The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, May 06, 1981, Page Page 11, Image 11
Errtert
'On
Willie A
By Vlcki Grooms
Staff Wrttw
Columbia's cowboys and
cowgirls took to the road
Sunday night as a sellout
crowd flocked to the
Coliseum to see the country
outlaw, Willie Nelson.
It' was a high-spirited
group that assembled to
greet Willie and family, but
there was a ready welcome
for the opening act of
Delbert McClinton.
McOnuon gave an impressive
performance,
mostly of tunes from his
latest album, including his
hit single, "Givin' It Up For
Mm
Willie Nelson emphas
two-hour long perform
Sunday. (Photo by Chip L
W
wiine
One of the most amazing p
place at the Carolina Colisei
country star Willie Nelson toot
Somebody, police think it
ployee, executed the perfect I
quadruple-locked vault.
n\,^vi U1115 iu auui tea
the money between 5:45 p.m.
someone took $10,000 in $50 bill
ONLY TWO use treasurers
the money is housed. A third
campus. The fourth key was 1<
treasurers office employee wh<
Writ
By Chris Handat
Staff Writer
When William Price Fox cl
of Dixiana Moon and left the p
Auditorium Wendesday nigl
annual Spring Writers Series
to a close.
During the semester the S
series, sponsored by the Er
ment and the College of Hu
Social Sciences presented a w
;air~innRr
T"1
i in<
Jelson pi
Your Love." For 50 minutes
he sang, played harmonica,
and performed with his
excellent saxophone player
for a rousing time that all
enjoyed, as proven by his
call for an encore.
THE MAIN EVENT,
however, was yet to come.
/\ner a iz minute stint by
Willie's family to "check out
the sound," the crowd
roared for Willie, and their
efforts were quickly
rewarded.
The red-headed stranger
appeared in his usual
pigtails and jeans, launching
'flHH^BwSSiEraSE
a * ^^^MI^H^HnKnS "M^Mi:''}
"VH^Bjl^BH^H
HHHBk. *JHBHHSHT H
izes a point during his
ance at the Coliseum owe//)
: . - *"!
notth
Inside Entertainment
Mark
Platte
erformances of the year took
1m Sunday night even before
[ the stage.
was a former coliseum emtheft
of ?30.000 in rash frnm ?
, somebody walked away with
and 8 p.m. In that time span,
s and $20,000 in $100 bills.
have keys to the room in which
remains locked in a vault on
ost three months ago by a USC
:> dropped a ring of keys while
11
^JL O
writers. Novell
spoke as well a
Seamus Heai
osed his copy Plimpton and
rwimm at Rollr ? ?
"?\T7 \ ausan isontag al
it, the third
at USC came The Writers !
talks on Wedne
pring writers George Geckle
>glish depart- department an
imanities and afternoon, a pi
ride variety of then there is us
phqpc r
into "Whiskey River"
against a backdrop of the
Texas flag. From there he
continued with a string of his
classics such as "Crazy,"
and there were screams of
recognition at one of his
oldest called "Night Life."
Confining his remarks to a
-.1 ^ i in 1_
simpie uiariK you very
much," it was apparent that
Willie had full control over
his audience.
Barely pausing between
songs, Willie slowed the
tempo with his version of
several Kris Kristofferson
tunes, including "Loving
You Was Easier (Than
Anything I'll Ever Do
Again)" from the movie
onnn^t m/ilr ^
ouuuuii av.iv HUIlCySUCMt
Rose." Another crowd
favorite was "Blue Eyes
Cryin' In The Rain," closely
followed by some
downhome, bluegrass instrumentals
that had the
audience clapping along to
the beat.
Willie really shone when
he reached the material
recorded on his "Stardust"
album. The flowing melodies
of "Blue Skies" and "All Of
Me" beside the easy sound of
"Georeia On Mv Mind"
displayed the distinct quality
that is much of Wilie's appeal.
YET THE NIGHT could
not be complete without the
rambling songs Willie has
made famous. From
"Mamas Don't Let Your
Babies Grow Up To Be
Cowboys" to "Good Hearted
i eonc
playing basketball on the colis<
Lt. Carl Stokes of he USC pol
walked in and out of the area w
Bob Horning of the coliseui
questioned about the theft. T
needed to pay the lighting an
warm-up acts before Willie Nel
Nobody is responsible for {
money is kept because there is
guarding the vault. The first is
a combination dead bolt, ther
vault and an alarm system insi
IT'S IKONIC that a theft sue
considering that the Souther
guards for parking and enl
Columbia city police control i
they are called,are payed by tl
to usher and tell kids to stop
USC police can be called in for
So, while Willie was enterta
the coliseum, employees were
who made off with $30,000, th
history.
It's not surprising, howeve
happened. This is the same se
<jamecocn reporters and on
coliseum through an open doo
n
sts Reynolds Price and Fox
s poets Stephen Spender and
ney. Journalist George
essayist/short story writer
soappearea.
Series is far more than just
>sday night according to Dr.
i, chairman of the English
d series coordinator. In the
ess conference is held and
(ually ail autograph party to
kSirl L
owboy (
Willie takes a paus
Woman," he sang of the
troubles of the restless
cowboy.
He completed his set by
bringing McClinton back to
join him in a few old stan
dards like "May The Circle
Be Unbroken'' and
"Amazing Grace." Amidst
an ecstatic crowd that
refused to be satisfied, Willie
came back for an encore ?
one that won't be forgotten.
Willie returned to the stage,
traded his red bandana for
basebaU cap, and was joined
by his band for an unexpected
rendition of
"Luckenbach, Texas,"
saying goodnight to
Columbia with a second
singing of "Whiskey River"
as an American flag
j <
to ste
;um floor.
ice said "a good many" people
here the vault was located and
n said 12-15 people will be
he money that was lost was
i sound people as well as the
son.
guarding the room where the
. a four-way protection system
a dead-bolt lock, the second is
e is an alarm attached to the
de the vault.
:h as this could have happened
n Security Services provides
ranee to the coliseum; the
the crowds; the red coats, as
le coliseum's chief of security
walking in the aisles; and the
any extraordinary rioting.
ining a near sell-out crowd at
scrambling to try and discover
le first such theft in coliseum
r, that something of this sort
:urity system that allowed two
e photographer to enter the
r more than one year ago and ,
give the students a chance
authors. Finally after the ta
wine and cheese reception is hi
THE DAY after their talk,
participated in a taping at th
The taping session consists
.asking the writer questions
their work and how they h*
problems. According to Dr. G
interested in broadcasting th
national basis.
Having quality writers app<
not cheap. The average cost fo
around $2000, according co Gee
"I would be happy if a ben<
come forth from the communi
a large sum. I'd be more willin
seHes after him," said Geckle
have funds in advance, then
more we could do with the seri
nm -
Zolumbi
,:,W^; ',^i\'M wlfik fflf< 9mMtt^kW&^^- j-EMliiiW
. ^i.v ji^?'^ wis
mmmm
e for applause. (Photo by Ci
replaced that of the Lone
Star state.
Singing to a packed
audience containing Deonle
of all ages, Willie delivered
two solid hours of entertainment
that had
everyone on their feet by the
conclusion. He covered an
enormous amount of
material, and left no stone
unturned from the many
phases of his careeer, a
great feat considering that
all of his songs are popular in
meir own rignt. Willie nad
full command every moment
he was on stage, and it is a
good bet that all those folks,
cowboys and cowgirls alike,
were glad they were here
when the outlaw came to,
town.
al the
take the basketball net down fr
threesome turned the court ligh
through the same door before a
SO ON this night of country
Willie Nelson sang for two hour
person who is now $30,000 rich<
be called back by the police for
I HE#
1
Brtsr<
-.. WB *
. /t;*;:';'': ' ,vM V t
MIxBmFMMi
ifter a $30,000 Co/iseur
Stan Hawkins)
to meet the someone like
Ik at night, a coming here t\
1 licit OV*l IVUUJI
lead time."
many writers
e ETV studio. Despite the :
; of students the series up,
pertaining to outcome. "In tl
" ? iA. W J ? A A _
jnaJe writing 11, 1 aouni mc
eckle, PBS is country with a I
e tapes on a
Geckle did
* ,T?vn. students did n<
jar "t USC is series
r each visit .s students. res[>
point of the seri
talk about his '
ty and donate *?E?Lta
g to name the
. "If we could read 25 to 50 yej
s is so much
es such as get
9
in
nns
hip Lowell)
K9
PIK::V
Delbert McClinton
provided some excellent
backup to Willie
Nelson. (Photo by Chip
Lowell)
show
om one of the rims. Then the
ts on, turned them off and leff
illing campus police.
music and good times, wh?
s, the real entertainer was tl
*r, wondering if he or she w
an encore.
nes more than an hour
n robbery. (Photo by
a John Updike committed
no and half years in advar
s are so busy you need t
short time Geckle has to
he is still pleased with
fie three years that we've h
;re is anotner school in t
better series."
note disappointment tha
)t show more interest in the
university of 26,000, the
onse should be better. The
IAS is In a firct.rnfn
.ww *w M III UV & ?VV VY I liCl
work. So much on campus is
t with this series we have
{from works that will still be
ars from now."
90m Wrftmrs, page 12