Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 5, 1994 TAG: 9408050071
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis Banks
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That's OK with her.
"I'd rather be bold than stuck in the middle of the road," says the Canadian country girl.
Wright, who grew up in Merlin, Ontario, a small Canadian farming community (only a 45-minute drive from Detroit), is a very hot act in the United States.
Her latest album, "Now & Then," already has sold 350,000 copies, and her hit song, "Take It Like a Man," is in the Top 10 on radio stations across the country. The Academy of Country Music recently selected Wright as the "Top New Female Vocalist," making her the first Canadian ever to receive the award.
American audiences like Wright's gutsy attitude. In "Take It Like a Man," she exposes the pitfalls of looking for Mr. Right and in "Fastest Healing Wounded Heart," she sings of bouncing back from a broken relationship.
Still, Wright has a soft side. In "He Would Be Sixteen," a woman wonders about the child she gave up for adoption when she was a teen-ager.
"The main thing for me is always the song and what it says. I have to believe in the song's message. It has to be something that I feel strongly about," Wright emphasizes. "Every one of the songs on my current album is very special to me."
Wright drew material for her new album from her personal experiences. The songs represent some of the challenging aspects of her own life, including her parents' separation when she was a child and the five years she's survived as a recovering alcoholic.
"When people come to see me after a show, many of them tell me that I seem like a very strong woman," Wright says. "I think I have a voice that projects the image of a confident and independent person."
Wright will perform tonight at the New River Valley Fair in two concerts at 7 and 9. Gate admission is $5 for adults or $2 for children, 6-11, and includes grandstand seating at the concerts. Chair seating is available for $3 more.
A week of wonderful entertainment at the New River Valley Fair wraps up with a concert by Bill Monroe Saturday. It starts at 8 p.m, following a gospel music show featuring The Greenes and the Nippers.
The fairgrounds are on Virginia 100 four miles north of Dublin. To get there from Interstate 81, take Exit 98.
WHEELS: The 1901 Oldsmobile was the first mass-produced automobile. The Olds company built 425 cars that year.
The 1903 Winton was the first car to travel coast to coast. It took 63 days.
The 1960 Corvair was one of the first compact cars.
If you love classic cars, you won't want to miss the show in Floyd Sunday. The annual Jesse Conner Memorial Car Show opens at 8:30 a.m. at Floyd County High School. It features 27 classes, including pick-ups, motorcycles, race cars, street rods and all kinds of vintage autos.
Entries will be accepted until noon and judging begins at 1 p.m. Vehicle registration at the gate is $15 and admits one vehicle and two adults. Admission for additional occupants is $4 per person.
Organizers of the show will award trophies to the best three in each class and dash plaques will go the the first 150 entrants.
In addition to the car show, there will be a model car contest and an auction of race car and sports memorabilia. The model car contest features 13 classes and entries will be accepted until 1 p.m. Judging runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. with awards presented afterwards.
There's no fee to enter the model car contest. Admission to the car show is $4 and children under 10 get in free with a paying adult.
The Floyd Recreational Authority is sponsoring Sunday's event. Food will be available at the site.
All proceeds will be used for the new park in Floyd. For more information, call 745-9363.
If it rains, the show will be bumped up to Aug. 14.
NEW-TIME RELIGION: The first local "Christian Country Spectacular" is happening tonight, starting at 7, at Auburn High School. The concert features four popular acts in contemporary Christian music.
Gene Higgins, president of the Christian Country Music Association, will be there, along with the association's choice for female vocalist of the year, Terry Lynn.
Other singers include Terry Lee Goffee and 17-year-old Billie Jean Knight.
Admission is $5 at the door. There's no charge for children under 10.
Auburn High School is 3 miles east of Interstate 81 on Virginia 8 in Riner.
THE GREAT SMOKEY: Smokey the Bear celebrates his 50th birthday this year and you can join in the fun at some local events honoring the occasion.
Claytor Lake State Park will have a birthday party Saturday, starting at 8:30 p.m. Children and their families are invited to come for the birthday cake, the balloons and the games. Of course, Smokey will be there handing out hugs and good advice, too.
Admission to the event is free. There is a $2 fee per car to get into the park.
You might want to check out the exhibit at the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Newbern, too. You'll find many replicas of Smokey the Bear, as well as posters, patches, belts and other items arranged by Thomas Miller of the Department of Marine Advisory Services at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Children who visit the museum while the exhibit is there will receive hand-outs and Smokey the Bear badges. It's open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. To get there from Interstate 81, take Exit 98 in Pulaski County and follow the brown signs.
Since Smokey the Bear started spreading the word, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires," accidental fires have been cut in half. Amazing, when you consider the fact that the number of people visiting national forests today has multiplied 10 times.
by CNB