The Bellamy Brothers will be headlining at the Riverside in Don's Celebrity Theatre, Sept. 5-10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, call 800-227-3849.
Howard and David Bellamy were raised in Florida and learned how to play a wide variety of instruments in their childhood. During the late '60s, the two performed in a number of bands and in 1968, they moved to Atlanta and formed Jericho.
More than most acts of the late '70s and '80s, the Bellamy Brothers pushed the borders of country music, adding strong elements of rock, reggae, and even rap. The Bellamy Brothers' country breakthrough happened in 1979, with the tongue-in-cheek “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.” Initially, the song was a hit in Ireland, convincing the duo's American record company to release it as a single. The song rocketed to No. 1 on the country charts, which led to the Top Five success of “You Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie.”
The Bellamy Brothers' success continued to roll forward in 1980. The duo released the album “Angels & Outlaws Vol. 1,” singing their best-known songs with other country artists, in 2005.
Collectible Beanie toys have returned to the Colorado Belle this month in the popular “I Dream of Beanies” promotion. People love to collect them, so the resort has more than 5,000 ready to go to new homes in the September promotion. Drawing winners will receive baskets of Beanies in drawings held at the Grand Staircase at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday throughout the month. Baskets will contain from 10 to 100 plush Beanie toys including teddy bears, lions, poodles, tigers, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, wolves and cats.
All One Club members can pick up a drawing ticket each day and new members receive a ticket when they sign up. Players will earn a ticket for every 100 points redeemed for cash during the promotion. Players receive an entry coupon for every slot jackpot of $50 or more and for each slot hand pay. Players also receive an entry coupon with each paid entry in the (Wo)Man Vs. Machine slot tournament. Entry coupons are redeemable for drawing tickets at the One Club booth. Players may win up to four times per day, but only once per drawing time, and must be present at drawing to claim prize.
REO Speedwagon and Styx will be headlining the Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah's on Sept. 29, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35, call 800-447-8700.
The latest chapter of REO Speedwagon's history began in the spring of 2000 when the band joined forces with fellow Midwest rockers, Styx, for a sold-out, nationwide, co-headline tour. The band members became such good friends and the tour was such a success, that the tour was captured on a live CD and DVD entitled “Arch Allies.” The bands appeared together on “The Today Show,” VH1 and on numerous syndicated radio shows. Together, the bands organized a series of concerts to benefit the New York Port Authority Police and the families of the officers who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks. REO and Styx continue to pack venues across the country whenever they appear together in concert.
As much as REO loves touring the country playing their “nothing but hits” live shows, it is new songs which have been the band's lifeblood since its first album in 1971. Between shows of the “Main Event Tour,” in hotel rooms across the country, the inspiration struck and the band members began writing in earnest.
REO began introducing new songs into their live shows and the fan reaction was so positive that a new album was born.
The band has been in the studio for the last 18 months working on their first CD of new songs since 1996's “Building The Bridge. “ The band is putting the finishing touches on the new album, which most likely be released in late 2006 or early 2007.
The band Styx released “Cyclorama” in February 2003 and tours extensively.
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