They came from across America and assembled at the Steve Grove horse ranch in Centennial, Colorado. Hundreds of supporters of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors gathered to support family of military service veterans killed in action. TAPS is a Washington, D.C. based, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization founded by Bonnie Carroll, who lost a loved one in military conflict.

When the military escorts bring news of a combat death they comfort the families as best they can, but they leave the grief stricken families behind. Today they leave a brochure that informs the loved one on how to contact TAPS. Children sometimes suffer silently as they lose their fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters forever to a military conflict somewhere in a troubled country where troops die to bring freedom to the opressed.

TAPS has found many friends and workers in Colorado, and hosted a major celebrity golf tournament this past June.

Bo and Lynne Cottrell were tapped as the event directors with her organizational skills and Bo's career in the entertainment industry with the famed Denver Lawmen.  The group performed at the Taylor Supper Club in Denver for years, as one of Colorado's favorite show groups.

The three-day event started June 22nd with a star-studded songwriter's show. Heather Ridge Country Club was the site to a host of songwriters from across America, which was led by award-winning singer Gary Morris, best known for his Country Song of the Year, Wind Beneath My Wings, and starring as Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables on Broadway.

The Steve Grove Horse Ranch was the site for the June 23rd banquet-dinner show featuring Judy Kaye, star of Mama Mia and Tony Award winner for Broadway's Phantom of the Opera. Her husband, David Green, joined Judy for a cameo duet; and comedian Jeff Harms, got laughs all the way to the back row of the horse barn, turned theater-restaurant for the evening.

Morris took center stage toward the end of the evening, and his powerful voice drifted eloquently across the barn. Morris lives in the Pagosa Springs area where he owns and operates a hunting and fishing resort, Mountain Spirit Lodge; also a donor in the live auction of a terrific big game hunting trip.

Jake Jabs used his salesmanship and years of experience donating his time and energy to nonprofits by raising thousands of dollars from eager bidders for a host of charity auction items. As the evening was progressing, artist Jeff Wolf sat quietly on the stage sculpting clay for a bronze casting of an Angel comforting a child. The one-of-a-kind sculpture sold to The Farmers andd Merchants Bank of South Georgia for $11,000.00. Wolf agreed to cast a second bronze for the second place bidder, Henry Sawaaqued, owner of Daveco Liquors for $10,000.00 who immediately donated his bronze to a young girl present who had lost her father in the Iraqi conflict.

Mort and Edie Marks purchased Coors box seats to a Rockies baseball game for $2,000. A John Elway signed painting brought five-figure bids.

Many donors provided items for the silent auction that supported the TAPS event. The Coors Cowboy Club Chuckwagon Crew came all the way from Texas to cook the prize-winning prime-rib dinner with Pete Coors carving and serving the prime-rib to event Co-Chair Brig. General Steve Richie of Golden, Colorado. Frontier Airlines donated tickets for the silent auction and various TAP dignitaries travel arrangements. TriWest CEO David McIntyre served as the other event co-chair.

On June 24th and 25th, action moved to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where teams of golfers, including five military teams, participated in The Gary Morris/TAPS Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament. According to Lynne Cottrell, the event raised $175,000 for TAPS.

For more information on TAPS, please visit www.taps.org

After the huntin' is done, the singin' begins, and what a lineup of country music entertainers have agreed to participate in this year's Country Goes Huntin' concert.

In its fifth year, the annual event, founded by Sam Klement, owner of Spectrum Outdoors, assembles some of the hottest country artists and local outdoorsmen for four days of hunting and singing.

The gathering raises funds for Dothan's branch of Wheelin' Sportsmen - an organization that provides the disabled with opportunities to hunt, bird watch and fish. Each year, the event climaxes with a concert showcasing a plethora of country music artists. This year's concert features such top-selling acts as Rhett Akins, Jeff Bates, Tracy Byrd, Craig Morgan, Daryle Singletary, Jason Aldean, Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry, Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Danielle Peck, Jamey Johnson, Gary Morris, Andy Griggs, and Josh Gracin.

The concert is already causing a stir among residents, says Dothan Civic Center ticket center cashier Shelaine Smith. "We have less than 300 tickets left," said Smith, adding the arena seats around 3,000.

"We normally sell out." Big Mike Casey, a morning afternoon disc jockey at WTVY-FM, said the show is family-friendly and lively.

"You feel like you're sitting on the front porch, picking and singing," said Casey.

During the concert, clips are shown of the singers during hunting adventures. Although there are several stars on the ticket, Casey said there are no inflated egos. "Nobody is trying to grab the spotlight from anyone else," said Casey. "There's a real camaraderie."

The amount of money netted from the event increases each year, said Klement, adding $100,000 was rounded up last year. Funds are also raised from an auction.

Proceeds from the concert will be handled differently this year. Each artist will get a chance to donate a portion of proceeds to a charity of their choice. "This year we will be able to help out a lot more charities," said Klement.

Without the generosity of the singers, Country Goes Huntin' may not be as successful. The performers travel at their own expense, but Klement said they are provided with a "swag" bag filled with anything from hunting boots to camouflage and high-tech hunting gear donated by sponsors. Country Goes Huntin' began when Klement accepted a speaking engagement from Dothan's chapter of Wheelin' Sportsment. He then called his childhood friend, Rhett Akins, and the fundraising event began to materialize.

Recently, while Gary was in Gunnison, CO, he was asked by former President Jimmy Carter to perform for the Carter Center to help raise money for the Center. Gary was more than happy to oblige. The Carter Center, is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. The Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, the Center has helped to improve the quality of life for people in more than 65 countries. 
 

It was 1984 and "Wind" was destined for Song of the Year. It had been, and would continue to be, a huge learning curve for a young man from Texas with virtually no musical training. Country Music embraced the idea that "one of their own" could go to New York and do well. I remember clearly, closing in New York on December 30, 1984 and playing with my band on the next night, New Years Eve, in a dance hall in Texas.  It was back to business as usual. But business as usual has always been different for me.

I've always looked at life as a journey to be lived and explored and I think my music reflects those notions. Les Miserables was a giant step for me and yet it ended my country music career. The string of hits ended, and in fact, country radio has never played a new record of mine to this day.

This was a revelation and as I look back, totally freeing. Music and the right to perform was now in the control of people whose only motive was business or the love of money.

I'm so very thankful for all of the fans from country music and as I occasionally listen to a "country" station, I realize those fans have gone elsewhere.

My time has always been split between my outdoor life and my music life. As I sit here in my lodge in Colorado, I am sure of the blessings I have been given and I'm reminded every day of the glories of nature. One of the blessings of growing up in the 60's was the committment to the earth and the awakening consciousness of our responsibilities to this planet --

Respect was a value not only taught but practiced in both family and work. I believe our culture today is losing that core value and our young people are lost in a sea of technology.

Once again, I've embarked on a new venture.
You know I hunt....
     You know I fish....
You should know this is a lifestyle for me, not a passing fancy --

My new venture, "The Conservation Buck Society" is about combining conservation and hunting into one consciousness and introducing this lifestyle to a new generation of outdoor people. The Conservation Buck Fund is a 501C3 non-profit corporation that is about raising money for scholarships for students who are preparing for a career in the outdoors. You'll hear more about these ventures as we grow.

Mountain Spirit is where I live, and together, art and nature coexist. Most of my musical performances are corporate and go unnoted on the website. 
I will be touring this Christmas and who knows, there are some things happening in New York....

 
Looking for Venues Near You......
If you know of any 300-1000 seat theaters/performing arts centers, etc., in your community, county, or state, please email us at diane@garymorris.com. Let us know the name of the theater, the contact person and a telephone number. We're always looking for new places to play and we may end up coming to your city! Thanks for your ongoing support!