The King Is Gone - Ronnie McDowell

The King is gone……and the King’s right-hand man is gone now too.

On Saturday, March 4th, my sister and I were privileged to be in Branson and able to get tickets to the Ronnie McDowell Show! He was playing at the fabulous Welk Resort Theatre for a limited 2-show engagement.

Ronnie’s McDowell band, The Rhythm Kings, started the show with a fast-paced country tune. They are all phenomenal musicians and include several family members - a nephew Jody, on keyboard and vocals and his oldest son Ronnie Dean, on drums. And WOW could he make those drums sing!!! He was showcased later in the show on the 60’s hit by the Surfaris called “Wipe Out.”

Ronnie was so great and he pleased the crowd with songs of all types such as Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” Johnny Horton’s “All For The Love of a Girl,” Jay and the American’s “Cara Mia Mine,” (fantastic rendition I might add) and his own hits like “Older Women,” Watchin’ Girls Go By,” and “Bedroom Eyes.”

He also included songs by country greats Ray Price and George Jones, and duets he had recorded as well with Dolly Parton and the late, great Conway Twitty. He even came down off the stage and had audience members participate in some of these songs. It was funny how he interacted with them, and had them sing with him. I might also add that some of them were really not too bad to listen to either!!

Of course the highlight of the show for this Elvis fan was when Ronnie talked about his love for Elvis himself. He talked about how at a very early age - around 1956 - he first heard of this young singer who was rocking the music world. How he had hoped from that day on that one day, he too, would be able to sing if only a little bit as great as Elvis.

How he ended up coming home from Viet Nam in the early seventies and wanted a singing career. And how someone suggested he try writing songs.

Then came the day in August, 1977, when Ronnie heard the King had died and he went to his room and wrote his very first hit song “The King is Gone.” And then as he sang the song for us, well, there were tears everywhere in the auditorium as there were obviously many Elvis fans in attendance.

I remember when the song was released and how it touched millions of Elvis fans all around the world. It launched Ronnie’s career and it is so surprising that he never had the chance to meet Elvis but still went on to be involved in so many projects concerning him.

Ronnie went on to talk about and sing several Elvis songs such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and even had his young son Tyler come out and sing “Teddy Bear.” We learned Tyler has a recording contract now with Curb Records and sang a song he recently charted with called “Somebody To Die For You.” You could tell Dad was really proud and Tyler should go far with his own career!

Toward the end of the show Ronnie called on a good friend that was in the audience, an award winning Branson entertainer by the name of Doug Gabriel. They chatted a while about how long they’ve known each other and pranks they had pulled in the past on several singers. Then Ronnie asked Doug to help him sing a song. Before they got very far into the song, Ronnie dedicated it to Charlie Hodge who had passed away Friday evening in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A talented performer himself, Charlie, of course, was Elvis Presley’s right hand man on stage and a very good friend off stage. The song Ronnie and Doug ended the show with was the Elvis show stopper “American Trilogy” and it brought the crowd to their feet!!!!

Ronnie gets an AAAAA+++++ in my concert record book!! Thanks Ronnie!! Come back to Branson soon!!!! Everyone be sure and catch Ronnie anywhere you can find him on the road or the next time he’s in Branson!!!!

-Sandi McKim