Newspaper Page Text
BEST BET
Synthetic Flying Machine cruise into the Downstairs tonight tor
a show that's absolutely FREE and open to the public.
Described as "psychdelic performance music," wouldn't you
rather go see them than stay home and mope about money?
The Red and Black « Wednesday, May 13, 1992 « >
Berry braves the long road to a record deal
By JENNIFER PETERSON
Staff Writer
He has opened shows for
Alabama, The Judds and Randy
Travis, and now, like the lyrics of
one of his songs say, John Berry is
“really breaking away this time"
and heading for Music City.
Berry and his band, The Pack,
have begun making regular trips to
Nashville in hopes of securing that
elusive recording contract.
“It will be a deal under my
name, but the likelihood of (the
band) getting to play on any
records is slim to none, he said.
Producers tend to use studio
musicians they know on the al
bums, but The Pack would be his
touring band, Berry said.
On these trips to Tennessee,
they perform showcases for indus
try professionals. They rent a club,
send invitations to representatives
from recording labels and hope
someone shows some interest.
“I was afraid to do the showcas
es, but we just had to go up to
Nashville and do it; just get one
under our belts,” Berry said.
Their first showcase was in
March.
“I didn’t know what to expect,"
he said. “I was hoping no one would
show."
The next showcase they will
perform will be for Jimmy Bowen,
the new president of Polygram
Records.
“You just get up there, perform
INTERVIEW
for a half hour and don’t worry,"
Berry said. “You’ll be back in 30
days anyway.”
Although he has enjoyed play
ing in Athens, Berry said he feels
hes played here too much.
Even if Elvis came back from
the dead and played here five
nights a week, it would get old,” he
said.
Doing a show in a college town
is quite different from doing shows
elsewhere, he said.
“It’s a younger audience and
they’re more enthusiastic,” he said.
He said he’s not that well
known, so it’s fun to see a crowd get
into his show.
“Fame definitely helps; people
respond better," Berry said.
As an example of his point, he
said Woody Harr el son of “Cheers”
performed “Jailhouse Rock” with
the band at Kenny Rogers’ Classic
Weekend a few years back, much to
the delight of the crowd.
“Woody's a great actor and a
partying guy, but the man can’t
sing,” Berry said. “But the crowd
went crazy because of the fame fac
tor”
Berry lives in Madison County
with his wife of four years, Robin,
on their 70-acre farm, called Wolf
Ridge Farm. They have a 27-
month-old daughter named
TaylorMarie (don’t change, Joel).
“She thinks this is what every
one does,” he said of his daughter.
“When anyone goes to work, they
go to sing.”
Having TaylorMarie gave him a
new perspective on everything, he
said.
“The first thing you get used to
is the sleep thing, he said. “People
say you don’t get much sleep, well
you don’t get any.”
Every day he and TaylorMarie
feed the horses and collect chicken
eggs together.
One of his newest songs, “Take
Care of My Angel," was written for
and about his daughter.
Both TaylorMarie and Robin
travel with Berry to out-of-town
shows, where Robin does back
ground vocals for the band.
Berry, 32, was bom in Aiken,
S.C., but grew up in Atlanta. He
went to Avondale High School for a
time, then graduated from Cross
Keys High School.
And he doesn’t use a stage name
— “John Berry” is his given name.
“A lot of people ask me that,” he
said. “Does it sound fake or some
thing?”
While he attended Avondale,
Berry was on the cross country
team and earned state recognition,
he said. Did he know that country
superstar Garth Brooks ran track
in college?
“Garth Brooks, yeah, but he got
fat," Berry said, with a laugh.
Despite that small jab, Berry
said Brooks and all the new coun
try stars are all very talented.
“HI probably be about to sign an
incredible record deal for $5 mil
lion and someone will say. Wait,
you’re from Georgia; we’ve got too
many people from Georgia’,” he
said, referring to the recent success
of Georgians Alan Jackson, Doug
Stone, Travis Tritt and Trisha
Yearwood.
Berry’s musical influences were
Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens and
Kenny Loggins, none of whom are
country singers. Does he consider
himself a country artist?
“Well, it’s going to be a whole lot
more country than it is,” he said.
“If this were the early 70s, I’d be on
Top 40 radio like the Eagles were,
but Top 40 is stuff like Bon Jovi
now."
The Guns-N-Roses’ song, “Night
Train,” was playing in the back
ground. “Hey Marvin, here’s one of
your favorites,” he joked to one of
the crew members setting up for
the show. “Boy, they stayed up late
working on that one.”
If he hasn’t secured a record
deal by mid-summer, he will begin
work on a self-produced album to
be released this fall, he said. It will
be the seventh album he has
recorded since his first in 1979.
“We’ll continue with the show
cases, but we’ll go ahead and put
together a tape or CD thing,” he
said. Even after record deal is
signed, Berry would still like to call
the Athens area home.
The farm is pretty special to
us," he said. “We don’t ever really
want to leave this area."
Dorsey big band swings into town
By MARK HODGES
Campus Correspondent
Suave people with the urge
can cut the rug at the University
Union’s Third Annual Evening
of Big Band Music” Thursday
night, featuring the Jimmy
Dorsey Orchestra with Jim
Miller.
According to David Mendoza
of University Union, this partic
ular event has had positive reac
tion over the past few years. The
show will take place in Georgia
Hall, so there will be plenty of
space for the evening’s activities.
BACCHUS will be on hand to
serve up “mocktails” for the
thirsty crowd, and there will also
be plenty of refreshments for
keeping up that ball room dance
energy.
The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
began existence in 1922 in the
form of the Dorsey's Novelty
Band, which was a collaboration
between the Dorsey brothers
Jimmy and Tommy. That band
dissolved into an instrumental
duo which performed with vari
ous orchestras in the early 1930’s
until the brothers decided to go
with their own large-scale or
chestra in 1934. This particular
orchestra featured such greats
like Glenn Miller and Bob
Crosby. Despite their relatively
new found fame, the brothers
split up the group in 1936 and
each began leading his own sep
arate orchestra.
After the death of Jimmy
Dorsey in 1957, his orchestra
kept his name and kept on Der-
forming under various leaders
and musicians through the
years. In 1980, Jim Miller be
came one of the latest leaders of
the Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey
Orchestra, having had plenty of
experience from his stint with
the NORAD Commanders, a
band made up of American and
Canadian military band mem
bers.
So that’s the story. Now, let’s
swing.
The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
will be performing at the Georgia
Hall Thursday, May 14, at 8p.m.
Tickets are $5 for students and
$10 for everybody else and are
available in advance from the
cashier's window in the Tate
Student Center.
STOW YOUR STUFF ABOARD
THE
4
MAYFLOWER.
STUDENT STORAGE PROGRAM
only $99 for entire summer!
CALL 549-8902
WESTCHESTER MANOR
$*99 Moves You In
-With
Jntil June 1, 1992. beeL
Large floor plans • On bus line
Pool
Clubhouse
Sauna
107 Westchester Circle
Athens, Ga. 30606
(404) 549-0180
■
0
American Heart
Association
MAYFLOWER i
Lindsay-Mayflower
; Transfer & Storage Inc.
180 Trade Street
Delta GammcKtfo.
<fefei>N
dtiaA'Z /?
Open to any organization on campus. Ail For info: Call
Droceeds to Slaht Conservation and Aid to the Blind 543-0010
ADA
Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990
The University Committee charged
with conducting a study under the
provisions of this Act invites written
comments concerning institutional
needs relative to better accommo
dating disabled persons in the pro
grams, services, activities and facili
ties of the University.
WriUen comments should be
addressed to:
T. David Fletcher, Jr., Chair
UGA ADA Committee
Office of the Vice President
for Student Affairs
201 Academic Building
Athens, GA 30602
WANTED:
PHOTO
GRAPHERS
The Red & Black is
now accepting appli
cations from pho
tographers. Please
call Will Fagan at
543-1809 or come
by our office at 123
N. Jackson. Must
have own camera.
All majors welcome.
The Red & Black
Make Your Summer Count
FEdSIfll
et a headstart on college by enrolling at
DeKalb College during the summer when the
pace is slower, or complete a science sequence,
begin a foreign language, fulfill a physical
education requirement and still have time for
summer fun. Two 5-week sessions, a 7 1/2-week
term, and a 10-week evening term in a broad
range of courses offer you lots of choices for a
summer that combines both study and play-and
allows you to take course credits back to your
college in the fall. Think about it. Then make
your summer really count this year.
Appfy for Summer Quarter by May 29-
Classes begin June 23.
SOME HELPFUL REMINDERS FOR ALL UGA STUDENTS
1. Don't drive drunk 4? ^
2. Don't eat yellow snow
3* Don't forget to use condoms and Jr
4. Don’t EVER MISS ZOO NITE
THIS WEDNESDAY AND EVERY WEDNESDAY
32 oz. Drinks & Draft $1.25 - WARREN SOUTHALL
For More Information,
Call or Write Us
Office of Admissions and Records
555 North Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021
299-4564
299-4038 (Voice/TDD)
A TWO YEAR UNIT OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
icoajll
DEKALB
COLLEGE
THE NEXT STEP
The Kaplan Edge
To get into the right medical, law, business or graduate
school you need the best possible entrance exam score.
You need THE STANLEY H. KAPLAN EDGE!
HERE'S WHAT STANLEY H. KAPLAN GIVES YOU:
BEST MATERIALS. As the largest test preparation company in the business,
we're able to maintain an up-to-the minute research department, keeping up
with the latest test changes.
BEST INSTRUCTORS. Kaplan teachers have one main characteristic in
common: mastery of test contents and strategies.
MOST EXPERIENCE. After more than 50 years in the test prep business, no
one knows more about all the aspects of test prep than Kaplan does.
BEST RESULTS. When researchers compare Kaplan to other methods, Kaplan
students show more gains. But don't take our word for it - ask our students!
EXTRA MILE. We do a lot more than teach the best course. We can help with
admissions questions. We offer need-based scholarships for qualifying students. If
you have to leave town, transferring to any of our 150 U.S. centers is easy. Then
there's our free diagnostic testing, and little things like being open seven days a
week, at hours which make it easy for you to fit test prep into your schedule.
GET THE KAPLAN EDGE!
Course for Sept. 19 MCAT begins June 28
Course for Oct. 10 GRE begins June 21
Course for Oct. 3 LSAT begins June 27/July 2
Course for Oct. 17 GMAT begins August 18
jg STANLEY H. KAPLAN
Mm Take Kaplan OrTake Your Chances
The World's Leading Test Prep Organization.
Call 353-8604 Now!Across from the Arch