Presented by Manheim Community Farm Show

Saturday evening, October 5

Our original plan for the day was to take our friend Gerald along on a bus trip to Quecreek Mine and the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93, but the trip was cancelled due to the government shutdown, so we went with Plan B – supper at Kountry Kitchen and a Chuck Wagon Gang concert.

It turned out to be as good – in a different kind of way – as Plan A.

(photo of Gerald and Joanne in early June)

Gerald’s wife, Joanne, died at the end of July. The day of the bus trip – October 5 – would have been their 50th wedding anniversary. We wanted to make sure that he had something to do that day.

Luke Hess (Communication Management Co., Inc.) organized the event and served as master of ceremonies.

The concert, which was held at Salem United Methodist Church in Manheim, drew a crowd that filled the building. I think I heard that there were 600 people.

Those of us who are “older” can remember listening to the original Chuck Wagon Gang – and this group sings many of those old songs that we still love.

Shaye Smith (second from left) is the granddaughter of the Gang’s original alto, Anna Carter Gordon Davis and Howard Gordon, who was guitarist for the group for many years.  Shaye sings alto and is the group’s owner/manager.

The evening was a benefit for Manheim’s FFA (Future Farmers of America) – which includes our niece Chelsey (center) – who were honored and participated in the evening’s offering. We were too close to the front of the church for me to get a photo of the entire group.

During the second session, the Gang honored all the requests that were given during the break and sang several “songbook songs” to the delight of the audience.

The last few songs were done exactly as the first generation group sang.

[From their website]: The Chuck Wagon Gang has entered its 75th year of singing the old songs, and singing them the way ‘Dad Carter’ taught his kids.  A simple style, yet distinctive sound, is credited with helping preserve the legacy of the music so many love.  While time has brought much in the way progress and development in our time, the Chuck Wagon Gang has continued to strum and sing its way into the history books as being the oldest recording mixed quartet that has continuously recorded what has come to be known as ‘grass roots’ Gospel music.  Over the years, the group has managed to record well over 800 songs, and sell 40 million records worldwide.  Much of those songs and records were recorded with Columbia records, now Sony Music.  Many of the songs recorded in 1936, the group’s first year, are still being sung in concerts across America today.

It was a delightful evening!