Johnnie High's taking act to nationwide TV (Johnnie High's Country Music Revue)

Star-Telegram ^ | Sep. 01, 2007 | SALLY CLAUNCH

[Dubya]

ARLINGTON -- Country music fans across the nation can get a taste of country music Arlington-style beginning Monday.

Johnnie High's Country Music Revue will be airing Mondays and Tuesdays on RFD TV, a 24-hour cable and satellite network that caters to the needs and interests of rural America. In addition to music, the station carries shows about crops, livestock and rural lifestyles.

The revue, based in a former cinema at Center and Division streets in downtown Arlington, specializes in nurturing the careers of young country singers. It counts LeAnn Rimes among its prodigies.

But Johnnie High said the TV show is built around his "regulars, who are local singers who have proved their talent over time."

Burk Collins, a Hurst developer by day and Merle Haggard crooner by night, has performed at High's for years and will be in four episodes.

RFD's Web site says the network has about 31 million viewers. Collins said singing in front of that many people "scared me to death."

But he said that he really enjoyed it and that the TV audience "can't throw tomatoes at you."

High said he has recorded 13 hourlong episodes.

"This is the first country music TV show to come out of Texas and broadcast nationally," he said.

High isn't a TV novice. He appeared in a 1955 Army show called Soldiers on Parade and in a PBS special.

Even though the show's audience will be national, High said he never fails to plug the revue's home base.

"We really promote Arlington," he said. "We talk about how it's the center of Dallas-Fort Worth and ask people to come see the Rangers, the new Cowboys stadium and of course Johnnie High's Country Music Revue."

Johnnie High's Country Music Revue

When to watch: 2 p.m. and midnight Mondays; 7 a.m. Tuesdays

Where: RFD TV, DirecTV Channel 379 and Dish Network Channel 231.The network is also available through several cable companies' packages.

Listings: www.rfdtv.com

[gcruse]

I watch the Wilburn Bros and Pop! Goes the Country on RFD, but that about the extent of my Big Hair fix.

[Dubya]

Thanks for sharing.

[manic4organic]

My daughter performed on Johnnie’s show several times when she was 10-12 years old. She’s now 17 and a singer-songwriter. The show gave her some real stage experience and the confidence that came along with it. Having said that, I find the show in general to be a bit campy and self serving. But good luck to him anyway. At least it’s good clean entertainment.