RONFEST: Fooling Ron Sowell, then honoring him
One thing, he learned from the evening, remarked Ron Sowell, once he finally got to don a guitar on Saturday, was this: “I’m never going to trust my friends again.” | Photos by Douglas Imbrogno
It was quite the surprise. For the past couple months, Ron Sowell, one of Charleston’s most prominent musicians, expected to be the headline act this past Saturday at the Clay Center’s Walker Theater, to close out the year-long Woody Hawley singer-songwriter series. Sowell, who founded the series, normally hosts it. But the Mountain Stage band leader was to be featured for his own accomplished musicianship and body of songs. He’d rehearsed for weeks with musical mates. He was pleased to see how well the tickets sold — more than 100! — one of the highest advance ticket sales ever for the series.
Little did he know that the whole evening had been hijacked. Patricia Ansley, who works with Sowell on the Hawley Series, secretly planned for more than six months an alternate event: ‘Ron Fest.’ The evening was to be instead a musical roast and homage to Sowell’s decades of performing, his benefit work, his musical mentoring and inspiration to a host of singer-songwriters and young folk in Charleston and around the state. Family and friends came from as far afield as his homelands of rural Texas and — yes, it’s true — land of aliens, Roswell, New Mexico.
Mira Stanley, Sowell’s daughter, and Jon Wikstrom, one of his writing partners, share a tune at ‘Ron Fest’ at the Walker Theater.
Sowell was honored, toasted and roasted in several ways. A few among many:
Bob Noone, the singing satirical attorney with a band called the Well Hung Jury, stepped onto the stage in a striped zoot suit. He gave ample evidence to the jury that — in the words of Sowell’s infamous tune he proceeded to sing — “White Boys Just Can’t Dance.”
- Daughter Mira Stanley, along with Bob Webb on guitar and Jenny Allinder on fiddle, sang him “Shenandoah,” a tune from her baby days with her dad, which earned a standing ovation. Then, she teamed up with Sowell’s music-writing partner Jon Wikstrom on the co-written “Voice From Afar.”
- Michael Lipton, Charlie T, Jupie Little and Ted Harrison performed the shortest set in Charleston history: two 30-second Tudor TV commercials jingles. (Sowell is one of the few full-time working singer-songwriters in the state, in no small part because he has learned to pay the bills, musically, in several ways).
- Johnny Staats, the speedy mandolin-playing UPS guy, whose breakout as a performer Sowell helped to birth, delivered — in uniform — a sign that read ‘Ron Sowell: This is Your Life.” Then, later he took to the stage and added mandolin accelerant to Sowell’s much-beloved song “Wires and Wood.”
- The sign Staats delivered featured handprints from some of the children at the Charleston Montesorri school where Sowell teaches music. They also made him a life-size, candy-colored, arts & craft guitar.
- Continuing the theme of Sowell’s contributions to the little people, Todd Burge performed the Larry Groce song “Herman the Worm,’ featured on Sowell’s “Opposite Day” kid’s CD (a CD this parent can attest to which will not make parent’s suffer in the slightest — quite the opposite. This is well and good, because your children will want to listen to it at least, 3,432 times).
- Bob Thompson performed a Sowell tune, surprising those of us who didn’t know he did that sort of thing, by singing it — lovely singing. He has a fine, rich voice. Then, he told the story about the time he was playing a wedding reception and a kid came up to him and asked if he knew “Opposite Day”? No, he didn’t. Well, did he know another tune off the CD. No, sorry, he didn’t know that song. “You don’t know ANY Ron Sowell songs?!”
- Two other keyboard players fired up the evening: Randy Gilkey, a fiery young player from Oak Hill, and Mike Pettry, who learned guitr from Sowell as a kid. Pettry has gone on to a busy career as an accomplished keyboard player and songwriter, including a national tour of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
- Some blues guy in shades, a porkpie hat and vest did a raucous version of the raucous Sowell song, “Love My Tomato,” from his Stark Raven band days. The blues guy was joined halfway through by a harmonica-playing tomato. The blues guy turned out to be fellow musician and Mountain Stage band member Steve Hill. And the tomato? Singer-songwriter Julie Adams, another Mountain Stage band mate. Hill remarked after the show he knew that if he started to muff Sowell’s song, everything would be OK: Julie Adams was headed to the stage dressed as a tomato (True devotion: She made the tomato get-up herself).
Who’s that behind those Foster Grants? Not to mention inside the tomato?
Earlier in the evening, Kate Long led the crowd in a version of “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, one of Sowell’s signature tunes in closing out performances. The evening finished with a reprise of the tune with a stageful of those who’d come to honor Sowell with song and the sold-out crowd on its feet, singing right along.
– By Douglas Imbrogno
May 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
[…] DowntownWV put an intriguing blog post on RONFEST: Fooling Ron Sowell, then honoring himHere’s a quick excerpt […]
May 5th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
There was also light jazz song written by Ron and performed by Shelley. It was backed by the best musicians, Bob Thompson on piano, Mark Davis on drums, Doug Payne on sax, John Ingram on bass and Ryan Kennedy on guitar.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I forgot to mention that this jazz song “You Might Take It Right” was performed after a presentation to Ron’s lovely wife, Salley.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I was fortunate enough to attend this special evening — one where friends and colleagues tipped their hats and voices to Ron. It was at once fun, poignant and entertaining; a wonderful way to recognize someone who has spent his life loving music and sharing that love with so many.
It’s a testimony to Ron’s impact that everyone who was asked to participate wanted to do so — so much so that they couldn’t fit everyone onto the bill. Thanks Ron, for everything!
May 7th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Thank you, Doug Imbrogno, for such wonderful coverage of RonFest! Producing this event was the “easiest hard work I’ve ever done,” as I have said over and again. I want to also extend my appreciation to our extraordinary sound man, Paul Flaherty, the Mountain Stage stage manager. I would never have seen my dream come to fruition without Paul’s talents. I know I put Paul through a great deal of stress with all my demands but he saw what I was visualizing and made it work! YEAH! Thank you, Paul.
Additionally, I want to thank Brad Bradley and AFM Local 136 without whom this event would not have been possible. Thanks also to Lakin Cook, Director of Performing Arts for the Clay Center for her ongoing work to help bring our series to the stage. Thanks to Tom Passinetti and Doug Litton for all they do behind the scene to set up the Walker Theatre and our fabulous lighting.
It is important to thank all the artists, friends and family that came from far and wide to insure Ron was given proper recognition. And…thanks to everyone for keeping the secret. Ron was totally clueless right up until the moment of the big reveal. YEAH!!
Thank you, Ron Sowell, for all you are and all you do. You are a blessing to us all.
If I have missed anyone, please forgive me, I am still levitated by the entire event.
Many blessings to all,
Patricia Ansley
May 9th, 2008 at 6:45 am
It was wrenching not to be able to attend RonFest (I had a weekend gig elsewhere), but it looks like Ron was well feted. He’s a friend to all, and it’s been a treat knowing, working, and just hanging with him over the past decade.
Ron’s a giving tree, and those of us blessed to know him have really got it made in the shade.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Doug,
Great job on your Gazz review of an incredible evening. Kudos to Trish for the hard work… having that many musicians show up on time has to be harder than herding cats.
But MEGA THANKS to Ron Sowell for all the inspiration over the years. From Appalachian Children’s Choir to helping the homeless “to come home,” Ron has been there for so many of us. It was wonderful to be with so many friends paying tribute to the Musician’s Musician.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Mrs. Turpentine would like to say that she was really sorry she missed the festivities, levity, gaiety, and all that sort of lovliness. But let it be known that this lady thinks that Mr. Sowell is a real seriously wonderful musician, writer, and friend, not to mention a hunk from the planet Studmuffin (formerly known as planet # 777), and I am so sorry I could not leave the snowy (YES, snowy!) north to come down and play a tune or two. Or just to do the “rubber chicken” neck dance with you. I’m sure there was other fine poultry in my stead.
Love, Mrs. Turpentine
May 11th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Thank to Ron Sowell for years of entertainment on so many levels and venues. He is simply the best!
Thanks to Patricia Ansley, for creating such an fantastic tribute to Mr. Sowell. Ron Fest was better than any show I have ever seen. It was even better than Mountain Stage. I had no idea she was a singer/songwriter. I thought all she did was help Mr. Sowell with those great Woody Hawley Concerts. It was hard to imagine that she created it all herself. What a surprise! There was such a great variety of entertainment. I can’t wait for her next show.
Patricia is an awesome singer and I loved the band that played with with her. It is too bad she did not get to sing longer. I look forward to seeing her perform again in Charleston. I will be watching the Gazz for notice of her performances. Please put a notice of the release party in the Gazz when her CD comes out. I hope she records it with that great bluegrass band, No Name You Know, so we can all come out to see her and hear her sing with them again. That band was the best bluegrass band I have ever heard in West Virginia, bar none.
Patricia’s songs were very special. I loved the one about the mountain crying her to sleep, it was very special to me because so many mountains I loved as a child are gone now. The one she sang about the hills making her heart dance and sing was great too. It made me recall many fond memories of my childhood. She sounds like a native West Virginian, not a “transplant” like called herself. I lost my program and forgot the names of those songs but I will be watching for her CD to come out.
The show she put together was so good. I loved seeing Steve Hill and Julie Adams, too. I never saw Julie play a harmonica on Mountain Stage. She is very cool, and a great singer, too. She also makes one cool tomato! Bob Noone was very funny, too.
Mr. Sowell’s daughter is lovely and has such a beautiful voice. She should be on Mountain Stage sometime. We go all the time and would love to see her on the show.
It was funny when Larry Groce and Andy Ridenour pulled a fast one on Mr. Sowell in the beginning when they were introducing your friends and family. By the way, Patricia, was a great MC and very funny, too.
What a great night of fun and entertainment.
I will be watching for more shows from Patricia Ansley. What a super talent she is!
Sincerely, Meg
May 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Meg,
I hardly know what to say; however, thanks are in order. So, thank you!
Please feel free to contact me at:
patriciaansley@aol.com and as soon as I have a CD finished, I will surely let you know.
Again, thank you for all your kind comments.
Trish
May 15th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
By the way, Meg…the name of that great bluegrass band that performed with me was NO ONE YOU KNOW. They are Don Anderson on bass (Clarksburg), Ramie Bennett on banjo (Elkins), Buck McCumbers on mandolin (Parkersburg), Lance Gainer on guitar (Williamstown) and Bruce Jones on dobro (Kingwood). If you e-mail me, I will let you know how to find them performing. patriciaansley@aol.com
Thanks again for your kind comments,
Trish
May 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Meg,
I just wanted to clarify, the name of that awesome bluegrass band performing with me at RonFest was NO ONE YOU KNOW. They are: Don Anderson from Clarksburg, bass; Buck McCumbers from Parkersburg, mandolin; Lance Gainer from Williamstown, guitar; Ramie Bennett from Elkins, banjo; Bruce Jones from Kingwood, dobro. You may e-mail me at the address posted above for more information about NO ONE YOU KNOW, when and where they are performing and more.
Thanks again for all your kind comments.
Blessings,
Trish Ansley