Well the great comments involving the June 25 Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives and Rosie Flores Sounds of Texas Music Series Concert at the historic Crighton Theatre keep coming in. A lot of local veterans of the various genres of entertainment over the years as well as Sounds of Texas Music Series out-of-towners claim that the recent Marty Stuart show was one of if not the best performance ever in the theatre’s history.

Stuart is truly one of America’s true renaissance men as not only is he a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Photography Hall of Fame he is also one of America’s top music historians and a wonderful prose and features writer as well. His collection of country music, bluegrass, mountain and folk music memorabilia is the largest (it would fill up my 9,000 square foot building two and half times) and most valuable collection on this planet.

He loves the arts and spent more than an hour looking at the Texian Soldier statue in my building and visiting with the artist Craig Campobella, Sounds of Texas producer Mark Taylor of the Brock Agency and Bruce Henry Chairman of the Friends of Conroe, Sounds of Texas Music committee. He raved about the statue, the whole concept of the Flag Park and about what a great job we have done with our downtown and all the old buildings. He really was impressed with the city’s commitment to the arts with three art galleries, an amphitheater and two restored performing arts theaters in a town the size of Conroe.

He mentioned to Bruce, Mark and Craig that many of the Texian Soldiers (especially the ones at the Alamo) were from Tennessee and he would love to be a part of the unveiling of the statue and the Flag Park on San Jacinto Day next April. He would love to raise the Alamo Flag or anything else we ask of him. Since his concert three weeks ago, he has called Craig twice to see how everything is going with the bronze statute and the park. He told Craig that he loves Conroe and to tell everyone he said “hello.” He let Craig know that he is telling all his friends in Nashville and all over about the Sounds of Texas Music Series, the Crighton Theatre, the Texian Soldier and Lone Star Flag Park and the commitment our city has made to arts and culture especially the American roots music scene.

He respects our involvement in promoting our heritage through Texas history and the city efforts to improve the overall quality of life for our citizens and tourists alike. Marty Stuart’s reaction to our city and all of the praise he gives us is exactly what Conroe needs. This kind of publicity can and will put us on the national map.

By Jay Ross Martin, III