Todd Wetherington
http://www.rrdailyherald.com/
by Richard Gould
Thousands packed the amphitheater at Carolina Crossroads on a warm, summer Friday night, waiting for the appearance of the legends – three country music stars whose appeal stretches across generations.
Ray Price, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson came to Roanoke Rapids with their “Last of the Breed†tour.The crowd, estimated near 30,000, came to hear the trio of Country Music Hall of Fame members sing a broad selection of their hits that span more than 50 years performing.Price, Haggard and Nelson achieved the peaks of their stardom in the mid-50s, the mid-60s and the mid-70s, respectively. Yet, over the years their music has lost none of its punch and, as they demonstrated Friday night, it can still drive a crowd wild.Price took the stage first and the veteran troubadour wasted little time getting the crowd on his side when he opened the show with his 1956 hit “Crazy Arms.†He performed hits such as “Heartaches by the Number†and “For the Good Times†with the smooth vocal style that made him a star.After a solid performance, Price gave the stage over to Haggard, who walked out wearing his trademark fedora and sunglasses to a swell of cheers from the crowd.Haggard made his career with populist songs that resonate with the common man, and songs like “Mamma Tried†and “Working Man Blues†packed some of the biggest punches of the night.Haggard’s song “Okie From Muskogee†contains several lines that seem to disapprove of Willie Nelson’s lifestyle, but that didn’t stop Haggard from belting it out in the middle of his set.
And when he sang, “We don’t let our hair grow long and shaggy, Like the hippies out in San Francisco do,†Nelson walked out onto the stage wearing two braids that hung down to his waist and a big grin. He then stepped up to the microphone and finished the song with Haggard as a duet.
The two also teamed up on their 1983 hit “Pancho and Lefty.†Price came back on stage and joined them for several songs.
The crowd sang along with Price and Haggard and had a good time, but the star of the evening was Willie Nelson. The audience went wild when he took the stage, and Willie sang and improvised his way through his hit list, displaying the effortless charisma that sealed his stardom.
After a career that spawned 20 number-one hits and 114 chart singles through the years, Nelson has no shortage of material, but he blended his collection of crowd favorites with new material.
Ray Price is 80, Merle Haggard is 70 and Willie Nelson is 73 – and the name of their tour is appropriate. They’ve all made important contributions to the country music genre and last night at Carolina Crossroads, Roanoke Rapids got the rare opportunity to play host to three living legends.
Dee got to see Willie Nelson and the Last of the Breed Tour three times last week. And here, she gets there early for the Roanoke Show. Ah, Willie fans are the greatest.