Beach Boys' Tour Band Member Assembls 100 Guitar Band

By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

DALLAS, TEXAS (ANS) -- Tom Dooley has been playing guitar in bands since grade school in Southern Illinois, where his parents owned a string of nightclubs. He has traveled and played with The Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Ronnie Milsap, James Brown, The Doors and The Beach Boys, just to name a few.

Now he has put together the biggest guitar band in the country. Last year when he bought his new, Gibson acoustic guitar after a 2-year hiatus from playing, he announced on his daily, nationally syndicated radio show, The Journey (KVTT 91.7 FM, M-F, 6-8 a.m.) that he was looking for 100 fellow acoustic guitar players to perform a special night of gospel music that would be called "100 Guitars of Praise!"

The phones lit up with calls from hundreds of guitar players wanting to audition. After weeks of auditions the 100 players were selected and the first rehearsal was scheduled. "We knew this was either going to be something very special or a complete train wreck," Dooley said.

"After we got all the players comfortably settled our lead player, Steve Radke counted, '1-2-3' and everybody strummed a G chord. It was incredible! The sound of 100 guitars filled up the auditorium and we all had this stupid grin on our faces. Everyone in the room knew we had something very special unfolding here. Now everyone is going to get a chance to hear it…a hundred acoustic guitars playing an entire concert together. I can't wait."

"100 Guitars of Praise" will take place in the 1,000-seat auditorium of First United Methodist Church of Bedford, Texas, this Friday night, March 24 at 7:30.

This historic music concert will feature more than 100 acoustic guitar players accompanying a 5-voice singing group conducted by Steve Radke. The evening will also include a special appearance by Christian comedian, Al Fike who will perform solos on banjo and a hand saw.

Dr. Jeff Wickwire, Pastor of Turning Point Church of Fort Worth, will deliver a brief, 10-min. gospel message. Tom Dooley (KVTT 91.7 FM Morning deejay) will host and emcee the event, which will be professionally recorded for DVD and CD release.

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Admission is free. The church is located at 1245 Bedford Rd. at the Bedford Rd. exit off Highway 183 (Airport Freeway) in Bedford. Dress Rehearsal is this Thursday, March 23, 6:45pm at the church -open only to members of the media.

WHEN: Concert, Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Dress Rehearsal, Thursday 6:45 p.m. -- OPEN TO MEDIA ONLY.
(Broadcast media should consider live shots for the evening or late night newscasts, either Thursday or Friday).

WHO: Tom Dooley, Host and Emcee; Steve Radke, music leader with accompanying 5 voice singing group; Al Fike, Christian Comedian; Jeff Wickwire, speaker and Pastor of Turning Pont Church in Ft. Worth, Texas.

WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 1245 Bedford Rd. (Bedford Rd. exit off Hwy. 183), Bedford, Texas.

** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
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