Havin Fun in Salina

One of the best parts of doing a show is all the fun back-stage with Jess and Hollis. Theres lots of hairspray and grumbling about getting fake eyelashes to go on straight. Salina had a better dressing room than other places...we've had some pretty interesting dressing rooms in times past. This dressing room even had some great vintage dresses that we considered wearing in the show (but none of them fit.) Our show has about 40 costume changes between all of the singers, so we fly in and out of there pretty fast. There are a million things that can go wrong during a show and we all carry hand-held microphones...it's a real worry that we'll get off stage and say things like "wow, that sounded like crap....or....I'm so fat I popped a button" only to realize the mike is hot and everyone in the auditorium just heard what you said. The picture above is of me and Miss Hollis Pyper. Jess also sings with us, but is not pictured. I will be loading a clip of us doing Dixie Chicks on my post next week.

A big shout out to come to the WOMEN IN MOTION CONFERENCE this Friday. I will be entertaining during the breaks. I'm sooooo excited. I love singing for all women. Email me for details at www.maryknaphus@yahoo.com

Mary Kaye and Suzi Bogguss at Moab Western Stars Gathering

I've never liked to make phone calls but I've caught the "booking bug" this week and have been working the phones to get booked for the rest of the year. Its a real thrill to fill in a show date. It also feels good to feel like I have something professional to offer as an artist. I can meet people at their needs with an up-beat show of country classics, or a tear-jerker solo guitar act or even a cowboy campfire concert

I'd like to send out a special "Howdy" to all my new friends from the Moab Western Stars Gathering. It felt like I had come home when I met all of you. Western music is so much more than I had ever thought. The picture above is of me and the venerable Mr Cary Hobbs. It was really a life-changing experience for me as an artist.

A special "thanks" to Rich and Lynnie for putting together such a fun concert in Heber this last weekend. My girls danced untill they were exhausted. They told me they want to start singing together, so I have started them on some easy old-timey gospel songs. I can hear them singing together upstairs right now.

I gave birth to two new songs this week. One is a folksy estrogen-rich song called "Higher Ground" and the other is a make-a-cowboy-cry duet called "Homeward Bound."

Here is my quote for the week...

"Forget the Plan...Embrace the Adventure"