Haynes, Jordanaires perform fitting tributes to music greats

Joe Delaney

Friday, Jan. 15, 1999 | 11:34 a.m.

The Jordanaires and Sharon Haynes have returned for the second year in the Gold Coast's main showroom with a new edition of their "Tribute To Patsy Cline." This week's opening night audience was an enthusiastic crowd that greeted the performers and almost every song with immediate applause. This edition is a well-selected, beautifully-paced program that seemed over too soon.

Gordon Stoker, Neal Matthews, Duane West and Ray Walker, the Jordanaires, are celebrating 50 years in the business, which includes some 30,000 recordings with some 2,500 artists over the years. The years, 1956-1970, were spent recording and appearing with Elvis Presley. They can also be heard backing such contemporary artists as Billy Ray Cyrus, k.d. lang and Reba McEntire.

After an overture featuring Michael Dubay and the small but mighty Re-Cliners, the Jordanaires sing "That's All Right, Mama," "Can't Help Falling In Love With You," "You Are Always On My Mind" and "Don't Be Cruel," with just-right vignettes about their years with Elvis. This sets the stage for Sharon Haynes entrance as Patsy Cline. She sings the songs, captures the feeling and mood but remains her own person.

"I Don't Wanna," "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," "Foolin' Around" and a very strong "I Fall To Pieces" make up a Grand Old Opry medley. Two Hank Williams songs follow: "Your Cheating Heart" and a rousing "Lovesick Blues," which sets up a gospel medley that includes a very warm "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," after which the Jordanaires move to center stage for "Rain, Rain, Rain."

Micheal Dubay, on piano, scores with Floyd Cramer's piano hit, "Last Date." Sharon returns for a Las Vegas set, when Patsy Cline played the Mint in 1962 with "Back In Baby's Arms," "Anytime," "South of the Border" and "Bill Bailey" where she sang to a man in the audience, a nice touch. Next comes a medley including "He Called Me Baby," "She's Got You" and "You Belong To Me."

"Walking After Midnight" and Willie Nelson's song, Cline's biggest hit, "Crazy" set the stage for Paul Harvey's broadcast of the plane crash that took the lives of Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Patsy Cline and her husband in March of 1963. Sharon and The Jordanaires close with "Sweet Dreams," a fitting finish to a very satisfying performance. The Jordanaires actually accompanied Patsy Cline on those original Decca recording hits.

They're at the Gold Coast for a total of 40 weeks this year -- worth seeing more than once.