New Year's Eve bash at Celtic Crossing!

From Kristi Rogers of Celtic Crossing:

Hello All! Please join Celtic Crossing for our New Year's Eve Celebration!

***NO COVER CHARGE***

Live DJ, appetizers and drink specials and our traditional champagne toast at midnight!

Slainte! 

How About a Samhain Brunch at Celtic Crossing This Sunday?

From my friend Kristi Rogers of Celtic:

Hi Steve,
This is Kristi at Celtic-just want to let you know that we are having a special Halloween Brunch on Sunday, Oct 31st in celebration of Samhain!  We are serving Colcannon and a wonderful pumkin bread pudding with caramel pecan sauce!  Reel McCoy is playing, Irish dancers at 1pm and my wonderful balloon animal making friend Chris will be here making balloon animals for the kids!  Hope you can pass this info out to all your friends for me. Hope to see ya there!

For the younger crowd, Creepshow at the Crossing Sat Oct 30th-10pm til close.  Costume contest with $600 in prizes and drink specials etc. 

Slainte,
Kristi

Michael Black Comes to Memphis THIS Wednesday

Presented by MAMA:




Michael Black
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010

At the home of Rhonda Test in Cordova

RSVP 791-2334 or ratest58@hotmail.com

Suggested donation $20.00

Light supper 6:00

Concert begins 7:00


A member of Ireland’s premier musical family, Mi chael Black is a gifted, sensitive ballad singer with diverse, discerning taste in songs. His self-titled solo debut album, voted “Album of the Year” by Celtic Connections, showcases his fine tenor voice to impressive advantage. Irish Times says of that album, “There’s enough pristine music tucked inside this solo collection...to power a rocket.” Living Tradition Magazine says “As one might expect from a member of this notorious Irish musical family, Michael Black's debut solo album is furnished throughout with assured and accomplished vocals that are a delight to the ear. On offer here is a discerning fusion of contemporary and traditional material -- Michael's sound is decidedly organic, ranging from ballads of sublime beauty to boisterous shanties.”

Don’t miss what is sure to be a great evening of Irish Music from one of Ireland’s finest singers. 

www.michaelblack.info

NTIF Announces 2011 Headliners

I just wandered over to their website and found that they have announced their headliners and the theme Ireland, I Am Coming Home, and are they ever:

Altan
Brock McGuire Band
Cathie Ryan
Dervish
Ed Miller (they have to have at least ONE Scot!)
The Elders
Glengarry Bhoys
Jed Marum and Lonestar Stout
Tommy Sands
McPeake

Host hotel once again is the Radisson Central Dallas (6060 North Central Expressway, across from SMU at Mockingbird Lane, and, if you book before the end of the year, you can get a NTIF rate of $87 (Use NTIF as the promo code).

I never miss this, and if you love Celtic music, neither should you!

ClanJamFry Preview - Smithfield Fair

In my craziness, I forgot shoot video of them last weekend at CelticFest, but Smithfield Fair should be familiar to veteran ClanJamFry attendees; the Baton Rouge-based trio has appeared at ClanJamfry more than any other group.

They are Dudley-Brian Smith on guitar and vocals, Jan Smith on guitar, accordion and vocals, and Dudley's brother Bob on guitar and bass.

Enjoy!

Our First ClanJamFry Preview - Peggy Loyd

ClanJamFry, the Memphis Scottish Festival, is little more than a week away.  We have three musical acts for the Scottish Faire, which will begin at 10:30 A.M. on September 25 with Peggy Loyd, who has appeared before at our Festival.  Here is a video of her performing this past weekend at CelticFest; the gentleman with her is John Burleson, a great storyteller who performs with her at Jackson and at NTIF.

Celtic Crossing will be rolling at Cooper-Young Festival

Here's the latest from the Crossing:

Come enjoy the weather this Saturday at Cooper Young Festival! 
We are offering up a great take out special!
**** A PINT & A PIE****
(160z of McSorley's Black Irish Lager and Shepherd's Pie) 
Ready for you to take away and enjoy the fest! 
Live music by:
THE FELLS at 1pm (Traditional Irish music)
Kings of The Delta-8pm (Southern Groove/Rock)

Special festival menu for sit down dining as well! SLAINTE!!

I said the food was GOOD at the Festival, I didn't say it was healthy!

When I went to nosh at CelticFest:

More Irish Dancing from CelticFest!

Eric Farmer (he of the 2X8 dance) and Aimee Cole of the Jackson Irish Dancers with Legacy on Friday night of CelticFest:

Legacy @ CelticFest from Friday night

Here is Val singing with Legacy from Friday night:

Wild Irish Roots at CelticFest

Sorry for the wobbling, the flies were attacking my leg.  If the fellow on the right looks familiar to you, he should: you remember Frank Bladen, formerly of Smithfield Fair, now with this Louisiana-based group.  The singer is Kate Laborde.

Step Dancing the HARD WAY!

Eric of the Jackson Irish Dancers dances on a 2X4 suspended between two cinder blocks on Friday Night at CelticFest.  The band is Legacy, with Tim Britton sitting in on the uileann pipes.  UPDATE: Eric emailed me to let me know that was a 2X8, but that he hopes to do this on a 2X4 some day. Amazing!

Irish Chair Dancing at CelticFest!

Yes, things got a bit crazy at the sessions Saturday night back at the Cabot, and this resulted:

I'm shooting video like a madman at CelticFest Mississippi!

You'll just have to wait until I get back on Monday to see it.  Tonight, I shot video of Wild Irish Roots (Baton Rouge & Jackson), Legacy (complete with dancing from various Jackson Irish Dancers), Captain Mackey's Goatskin & String Band, and Peggy Loyd with John Burleson.  Peggy, of course, is performing in two weeks at ClanJamFry.

We will shoot more tomorrow, this is truly a great festival, and while Cabot Lodge is full, there ARe other hotels in town, come on down!!!

This is going to be a BUSY WEEKEND at CelticFest Mississippi

If you can't make it down to Jackson, then by all means hit Otherlands Saturday night for Spencer Bohren.

However, if you CAN, the schedule is up and ready for you to print off.  Not only will it be old home week for me, seeing old friends like Smithfield Fair, Legacy, Peggy Loyd and others, but it will have special significance.  In addition to the Ceili on Saturday night, in addition to the Whiskey Tasting on Friday night, there will be a special memorial service on Sunday afternoon for three people associated with CelticFest for years who have left us in the last year.

Honored will be longtime CelticFest volunteer Jerry Baldridge, veteran workshop presenter at CelticFest and NTIF, Curt Marcus, and our own Celtic Lauren, who conned me into going to Jackson in 1995, when I thought I didn't like Celtic Music.

I will be speaking on her behalf at the ceremony, which will be led by Dudley-Brian Smith of Smithfield Fair; she would be delighted, if a bit embarrassed for all the fuss, that he was there to lead it, as they have been to ClanJamFry more than any other act, including this coming year.  This will be in the tent stage at 1:30 on Sunday afternoon.

This is going to be a marvelous weekend with great music and dance, and while the Cabot Lodge Millsaps is apparently full, there are other hotels in the Jackson area, especially the Cabot Lodge in Ridgeland, near I-55 & County Line Road.

Above all else, I want to thank my dear friends Don Penzien and Valerie Plested for including Lauren in the service.  Lauren loved this festival more than any other for the homey, family-like feel that they bring to this festival.  They opened their house up to me when Brian McNeill came to Jackson this April, marking only the second time I had left Memphis after Lauren's passing, and it is a gesture of kindness I will never forget.

I have a new Flip UltraHD, folks, so when I come home, I will have VIDEOS of the music and dance, and possibly some of the service.

See you Monday, if I don't get to see you in Jackson.

MAMA Presents Spencer Bohren at Otherlands Saturday night

• From the MAMA website:
• Spencer Bohren
• Otherlands Coffee Bar: 641 S. Cooper St., Memphis, TN, US (MAP)
• A MAMA favorite son, Spencer Bohren, returns to Otherlands for a much-anticipated, late summer show. Spencer’s folk, blues, and gospel performances never fail to delight MAMA audiences. Since he last performed in Memphis, Spencer has released his latest CD, Live at the Tube Temple, recorded in Solingen, Germany, to rave reviews. In addition to an active concert schedule, he continues to host guitar workshops across the country, from Ohio to Montana and Wyoming, and he regularly performs his Down the Dirt Road Blues show to educate audiences at schools, universities, and museums about the shared history of blues and rock music. For this work, Spencer received the Keeping the Blues Alive in Education award from the Blues Foundation this year. Never one to sit still, he can also regularly be found on stage in New Orleans clubs.
• 
  If you know and love Spencer’s music, you’ve probably already bought your tickets. If you are unfamiliar with this performer extraordinaire, go to spencerbohren.com, read the stories, listen to the song clips, and then purchase your tickets to hear Spencer live. You won’t be disappointed.
• $12

CelticFest Mississippi is almost here!

www.CelticFestMS.org

CelticFest Mississippi 2010, Celtic Heritage Society’s 19th annual weekend of cultural celebration is almost here! It’s a packed weekend of Celtic music, dance, and fun not to be missed.

“CelticFest” is a celebration of the Celtic nations including Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany. It takes place on September 10-13 at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum. CelticFest ...features an exceptional variety of exciting Irish and Scottish music and dance on 7 stages, plus free Celtic heritage, music and dance workshops, a children’s area, Celtic specialty vendors, and plenty of food and drink. Because much of the festival takes place indoors, CelticFest will be held RAIN OR SHINE!

CelticFest features several headlining artists of both international status and high caliber. 2010’s artists are Irish supergroup TÉADA (a young five-piece band from Ireland), New York-based DONIE CARROLL & FRIENDS, and CAPTAIN MACKEY’S GOATSKIN & STRING BAND, featuring Máirtín de Cógáin and Jimmy Crowley, both of Co. Cork.

CelticFest’s schedule of music will be splitting its seams for 2010 with over 45 other music and dance groups, travelling to Mississippi from as far away as California, Michigan, Rhode Island, Florida. Nine-Eighths Irish, Avoca, Kelly, and Slip Jig join the festival alongside old favorites Smithfield Fair, Finvarra’s Wren, Legacy, Jim Flanagan, and more.

The festivities begin Friday night 7pm-12am with music/dance performances on multiple stages, vendors, the Whiskey and Scotch Tasting benefit, and an open tune session. On Saturday, the gates open at 10 am with even more entertainment, workshops, and activities continuously until midnight. The gates open again 11 am Sunday for another day of Celtic fun.

A popular feature of last year’s festival, the Highland Games demonstration, will expand to a two-day affair. Mighty indeed!

An ever popular highlight of CelticFest, the massive Céilí Dance (pronounced ‘kay-lee’) caps off the Saturday night. Co. Cork native and featured Dancemaster, Éamonn de Cógáin will lead the Céilí for his third year running. No dancing experience is required to participate – beginners are welcome.

The children won’t be left out— CelticFest is a family-friendly festival! There will be a Children’s Area and kid-oriented vendors on the grounds.

Admission is $12 for an adult Weekend Pass, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 5-17, and $1 for children under four. “A greater value of this quality can’t be had in Jackson….,” says Harvey Kimble, past president of the Celtic Heritage Society.

The Celtic Heritage Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting and preserving the arts and culture of the Celtic nations. CelticFest is a family-oriented event, and all CHS events are open to the public.

CelticFest’s sponsors include: Fenian’s Irish Pub, Wine & Spirits In the Quarter, Cabot Lodge Millsaps, Branch Cable, Capital Cities Beverages and Guinness, and the Jackson Irish Dancers. This project is also funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency and by South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Some Pix from Fuchsia Band at Celtic Crossing

They were awesome as usual, and they dedicated a song to Lauren, which I appreciated greatly.  Mairtin was on his game, as they all were.  Thanks as always to DJ for bringing them in and to Kristi for the heads up!

Click on each pic to see it full-size.

Fuchsia Band At Celtic Crossing Thursday, August 26

MOVED TO THE TOP

And here I was feeling bad because I couldn't go to Jackson to see them on August 21, and they will be here on August 26!  From Kristi Rogers of Celtic Crossing:

Hi Steve,
Just want to let you know that The Fuchsia Band will be playing at Celtic Crossing on Thursday, August 26th, at 8:30 pm.  Please post on your blogspot and pass around to as many people as you can.  I would like to get a good crowd in for them.


No problem with that, Kristi!!

Led by the magnificent Mairtin de Cogain, this will be their second visit to Celtic; the last one turned acoustic when the power went out on the west side of Cooper.  That won't be a problem this time!

Celtic Crossing has a World Cup Party this Saturday

Peacepassers World Cup Kick-Off Party 

USA vs. ENGLAND
Kick-off the 2010 World Cup with PEACEPASSERS and CELTIC CROSSING 

Saturday, June 12th. 

Watch USA v ENGLAND and other matches LIVE beginning at 0630 CST. 

Join us in spreading the joy of the beautiful game, Soccer to kids around the world. Through a collaborative approach, the PeacePassers mission serves to collect and distribute soccer supplies to people and communities throughout the world. PeacePassers supports team development and the funding of sustainable sports league play to empower youth & maximize hope for all participants locally and globally.

Ways to Support PeacePassers on the day...

BRING A SOCCER BALL
Make a donation by bringing a Soccer ball.

90 MINUTE FIRST TO SCOREBOARD
Sponsor a minute(s) for $5. A total of 90 minutes will be available. Minutes will be drawn at random. If any goal is scored in your minute win an Adidas Jabulani Mini-Soccer ball and Adidas World Cup Poster.

WORLD CUP BRACKET
Enter the PeacePassers World Cup Bracket for a Donation of $10. Pick the group stage winners and predict the outcome of each match from the round of 16 through Final. Brackets are available at the Celtic Crossing. Grand prize winner will receive an Adidas Jabulani Soccer Ball, The Official Matchball of the 2010 World Cup and an entry into the final drawing to win a TRIP FOR 2 to LONDON to see Chelsea FC v. Manchester United in the FA Community Shield Live at Wembley Stadium. The Winner will be announced July 11th, the day of the final World Cup events! All participants will receive The Celtic Crossing World Cup Schedule Poster. Deadline for entry June 15th.

100% of all proceeds will be donated to PeacePassers, A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Charitable Organization

RAFFLE 
$2 per ticket, $5 for 3 

Sallymacs head to Nashville for a World Cup party on June 12

From the SHOW INFO part of their website brings this news:

Event: Sallymacs show -
World Cup party, USA vs. England

Dan McGuinness' Pub, Nashville - Music Row
Event: Sallymacs show - World Cup party, USA vs. England
Start Time: Saturday, June 12 at 4:00pm
End Time: Saturday, June 12 at 7:00pm

Where: Dan McGuinness' Pub - Nashville
Address: 1538 Demonbruen Street, Nashville
Club Phone: 615-252-199

Let the Sallymacs entertain you on St. Patrick's Day with their style of Celtic-Rock.
Come join the party!

Celtic Crossing goes all out for its 5th birthday!

Thanks to Kristi for the information! They start with a Scotch Tasting on Thursday, June 3 at 7 PM.  Then, on Friday night, they have an old fashioned open seisiun beginning at 7 PM.

Saturday is OYSTERFEST, with local acts The Reel McCoys at 11:30 AM, Bob and Susie Salley at 2:30 PM, and the headlining act, THE PRODIGALS come on at 5:30 PM.  Cornfed Mafia will come in at 10 PM to take you into the night.

Then, come on back on Sunday for a family-friendly brunch with Bob & Susie Salley and traditional Irish dancing (I think Memphis' own Inis Acla School may be involved here!)

Come on out for the 5th birthday of Celtic Crossing!

Mairtin de Cogain gives Jackson, MS a Night of Irish Stories

Valerie sends us the following news from the CHS:

A NIGHT OF IRISH STORIES

(JACKSON, MS) Irishman Máirtín de Cógáin is coming to Jackson to tell stories old and new from his native Ireland. Few could be more qualified to do so -- Máirtín (say Mar-teen) is a two time All-Ireland winner in storytelling.

A native of the rebel County Cork, Máirtín is also a noted singer, drum player (the Irish bodhrán), and céilí/set dancer. His work can be seen with Co. Cork’s The Fuchsia Band, and more recently Captain Mackey’s Goatskin and Stringband with Jimmy Crowley, and the brand new Máirtín de Cógáin Project, who will be releasing a new CD this summer.

As if there weren’t any limits to his talents, Máirtín is an up-and-coming-actor, with a significant role in the 2006 Cannes Palm d’ Or winner, The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Additionally, Máirtín is bilingual, speaking both English and the Irish language (also known as Irish Gaelic).

This will be a special night featuring the art of storytelling, a little introduction to the Irish language, and a wee bit of music for good measure. Be sure to catch this special Jackson performance!

Covenant Presbyterian Church is providing the space for this event free of charge, and all proceeds for the event go to the artist.

The Celtic Heritage Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting and preserving Celtic arts and culture in Mississippi and the region. Membership and participation in CHS events is open to all.

Wow, Brian McNeill is coming to Jackson, MS April 24!

So says our friend Valerie Plested with this Facebook entry.

The legendary fiddler, songwriter and author will play Fenian's at 7 PM on April 24 to what I suspect will be a packed house, because, (you'd better sit down for this) IT'S FREE!!!!!!!

Yes, you'd better get there early because it will be crowded.  This is only the man who founded the Battlefield Band, and who wrote such brilliant songs at Any Mick Will Do, The Prince of Darkness and so many others that I can't even count.

DO NOT MISS THIS!

Bob Dylan talks about the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

I got this link from a Roger Ebert tweet...

This is my favorite Irish ballad ever

As much as I love Cathie Ryan's work, this is IT for me.  Here's Mary Black, singing Song For Ireland.

How about the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem?

Indeed, why not?

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Here's Robbie O'Connell singing You're Not Irish!

Well, if you can't make it to Dallas for NTIF..

Fear not, good friends, help is on the way!

Mairtin de Cogain and Jimmy Crowley will be appearing that weekend at Celtic Crossing, 7:30 on Saturday night and 11:30 Sunday morning for brunch.

I wondered why they weren't on the NTIF schedule, now I know. Go see them!!!

Oh MAMA! Big show at Otherlands Saturday night!

From the MAMA website:
8 p.m. Saturday, February 13, 2010
Otherlands Coffee Bar
641 S. Cooper
901-278-4994





















On February 13th, Memphians will have the opportunity to witness a rare convergence of stars in the blues firmament—a supernova of sorts: Andy Cohen, Eleanor Ellis, and William Lee Ellis will occupy the same stage for an extraordinary evening of music-making featuring country blues, old time, and gospel music as exemplified in their 1993 collaboration Preachin’ in That Wilderness.

Cohen, Ellis, and Ellis have absorbed a plethora of musical influences to land squarely in the vibrant vicinity of country blues, in particular that of the acoustic guitar style known as the Piedmont blues, promulgated by musicians such as Blind Boy Fuller, the Reverend Gary Davis, Archie Edwards, and Cephas and Wiggins. Their performances pay homage to those who went before them, those who continue to keep this tradition alive, the masters at whose feet they learned this music.

Andy Cohen certainly needs no introduction to MAMA audiences certainly need no introduction to Andy Cohen, a man who hasn’t met a stringed instrument he couldn’t charm music from in a memorable fashion. Cohen grew up in a house with a piano and Dixieland jazz records. The Folk Music Revival of the nineteen sixties exposed him to the recordings of Jim Kweskin and Big Bill Broonzy as a teenager, and at 16 he saw the Reverend Gary Davis. He has never since looked back. Ever since, Andy has been playing and promulgating that music, and in the process he has become an authority on, among other topics, the guitar styles of the Reverend Davis.

The venerable U.K. publication Folkroots calls Eleanor Ellis (no relation to Bill, except musically) “an unsung heroine of the American acoustic country blues scene.” She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in Amite, guaranteeing her exposure to a veritable gumbo of musical traditions. R&B recordings on the radio first piqued her musical interest and prompted a request to her parents for a guitar. Back in New Orleans, she teamed up with budding mandolin player Hazel Schlueter, and from there joined the full-fledged bluegrass group the Green Valley Cut-Ups, where she was persuaded to take up the double bass. A move to Maryland exposed her to the Piedmont blues, and she has since established herself as a performer, archivist, and historian of this venerable style. Writing of her CD release Comin’ a Time, in the Blues Art Journal, Larry Benicewicz observed, “As to whether or not Eleanor wants to come out of the shadows and share the spotlight of local luminaries, she may not have a choice, since her brand new CD is just that remarkable to officially put her on the map.”

William Lee Ellis (Bill to his friends and many fans) is another performer who needs no introduction to Memphis audiences and whose musical pedigree is impeccable. He is the godson and namesake of Bill Monroe and the son of Tony Ellis, banjo picker and fiddler extraordinaire in Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. Learning bluegrass from that genre’s luminaries as a boy and accompanying his father, Bill inevitably struck out on his own, earning a degree in classical guitar performance in college. Then, Andy Cohen introduced Bill to the playing of the Reverend Gary Davis, and Bill succumbed to that music’s potent spell. Blues Bites called God’s Tattoos, his most recent recording, a “stunning piece of American music,” “an exceptional release.

None of these talented musicians has been content merely to transmit a tradition. As much as they revere their forbears, they are too creative not to inject their own ideas into this music, paradoxically remaining truer to the living, breathing tradition in the process. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Andy Cohen, Eleanor Ellis, and William Lee Ellis conjure up a country blues whirlwind on February 13th.

Tickets are $10, available at Otherlands and Davis-Kidd Booksellers.

Gaelic Football League comes to Arkansas

Or, actually, has been there since 2007, but I didn't know. I just got this email from the leader of Arkansas' Gaelic Athletic Association:

Steve

Not sure if you've heard of us before but Little Rock GAA has been in existence since late 2007. We are starting our 3rd season of playing the Irish sport of Gaelic Football in Little Rock. We've helpd to spawn new clubs in Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith, Springfield, MO, and we even have a club trying to get going in Camden AR! We host a tournament on Memorial Day weekend in Little Rock. Last year we had 4 teams: Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Would you mind adding us to your blog link list or maybe even put the word out there? We'd very much like to see a club get spouting in Memphis and Kansas City has said they'd be more than happy to come down and help us do a demonstration some time!

Cheers!

John D. Wooldridge

Chair Little Rock GAA

http://littlerock.arkansas.gaa.ie

Anyone interested? If there is such a league in Memphis or Tennessee, please give me a shout at sjs1959 at gmail dot com!

Burns Nicht is almost here!

From the Memphis Scottish Society -

Memphis Scottish Society’s
27th Annual
Burns Nicht Dinner

---

The Memphis Scottish Society invites all lovers of Robert Burns and Scotland to join for our Burns Nicht Dinner, a feast not only for your palate but for your other senses as well, delighting the eye with the vibrant hues of the tartan and the flash of the kilt and the ear with Burns’ beloved poems and songs, speeches in tribute to him, bantering toasts and the skirl of the pipes.

---

Woodland Hills Ballroom

at the intersection of Houston Levee Road (Hall Road) & Woodland Hills Drive
10000 Woodland Hills Drive
Cordova, TN 38018
[Map]

Saturday, 23 January, 2010

Seating & Social Hour 6 PM Dinner 7 PM Cash Bar



Piping in the Haggis

Bagpipes, drums, Scottish dancing, poetry and dinner, all to celebrate
Robert Burns, Scotland’s favorite bard


Entertainment by
Ed Miller
Ed Miller has been hailed as “one of the finest singers to come out of the Scottish folk song Revival” and as “one of Scotland’s best singing exports.” Originally from Edinburgh, he has for many years been based in Austin, where he gained graduate degrees in Folklore and Geography at the University of Texas. Ed performs at concerts, clubs, house concerts, festivals, Highland Games and Burns Suppers, as well as for lectures and workshops, and has recorded 8 CDs of Scottish songs.

For more information, go here.

Have you made your reservations for Dallas yet?

The North Texas Irish Festival takes place March 5-7 at Fair Park in Dallas, and they have a great lineup listed on their site. If, like me, you don't live in the Metroplex, you need to book reservations now at the host hotel, the Radisson Central Dallas on the North Central Expressway just north of Mockingbird Lane. When you call the Radisson, remember to use the code NTIF (duh!) to get the NTIF rate of $83 (plus a 15% local hotel/motel tax).

We hope to see you there!!

For Lauren

crossposted from LWC -

I wanted to put this up today for Lauren, as she loved Ed Miller and this rendition of the old ballad Crooked Jack.

Information on the services for Lauren Hesse

Visitation for Lauren Hesse will be held from 5-7 PM on Friday, January 8 at Canale Funeral Directors at 2700 Union Avenue Extended.

Her funeral will be on Saturday, January 9 at St. Anne's Catholic Church at 706 South Highland at 10:30 A.M.

In lieu of flowers, our family asks that donations be made either to the Center for Southern Folklore or the Church Health Center.

Our deepest thanks to all of you

As Patrick updated on Facebook earlier today, we learned late Monday night that our Lauren no longer had function of her brain, the very thing that made her her. We have kept her going so that her father could see her tonight, as well as her Aunt Cherie and Uncle John.

In the morning, she will begin saving the lives of other people ...as her organs are taken for transplant, and tonight, we said goodbye to her for the last time.

While we have not been able to respond as we would have liked, know that your outpourings of love and prayers and support mean more to our family (and not just those related by blood) that we can ever express. She gave us so much that she is always with us, in spirit if not in body, and by doing those things we do of which she was such a major part, her memory shall never leave us.

This will be my last update for a while, please go to our friend Trace Sharp's website, www.newscoma.com, for more updates.

We as a family need a little bit of time to prepare for the celebration of her life, and we will make sure that you know when and where these will take place.

On behalf of the family, thank you for all you have done for us, it will never be forgotten.

Steve