Tuesday evening, June, 7th, we will have Randy Palmer appearing at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center. Randy has been with us before as a part of the Randy Boys. This time we get Randy all to ourselves. Randy Palmer has performed folk/country since 1967, focusing on songwriting, guitar, and solo and band projects. He received his bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television/Film from Baylor University and is a member of the Texas Folk Music Alliance and the Folk Alliance. He earned a finalist in the 2011 New Folk Songwriting Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Palmer also earned three ADDY Awards for his advertisement jingles for Palmer, Meader, and Holmes. He taught songwriting workshops for the Panhandle Professional Writers Association in 2010 and 2011 and has been a guest lecturer on songwriting for Amarillo College’s Creative Writing Program since 2008. He released his first record, Fighter by Nature, in 1975 on RoRo Records. He released his second record, Calling Me Home, in 1979 on Heartland Productions. He has just released his newest album titled ‘Deeper Water’. Please join us in welcoming Randy back to Pampa.
I would also invite you to check out our new look. It’s amazing what some new carpet and a coat of paint can do! I want to thank all the people that make this kind of thing possible today and throughout the years. It’s been 30 years now since Thelma Bray and Glenna Lea Miller started Pampa’s Tribute to Woody Guthrie and over 20 years that The Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center has existed in the old Harris Drug Store building at 320 S. Cuyler. So many people have been a part of this since then that I couldn’t possibly thank them all here, but I would like to thank some local and area foundations for their support since I have been involved. The Gray-Pampa Foundation, The David D. and Nona S. Payne Foundation, The M.K. Brown Foundation, The Inez B. and H.E. McCarley Foundation, as well as several different components of the Amarillo Area Foundation like the Lawrence R. Hagy Fund, the Bivens Foundation, Sybil B. Harrington Foundation. More recently The National Endowments for the Humanities and the Texas Panhandle Art Education Association have contributed grants. Excel Energy has also done their part and I’m sure I am missing some other key players; I apologize for that. Of course, it’s the individuals whose support with their time and resources has been crucial as well. We have been fortunate to have a very loyal following in the community all these years. So, a sincere thank you from myself and all the Board Members past and present. This is your place, Pampa, so join us any Friday evening for our jam sessions, our occasional community concerts or just stop in to learn a little about Woody Guthrie and his time in Pampa and share a little history, ours and yours.
