Brenda Allen
Red, White and Blue Tour
One of country music’s top legendary performers, Ronnie McDowell, has just announced that the brand-new Red, White, and Blue Tour is headed to the famous Mount Vernon Performing Arts Center in Tallassee, AL, on April 25.
Ronnie is joined by two of the most distinctive voices in country music history, Jeff Bates and Paulette Carlson, founder and lead singer of Highway 101. McDowell, known for 30 top 40 country music hits such as “Older Women”, “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation, “Personally”, “I’m All Tied Up”, “In A New York Minute”, “Unchained Melody”, “Wandering Eyes”, “Step Back”, “Watching Girls Go By”, “I Dream of Women Like You”, “I Love You, I Love You, I Love You”, and countless others, will take audiences back to some of the greatest eras in American music.
Known as an “Entertainer’s Entertainer”, McDowell first hit the national music scene in 1977 at the sudden passing of Elvis Presley with his self-penned tribute, “The King Is Gone”. The hit sold over six million records and led to McDowell becoming the “voice of Elvis” in both films and an ABC television series. “It continues to be one of my biggest honors, helping keep Elvis’ memory alive,” McDowell said. “I love what I do, and I’m proud to have my name associated with his!”
Another legendary figure is also closely associated with Ronnie. “Conway Twitty was my mentor. He was like a father to me. He allowed me to open up his shows for eight years. He taught me more about the music industry than anyone else ever could,” Ronnie said. “I asked him why he helped me so much in my career, and he said, ‘Ronnie, I believe in you.’ That meant so much to me. I think about him every day. “We even cut one of his songs together, ‘It’s Only Make Believe’. It got into the top 5, and we’ll be doing that each night for sure! There will never be another Conway Twitty.” Ronnie further reflected, “2026 is our nation’s 250th birthday, and music has been such a grand part of our history.
I wanted to put together a brand-new show that honors our country. As a three-term Vietnam veteran, I know the sacrifices so many have made to make America what it is today. And we’ve added some of America’s top talent!” Joining Ronnie on the tour is country music star Jeff Bates. Jeff first broke onto the country music scene in 2003 with his RCA album, “Rainbow Man”, followed by “Leave the Light On” in 2005, which produced fan favorites, “The Love Song”, “I Wanna Make You Cry”, and “Long Slow Kisses”. In 2011, his inspirational album “One Day Closer” hit number one on the Christian Country charts.
Jeff’s newly released album, “Don’t Hold Me to It”, is being praised by fans and critics as his most compelling and relevant work to date. “I’ve never been so proud of an album since ‘Rainbow Man”, Bates said. “These songs are a true reflection of me – honest and true. Ronnie and I started working together back in 2014 and became best friends onstage. We love music, we love life, and we both love Conway! We’ve both released albums honoring him, in fact. Performing songs by Elvis or Conway on stage is an experience that remains memorable for both of us. I’m thrilled to be part of this tour.”
There is a segment in the show that features the greatest gospel songs of America that Bates is really looking forward to. In that segment, you will hear some of the old hymns featured on Jeff’s current studio project titled “Hymns from the Church in the Wildwood”. The album is due early May. “I couldn’t help myself. I had to go back to my roots, my foundation, I had to cut this album! We’re planning for an Easter release, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear these traditional hymns.”
The incredible Paulette Carlson rounds out the headliners for the show. Founder and lead singer of Highway 101, Paulette and the band took the country music scene by storm, being named “Vocal Group of the Year” by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music in 1988 and 1989. Paulette’s unique voice made for instant success with powerhouse hits like “Whiskey If You Were a Woman”, “The Bed You Made for Me”, “Cry, Cry, Cry”, and “Somewhere Tonight”. Paulette’s four number 1 hits with Highway 101 were “Cry Cry Cry”, “Somewhere Tonight”, “Who’s Lonely Now” and “Do You Love Me, Just Say Yes”. Carlson’s self-penned song, “The Bed You Made You Made for Me”, was credited in giving Highway 101 its unique sound. It was their debut hit with Warner Bros, reaching number #4 after spending 24 weeks on the Billboard charts. A flurry of top 10 charting songs, including “Walkin’ Talkin’ Cryin’ Barely Beatin’ Broken Heart”, “All the Reasons Why” and “Honky Tonk Heart” were released by Warner Bros.
Paulette, after living many years in Nashville and loving every minute of the road to success, through all the ups and downs of a struggling singer-songwriter, found herself moving to the wide-open spaces of Montana, where her life as a wife and mother fulfilled many of her dreams and purpose. Paulette is now back on the road and is thrilled to be “back on the Highway”. “I love playing in smaller, intimate settings,” Paulette said. “Working with such great talent as Ronnie McDowell is going to be so delightful. This tour fits me perfectly, and I’m so looking forward to getting back in front of our fans!”
McDowell is fresh off Dolly Parton’s platinum-certified album, “RockStar”, where the two performed a duet that Dolly wrote, “I Dreamed About Elvis Last Night”. Ronnie’s current single, “Thing About Texas”- a special event with the late Johnny Rodriguez and Rodney Collins, just hit number one on the Cashbox Independent Country Music Charts. Joining the trio will be Doyle Grisham, a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band for decades on the pedal steel guitar. Doyle helped establish the coastal country sounds, Jimmy was so famous for. Doyle also had giant number one hits with Randy Travis, Dan Seals, David Houston, Lynn Anderson, and countless music legends. “If you’re looking for fun, we’ve got the party right here,” Ronnie said.
For reserved tickets and more information, go to www.theredwhiteandbluetour.com.
The Mount Vernon Performing Arts Center is located at 321 Barnett Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m.
