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Entertainment :: Music
Legendary Performances : Tammy Wynette and
Marty Robbins
by Jack Gardner
EDGE Contributor
Thursday Oct 9, 2008

Shout Factory, known primarily for

re-releasing such classic TV shows as
"Father Knows Best" and "That Girl"
on DVD has launched a new series
entitled Legendary Performances.
The discs in this series comprise of
footage archived by the Country
Music Hall Of Fame and the first two
releases celebrate the careers of two
of Country Music’s most memorable
and loved performers, Tammy
Wynette and Marty Robbins.

Both DVDs released this month are

filled with performance footage from
the classic Country and Western
television shows from the 60s 70s
and 80s along with awards show
footage and a wealth of extra material including interviews and Country Music Hall of
Fame induction ceremonies. Many of these clips have not been seen since their original
broadcasts and it is wonderful to be able to relive these performances, many of which
happened before this reviewers birth.

The Tammy Wynette disc is a good retrospect of her career up to 1981. Included are
her earliest national television appearances on the Bill Anderson Show, multiple CMA
awards performances and even clips from her 1980 NBC spcial, The Tammy Wynette
Special. Always reserved and understated in her manner, Tammy belts out hit after hit
in her own inimitable style, occasionally without the benefit of the backing vocals or
over-dubbing that are very prominent in the commercial recordings. Always gracious
and lady like on stage, Wynette overcomes the sometimes outlandish hair, make up
and clothing that were in style during her career with the sheer power of her voice.

Also included on the Tammy Wynette disc is rare footage of her 6th and final wedding
to George Richey and her posthumous induction into the country music hall of fame.
Aside from this there are two interviews with Tammy Wynette during the latter part of
her career that offer a revealing glimpse into the ’Average Woman’ who became a
country music legend.

The Marty Robbins compilation includes performances from 1957 through 1979 covering
a good portion of his more than 30 year career. Rarely seen clips from Army
recruitment films and clips from his own rarely seen television show, The Drifter, are
just a few of the highlights on the disc. Robbins was a consummate performer who
enjoyed being on stage and his natural charisma shines in these performance clips. His
personality and charm are evident at all times and even when he is performing a sad
song, the smile on his face and the gleam in his eye lets the audience know that he
loves being on stage.

The Marty Robbins disc also includes his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame
and a 20-plus minute interview from March of 1982, just a few months prior to his
death. The interview is in depth and Robbins speaks not only of his career in the music
industry, but his love of race car driving and the races he has participated in as well as
his love for his family and his fans.

Both of these discs were a pleasure to watch and, for someone who grew up in Texas
listening to country music in the 1970’s, a walk down memory lane. The 20th century
was the first century where we were allowed to record and archive the great
entertainers and it is good to see these performances and pieces of history becoming
more readily available for people to enjoy over and over. I can’t wait to see who the
rest of the series will cover.

Interviews, Country Music Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies, Trailers.

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Legendary Performances : Tammy Wynette and Marty Robbins :: EDGE U... http://www.edgeunitedstates.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=music...

Jack Gardner is a founding producer of and director for Anagram Productions. He has performed in
Operas, Musicals and dramatic works as well as doing voice over and radio work. Jack lives in Miami
with his three dogs.

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