When you see Barbara Nelson perform, one thing is clear – she loves to sing, and that joy is infectious.
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Nelson will be joined by three of the region’s most respected back-up musicians to present a show called Christmas by the Campfire at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m.
Nelson plays guitar and sings western music in all its forms: traditional, blues, folk, old standards, and swing. She grew up loving the cowboy movies and songs of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. She got her first horse while in the fourth grade and has had horses ever since.
Nelson was awarded the Will Rogers Award by the Academy of Western Artists, (AWA) in a ceremony in Ft. Worth, Texas, as the female western singer of the year. She was nominated twice by the Western Music Association (WMA) for CD of the year, and her previous album “Crazy Western Swing” was in the top 10 albums in the “Western Way” magazine.
She has performed at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Ellensburg, in Albuquerque at the Western Music Association showcase, and opened the awards ceremonies for the AWA in Dallas, Texas.
For the Christmas by the Campfire show she’ll be joined on stage by guitar player Peter Willis, National Oldtime Fiddle Champion Dan Emert, and bass player Lori Brogoitti. The show features Christmas standards and some of Nelson’s favorite cowboy tunes. Tickets are $10 and available at center’s website or by calling 541-278-9201.
The performance is made possible through the support of Rogers Toyota of Hermiston. More information is available on the center’s facebook page.
