staff psychologist of the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center who sang, “One Little Candle.”

The Blackwoods have entertained in the Smoky Mountains for 10 successful seasons, holding the title of the most popular morning show in the entire region. The Blackwoods can be seen daily except Monday at the Black Bear Jamboree Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Breakfast is served at the theater from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., a video with a history of the Blackwoods begins at 9:00 a.m. and the Blackwoods take the stage at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $19.95 plus tax and children ages 2-11 are $9.95 plus tax. Children 23 months and under are free. For reservations, call (865) 908-SHOW (7469). For more information, visit www.BlackBearJamboree.com.