Tolley to headline Arts Council fundraiser

Blytheville native Johnny Tolley will be at The Ritz Civic Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 to host a fundraising event on behalf of The Arts Council of Mississippi County.

The program is called "The Johnny Tolley Ole Time Variety Show" and will include several family-friendly acts including song, dance and a comedy. There is no set admission cost, but donations for The Arts Council are encouraged.

Tolley, a former Blytheville teacher, has opened concerts for such performers asGeorge Strait, Hank Williams Jr., George Jones, Marty Robbins, Jerry Reed and Jerry Clower. Clower's request for Tolley to be his opening act was a turning point in his career. He began working as comedian Clower's opening act, and this led to television appearances on "Country Clips," "Nashville Now," "Country Place," "The Porter Wagoner Show" and The Wilburn Brothers Show in Nashville.

Tolley now appears weekly at The Loveless Cafe in Nashville, along with road dates at casinos, fairs and other locations around the United States. He has a new CD titled "The Tunesmith."

Joining Tolley for the Jan. 14 show will be a variety of talented local performers. The lineup includes Donna Dunkin, Chuck Wilder, Taylor Lassley, David Lyttle, Charles Moody, Ken Jackson and Tim Stone. Also scheduled to perform are Mason Magouyrk (Miss Northeast Arkansas), Haven Cagle (Miss Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Teen), Marybeth Byrd (Miss Lights of the Delta Princess) and Kelli Collins (Miss Lights of the Delta Outstanding Teen).

For more information, contact The Arts Council of Mississippi County at the Ritz by calling 870-762-1744, by sending email to artsmissco@yahoo.com or online at http://www.artsmissco.com.