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THURSDAY,
JULY 24, 2003
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Jackie K Cooper
The Best Is Yet To Be
jkershawcooper@aol.com
Singing lor
my supper
It is funny the twists and
turns your life takes. We start
out wanting to do or be one
thing and end up being some
thing else entirely. When I was
a little boy I learned I could
make people smile and like me
by singing. This made me
decide that I would be a profes
sional singer and have a won
derful career and life. It didn’t
happen, but for a while I
thought it would.
In grammar school my broth
er and I entered a few local tal
ent contests and had some suc
cess. I particularly remember
one time we were in a contest
being aired on the radio. My
brother Tommy played the
piano and sang harmony. I sang
lead. The song was “The
Wedding Samba.” We won the
show and collected ten gallons
of ice cream.
Later in the sixth grade I was
selected to go to the State Vocal
Competition and sing a solo. I
had a very high voice and the
song I was singing had a very
high note. 1 did great in
rehearsals but then on the day
of competition my voice decided
it wanted to change. I cracked
that high note from here to
kingdom come.
This led to an intermission in
my career plans. I had to wait
for my voice to change com
- pletely before I could make fur
ther career moves. Eventually
it settled into a nice tenor
range. And eventually I began
to sing again.
My brother and I developed a
pretty solid repertoire of songs.
We rehearsed them and
rehearsed them and got them
down pretty good. He was such
a talented pianist that he got a
paying job with a small combo.
He and this group played a few
dances in and around our com
munity. One day my brother
told me they needed a singer for
a Friday night dance. I was a
little nervous about singing in
front of a paying crowd but fig
ured it was time to get my
career as a professional started.
We went to the dance. We
sang a few songs. There was a
good response. But then the
guy who was in charge of the
group asked the audience if
they had any requests. They
shouted out a few song titles
and the leader, Jake, said they
would play some of them. Jake
then turned and asked me if I
knew a certain song they had
named. I shook my head yes.
The combo started the music
and I tried to sing along. I did
n’t really know the words; I did
n’t really know the tune. I was
awful. I knew I was awful. The
crowd knew I was awful. They
let me know it by booing. I
spent the rest of the night wait
ing in the car to go home.
I never sang professionally
again. The pain and embarrass
ment were just too much.
Rather than becoming more
determined, I just gave up that
dream on the spot. But I didn’t
give up singing all together. I
still sang at church, and in the
shower, and in the car. Basically
I sang for my own pleasure -
and still do.
I never forgot that awful feel
ing of being booed. That let me
know I didn’t have the thick
skin necessary for a career in
show business. Now when I
watch shows like “American
Idol” I know I made the right
choice. Simon would have
destroyed me.
See COOPER, page 11A
Timsi to swing at tho canton
Houston Arts
Alliance event to
bring back tbe
Big Band era
By Judy Hall
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - The
Houston Arts Alliance presents
a night of music and dancing
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The Georgia Big Band is made up of professional musicians from Middle Georgia.
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The Georgia Big Band will play swing music at Saturday Nights event.
Macon Little Theatre offers musical
MACON - The Macon Little
Theatre presentation of “She
Loves Me” will open Friday,
with performances through
Aug. 3. Shows are at 8 p.m.
except for Sunday matinees at
2:30 p.m.
The musical, based on the
Tom Hanks movie “You’ve Got
Mail,” rolls its way through a
hilarious plot. A 1920 s perfume
shop is turned upside down as
two shop employees find love as
Searching for significance...a hunger in us all
I remember one specific
appraisal period, my supervisor
told me that I always did great
work, but I needed to know
something. The something that
followed floored me! She said,
“Diane,” you are a supervisor,
and none of us are ever liked by
everyone - so stop trying to
make everybody happy - it’s
just not possible!” I didn’t
understand until now why she
told me that. People either did
not like her at all or they
loved her - there was no in
between - and I think she knew
it and it really bothered her.
I’m sure I’ve crossed paths
with those who may never wish
to cross my path again! I’m
sure too that I’ve met people
that will always remember me -
and that gives me a warm fuzzy.
Ever thought about meaning
something to someone you
Lifestyle
featuring the Georgia Big Band
from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday,
July 26 at the Century of Flight
Hanger, Museum of Aviation in
Warner Robins.
Tickets are $25 per person.
Bring food and drink of your
choice, picnic style or gourmet
style, to enjoy at your table. You
can even reserve an entire table
for S2OO so that you and your
friends can party together.
Military personnel are eligible
pen pals, without know each
other’s true identities.
This performance marks the
start of the 70th season for
Macon Little Theatre. This per
formance will also be the 40th
summer musical that MLT has
produced and the theatre will
be celebrating 40 years at its
current location.
“When “She Loves Me”
opened on Broadway back in
1963 Macon Little Theatre was
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Diane Gross
Ain’t Life Grand?
Harleygirß4447B@aol.com
know you will never become
close to like a co-worker or the
neighbor three doors down? Is
it a waste of our time? Would
you dare venture out on pur
pose to make an unexpected
influence on someone’s life just
for discount
ed tickets
with mili
tary ID.
Dress is
business
casual.
Come
early and
brush up on
your dancing skills by taking
free dance lessons. The
Ballroom Dancers Association
packing up their props and cos
tumes on Riverside Drive and
moving to their new theatre on
Forsyth Road while also prepar
ing for their first summer musi
cal, Director Jerry
Mittlehauser said. “Now, 40
years later, we are very excited
to be producing “She Loves Me”
with our very talented cast of 18
of middle Georgia’s finest musi
cal theatre performers.”
To make reservations, call
(478) 471-PLAY.
in passing - even a tiny one?
I had been working at head
quarters for almost a year and I
wondered why so few took the
time to say, ‘hi!” I was going up
the stairs and ‘Betty’ was com
ing down. As she stopped on
the same step I was on, she said,
“We pass each other every day.
I’m Betty, how are you today?”
Then she actually waited for an
answer. I said, “I’m Diane, and
I’m doing great!” She replied,
“I’m glad . . . now you have a
terrific day!” Did she really
want to know? Yes, I felt her
sincerity and vowed from then
on never to ask anyone how
they were doing if I wasn’t real
ly interested. When most peo
ple ask, they’re half way down
the hall and you know they did
n’t really care. Betty changed
my life that day!
will give free lessons from 7 to
7:30 p.m.
Houston Arts Alliance is con
ducting contests for table deco
rations and for forty’s style cos
tumes. Fun prizes will be
awarded.
The Georgia Big Band plans
to play three sets of music com
prised of a mixture from the
Big Band Era and including a
healthy portion of music con
ducive to ballroom dancing.
Warner Robins Little
Theatre holds auditions
By Judy Hall
HHJ/Staff Writer
Auditions for “The
Sensuous Senator”, a farce by
Michael Parker, will be held at
7:30 p.m. on July 28 and 29 at
the Warner Robins Little
Theatre, 502 S. Pleasant Hill
Road in Warner Robins, phone
478-929-4579.
The play, which will be
directed by Ann Scarborough,
will require four males and
five females who must be at
least 18 years old.
Play dates are September
11, 12, 13, 14 (matinee); 18,
19, 20, 21(matinee); 25, 26, 27.
In this sequel to last sea
Purchase T-Shirts On-Line Now
Order your Warner Robins Little Theatre T-Shirts On-Line
now! All T-Shirts purchased online via credit card will be
shipped to you when you provide your mailing address in the
comments section when paying. Delivery time is approximate
ly 10 - 14 days. You can also purchase T-Shirts at the Box
Office during per
formances.
Colors; red, black,
gray
Size: small - 2XL
Warner Robins
Little Theatre T-Shirt:
sl2 (Includes
Shipping Cost)
I used to take pictures and
email customers of upcoming
events at a local business. One
day I was talking to this cowboy
who was transporting horses
and just passing through. He
wouldn’t let me take his picture
because he told me he was
ashamed of his teeth. I told him
he was too handsome not to
smile and I boldly advised him
to stop buying beer and save
those dollars to get his teeth
fixed. Eight months later, I felt
a tap on my shoulder and heard,
“Ma’am ... I’m sure you don’t
remember me, but I came 250
miles this way of Birmingham
hoping to see you.” I said, “You
are the cowboy that transports
horses.” It’s what came next
that just melted my soul. He
tipped his hat as in days gone by
and said, “Ma’am I come to
10A
vWiW
Georgia Big Band consists of
sixteen instrumentalists and a
vocalist, all professional musi
cians from the Middle Georgia
area.
Organized in 1988, this
regional band originated out of
the Dublin Jazz Band and was
renamed the Georgia Big Band
in 2001 as they mustered musi
cians from all over Middle
Georgia. The band consists of
musicians with varied back
grounds, such as band directors
and former military musicians,
who come together regularly to
perform music they love.
They are dedicated to preserv
ing the big band tradition and
bringing quality music to the
public.
Money raised at the event will
be used to support Houston
Arts Alliance as it works to pro
mote involvement in and access
to the arts in Houston County.
Tickets may be reserved or
purchased by calling the
Houston Arts Alliance at (478)
329-0299.
son’s, “The Amorous
Ambassador”, Senator
Douglas is running for
President on a “morality”
platform.
When his wife Lois leaves to
attend a conference in
Chicago, he does not hesitate
to invite Veronica, his secre
tary and lover, over. Finding
her unavailable, he has an
escort agency send voluptuous
Fiona.
Throw in a madcap mix of
Congressional colleagues, a
muck-raking reporter, and the
untimely return of Lois
because of a snowed-in airport
and the show becomes a hilar
ious mix-up and total bedlam.
M
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thank you for helping me and I
wanted you to take my picture
this time. I got me some new
teeth.” He beamed so big flash
ing his pearly whites, I saw dim
ples I didn’t remember he had.
I never saw that cowboy again
but I think of him often. Did I
really do something somehow
for someone that day? Well, he
thought so - how sweet!
We all hunger to be our best
and to live a life that counts! I
can think of no better way to
satisfy that hunger other than
thinking about someone other
than our self. Who knows? You
may find out like I did that
doing something for someone
else without a doubt will
affect the rest of your life. Ain’t
Life Grand?