How many folks haved played seen shows at Sunset Park Pa

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

This was a well known venue in southeastern Pa. by the time I knew about it in 1997 it had closed from flood damage.
I do remember one night on the opry the Osborn brothers talked about playing an early segment on the Saturday opry then driving all night to make a 4pm show.

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Earl Erb · From: Old Hickory Tenn

Hello Janice,what a place it was.The people there loved country music and they were real fans.Some of those people couldn't wait for you to get there so they could feed you till you popped.There was a matinee show and a evening show.I played there several times with Jim Ed Brown in the early 70's and once with Skeeter Davis in 1969.
Being from N.E.Phila.I never new about the place until I moved to Nashville and realized it was a popular place for country artists to perform.Those were some fun times.
I was unaware that the park closed,what ashame.The new guys will never know what they have missed by not playing places like Sunset Park.

Richard Bass · From: Sabang Beach, Philippines

Hi Janice, I worked Sunset Park with Faron Young many times between 1972 up until his death in 1996. We always had a great time and met alot of friends who would follow our show around the area. Richard

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Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

I was there in 52 and 53,Recorded with Curt
Hinson who's group was the house band.The Last show I remember was Maddox Bros and Rose
What a show. I left the area in 54. Got to see ET and most of the Opry folk during that period.
Vern

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I never worked Sunset Park, but I've played shows at Valley View Park (just outside of York) and Himmelreich Grove Park, near Lebanon, back in the 60's.

Those parks always had a Nashville or Wheeling act and then a couple of local bands. I played lead guitar back then, not steel, and was in the local bands.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

I worked it once w/ the Compton Bros. & again,later w/ Tommy Overstreet. Sorry to hear it's closed.

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Pat Jenkins · From: Abingdon, VA, USA

I was there a couple of times in the early to mid 70's with The Wayneland Brothers. At the time I was playing lead on a Tennessean. We had some nice crowds. I'm not sure I remember the folks there. Was that Alex and Ola Belle, or am I mixed up with another place? Y'all have a great day.

Billy Johnson · From: Nashville, Tn, USA

I only work there twice,both very rememberal. Both times as a sub. The first time I was there playing bass with E.T.in 80. I was nervous,and put my hat on backwards,wore it that way the whole show,Lynn Owsley has pictures.I also made some life long friends up there that day.The other time I played with Ray Price in 86.As we were getting close the intersection,at west grove, a dog ran in front of the bus, of course we hit it,Blondie,the piano player-band leader,looks up and says in his spanish accent, Doggone. Sad but true. The dog limped off to the side of the road.We pulled to the back stage area, I get out, look at the front of the bus when this little girl comes to me with big tears rollin down her face and says, Did my doggie hurt your bus mister?? Man I did'nt know what to do. All I could say was, Oh its not my bus. As we left town that night the people came to let us know the dog died at sundown. Again, sad but true!

[This message was edited by Billy Johnson on 17 January 2000 at 11:52 AM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I spent a lot of weekends in the '60s at Sunset Park. Kitty Wells, Jim and Jesse, Ernest Tubb, and Ray Price were among my favorites. I can still remember Alex and Ola Belle, with Deacon Brumfield on dobro. (They were the house band in the '60s.)

These family, or "picnic" parks were popular in the '50s and '60s, and there were several in the mid-Atlantic area. Sunset Park, as well as Watermelon Park, Community Grove, and others were a haven for stone-country and bluegrass fans. Pack a big picnic lunch, a cooler of iced tea, and settle down for the whole day to listen (close-up) to your favorites. The grassy parking lots (they didn't pave everything in those days!) were a gathering place for many local bands and musicians, and often the bluegrass groups out here were as good as the ones' onstage.

These parks were a real treat when country music was in it's "heyday". And sadly, there is nothing that replaces them. Our younger generation will never know the good times they missed!

As a youngster, I wished and dreamed of playing there one day. But sadly, I never got the chance.

Ric Nelson · From: Silver Spring, Maryland

I worked Sunset a few times in the mid 1950's. It was a grand place to play, with a real nice "family" crowd;no booze or pills allowed. The park was mainly open only on Sundays.

What caused the owner, Larry Waltman, to no longer book any artist (and thus close the park) was minor damage to the roof at stage right from a snowstorm. But more than that, it was the cost of booking named acts and Larry felt that he could not raise the admission price that much to cover costs. I'd say the park only could hold about 3,000 people, tops. I think the last season was either in 1991 or 1992.

I call him once in a while and recently he told me that they (he and his wife Hazel) are going to sell the property and move. He said that across the road, which used to be open fields, are condos and he suspects that is what will be built on the Sunset property.

Another park, close by, was the New River Ranch in Raising Sun, Maryland. It was a cut below Sunset and gained the reputation of having "The check in the mail to you next week." It too was open only on Sundays and attracted some headliners. It was open from about 1952 to 1963 or so. Even at Sunset, if the crowd was slim, they'd try to cut back on your pay. I remember hearing that once, Ernest Tubb said to them, "To keep it all."

There were many parks like this around at one time, but I think they are all gone. In nearly all of their cases, it was an economic consideration that caused their demise.

With a Sunday afternoon bookings, it was an easy way for local bands to pick up some extra cash. Those were the days when you didn't have to compete with Sunday football. It was good for the local dairy farmers as well since they could see a show between milkings. Most acts came on at least twice.

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I can't remember the actual closing year, but it was not too long ago. The last show I saw there was George Strait, I guess it was 1985 or so. I know Marty Stuart was there only a couple years ago.

MALCOLM KIRBY · From: Crofton, KY USA

I worked there in the mid-80's with Johnny Russell. Had a large time.

Lynn Owsley · From: Hendersonville, Tennessee

What great memories....Uncle Roy Walton(I think) was the founder of Sunset Park,A great family venue....and yes Bobby you played it many times with Loretta Lynn, this was the one we called #1 venue on the "Varicose Veins, and Potatoe Salad Circuit."
Don Helms said he played it with Hank Sr.It was around for a long time. There was always a jam session or two out in the trees in the parking lot, and perhaps an adult beaverage if you were so inclined....I once saw a musician with no arms play a lap steel with his feet and then drive out in his car...oh no I was not drinking........The wall with all the autographs that was in the dressing room on the back of the stage should be in a museum somewhere.
Oh Yeah,Billy Johnson, Ernest Tubb asked me to tell you to turn your hat around, sorry,I thought you looked so good in it that way that I just waited 25yrs to tell you!!!

Johnny Cox · Posted 22 Jan 2000 7:50 pm

I remember it being the first music park I played in the early seventies with Del Reeves. I also worked there with Cal Smith, Jim ED Brown & Ernest Tubb. Lots of good memories there.

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Johnny "Dumplin" Cox
"The Time Jumpers"

Clarence Wilson · From: morgantown wv usa

The armless musician was Ray Meyers. He
was with a band for a while at radio station
WMMN, Fairmont, Wva. He sat in a chair and held the bar with his left foot while getting
the chords with his right foot. He sang along as he played. He performed many tricks
to entertain. One being with a whip. He was
born without arms. He died only a short while ago, a year or two. He was employed by
the city of Meyersdale, pa., I believe.

Grandpa Jones was at the station at the same time, as was Stoney Cooper and Wilma Lee.

CEW

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