Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 2, 1993 TAG: 9307010065
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis-Banks
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Schoonover is the manager at Goose Creek Mountain Resort in Floyd County, Va.
Charlie Gearheart calls it "a trip."
Gearheart is the founder of the Goose Creek Symphony, a band that had a great gaggle of fans in its heyday in the late '60s and early '70s.
Gearheart was born and raised at Goose Creek in (get this) Floyd County, Ky.
Tonight, Gearheart will bring the Goose Creek Symphony to Goose Creek Mountain Resort.
Coincidence?
"It's a homecoming of sorts for us," said Schoonover.
"It blew my mind!" said Gearheart.
Best known for its 1971 hit version of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" (as in "Oh, Lord, Won't You Buy Me . . ."), the Goose Creek Symphony cut several albums with major record companies such as Capitol and Columbia, made a guest appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and opened for the likes of Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull and ZZ Top.
And, of course, there were the unknowns who opened for the Goose Creek Symphony: Marshall Tucker, Willie Nelson and Charlie Daniels, to name a few.
"We worked with Bruce Springsteen before anyone ever heard of him," Gearheart explained earlier this week.
"We played mostly with rock bands in the early days," Gearheart noted. "We were a forerunner of country rock but our stuff wasn't exactly country rock, either."
Indeed, the Goose Creek Symphony confounded those who tried to label its music, prompting one band member to define the group's sound as "progressive, country, acid, folk, surf rock."
The band disbanded in 1975 when Gearheart got tired. He and others in the group were tired of life on the road and tired of the "commercialism" involved in getting a record deal.
So the musicians happily went their separate ways. Gearheart headed to the Northwest for a 15-year fishing trip.
Over the years, band members kept in touch and occasionally did some recording together for old times sake. Three years ago, the Goose Creek Symphony decided to try a comeback.
Six of the seven original members reunited, added a new member and produced "Oso Special," an album that includes nine songs written by Gearheart. Currently, the band is working on a new release.
"I'm guessing we'll have it ready sometime this winter," Gearheart said.
Meanwhile, three of the musicians are performing on a new tour, "Acoustic Goose," which is bringing them to Floyd County tonight.
Gearheart and the Goose Creek Symphony's lead guitarists, Paul Spradlin and Vince Micko, say the acoustic act draws on the roots of the music.
"We'll be playing a lot of the old stuff from each of the albums as well as some new original tunes," Gearheart said.
He also said he's eager to see how this Floyd County compares to his old stomping grounds in Kentucky.
The Goose Creek Mountain Resort is off Virginia 610 on Virginia 634 in Check. The 40-acre resort has rental cabins, a lake stocked with rainbow trout and a sandy beach area. Tonight's concert starts at 7 at the beach area.
Mystery, a local bluegrass and folk-rock band, is the opening act.
Admission is $18. For more information, call 651-3800.\ LOCAL CELEBRITY: Ruby Altizer Roberts has made a name for her hometown. The Christiansburg native is the poet laureate emeritus of Virginia.
Roberts will read some of her poems and give some insight into local history at a talk Saturday for the Montgomery Museum and Lewis Miller Regional Art Center's breakfast. The meal will be served from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the community room at the museum.
In addition, Nelda Pearson of Radford University's sociology department will speak. Her topic: "Appalachia - Its Culture and Quilts."
Donations will be accepted for the meal with proceeds going to the museum's gazebo fund.
The museum is at 300 S. Pepper St. in Christiansburg. For more information, call Ann Bailey, 382-2298, or Lucy Mae Sarver, 382-9145. The museum's telephone number is 382-5644.
\ TEEN SCENE: The Blacksburg Holiday Inn, along with New River Valley Mall, K-92 and the Blacksburg Jaycees, is throwing parties all summer long.
You're invited if you're between 13 and 18 and you're looking for wholesome fun.
Each Sunday from 7 to 11 p.m., there's a dance party for teens at Frizbees in the Blacksburg Holiday Inn. The dance parties offer food, entertainment and games such as "Splash for Cash."
Disc jockeys from Roanoke's K-92 play the dancing tunes and teens may join in the karaoke singing.
Is there a catch?
Of course.
Organizers insist on keeping it clean. That means no tobacco use, no profanity, no alcohol and no halter tops, tank tops, cut-off shorts or hats.
In other words, show your couth.
The cover charge is $4. Proceeds from the admission fees will be distributed to the Blacksburg Jaycees, the "Give Kids the World" program and a scholarship fund for seniors at local high schools.
\ BREATHING ROOM: The Radford Parks and Recreation Department is offering its series of outdoor concerts again this summer. The series starts Tuesday at the gazebo in Bisset Park.
The Riverboat Ramblers will play Dixieland jazz, beginning at 7 p.m. Upcoming concerts will feature The Jack Hinshelwood Band, The McKenzies, Blacksburg Community Band, The Blue Sky Band, Johnny Barnett and The Whitts. On Aug. 17, members of the community theater production of "Oklahoma!" will perform.
All concerts will be held Tuesday evenings in the park. Best of all, admission is free.
Don't forget to bring a blanket or lawn chair for the outdoor seating.
by CNB