"Dukes of Hazzard" 40th anniversary celebration set for Cooter's in January

It's been quite a "Dukes" week here at BRBTV, between sharing the love from last weekend's Hazzard County Christmas event in Corunna, Michigan, and now seeing the details being released of the 40th anniversary celebration at Cooter's in January. Here's what Cooter's has sent around ...

 

Come Celebrate the 40th Birthday with us!

HAZZARD COUNTY’S 40TH BIRTHDAY TO BE CELEBRATED IN NASHVILLE’S MUSIC VALLEY JANUARY 26, 2019

On January 26, 1979, “The Dukes of Hazzard” premiered on CBS Television as an unheralded midseason replacement. Now, 40 years later, the cast and fans of the show will join together in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, January 26, 2019 to celebrate “40 years of good times in Hazzard County.” Several events are planned, centered around “Cooter’s in Music City” on McGavock Pike off Briley Parkway.

The event will include “Meet and Greet plus pix and Autograph sessions” with cast members, a screening of the very first “Dukes” episode at The Troubadour Theatre, followed by a cast concert at The Nashville Palace, with Cooter’s Garage Band and very special guest Whey Jennings, the grandson of Waylon Jennings, who narrated “The Dukes” and wrote and sang the ever popular theme song, “Good Ol’ Boys.”

Cast members who plan to attend are Tom Wopat, who created the role of “Luke Duke,” Catherine Bach, known to the world as “Daisy Duke," Sonny Shroyer, who played “Deputy Enos,” and Rick Hurst, who portrayed “Deputy Cletus.” Ben “Cooter” Jones and Alma Viator, the proprietors of Cooter’s in Music City, the Dukes of Hazzard Museum and shop on McGavock Pike, are hosting the shindig.

“The amazing thing about our show is that it seems as fresh and new as ever,” says Ben Jones, who played the sidekick mechanic “Cooter” on the show. “All over the world, folks watch the 'Dukes' in different languages, and they watch it with their children. The kids who grew up watching it back in the early '80s are watching it with their own kids now. And some of them are watching with their grandchildren! That’s the greatest compliment our show could have.

“When we first came on the air, the television critic for the Los Angeles Times said, 'This show won’t last past the first commercial break,'” says Jones. “Just goes to show you, never pay attention to your critics!”

Hazzard County 40th Birthday Celebration is FREE to attend
@ Cooter's Place in Nashville!

10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Special events will have VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY and will require a ticket purchase to attend so get yours NOW!

TICKETS 

A Hazzard County Christmas, Part 3: Clips of Tom Wopat's concert

Ahhhh ... We've been listening to our new CD of Christmas music by Tom Wopat and John Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard," and it takes us back to last Sunday, when we saw the former live in concert. What a holiday treat it was at the Shiawassee Harvest Church in Corunna, Michigan, for A Hazzard County Christmas. We bring a portion of that concert to you now with the latest video on BRBTV's YouTube channel ...

A Hazzard County Christmas, Part 2: Church with Sonny and Byron, the continuation

And we thought Byron Cherry was always the life of the party! In this second part of our coverage of A Hazzard County Christmas at Shiawassee Harvest Church in Corunna, Michigan, this past Sunday, Sonny Shroyer thoroughly delights and entertains with his stories. In part 1, posted yesterday on BRBTV's YouTube channel, Sonny gave his testimony and told other tales of growing up in Valdosta, Georgia. This time, Pastor Steve Rau asks about his professional work, including the "Enos" spinoff in the 1980s, "The Longest Yard" with Burt Reynolds, and even his most recent stint on "The Resident" with Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

For his turn, Byron Cherry tells the tale of getting his part as Coy Duke on the series, and how he and John Schneider were going to all the same auditions back in the day, before "The Dukes of Hazzard" ever happened. It's a great story. Cherry also reminisces about his good friend and "Dukes" co-star, Christopher Mayer, whom we lost at too young an age several years ago.



Our coverage continues tomorrow as we hear some of the wonderful sounds of the season from the handsome Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke, who gave a Christmas concert both Saturday and Sunday night at the church. Many thanks to the church for hosting this great "Dukes" event!

A Hazzard County Christmas, Part 1: Church with Sonny and Byron

Did you know Sonny Shroyer was saved as a teen? Our own Deputy Enos Strate of "The Dukes of Hazzard" shares that story as well as other stories of his family and upbringing in south Georgia in the latest video on the BRBTV YouTube channel. And Coy Duke from the show, Byron Cherry, gives his own powerful testimony, framed in the famous poem "Footprints." It's the first half of their talk at the Hazzard County church service at Shiawassee Harvest Church in Corunna, Michigan, on Sunday, November 25, 2018. Sonny and Byron were joined by Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat that weekend at the church, signing for fans, and Tom gave a wonderful concert that you'll see clips of on this same BRBTV channel! Stay tuned for those later this week!

Coming this week: Complete video coverage of A Hazzard County Christmas in mid-Michigan

It was a more-intimate affair, the kind of "Dukes of Hazzard" event you really love because you're not winding your way around a million people or waiting in lines for hours. And with three cast members of "The Dukes of Hazzard," how can you go wrong? The Hazzard County Christmas at the Shiawassee Harvest Church in Corunna, Michigan, this past weekend was rather blessed and magical. Pastor Steve Rau said in yesterday morning's service that this church loves on people, and he was certainly right. Everyone at the church was warm and welcoming. This particular author gave up organized religion a few years back, but if I lived in the area, I would totally attend this church. The worship team even performed a very sweet song that's popular right now, Lauren Daigle's "You Say" (which was also performed by a young female contestant on "The Voice" last week). Great stuff.

But anyway! On to the "Dukes" thing! Wow, it was nice to see Byron Cherry again! Such a great guy -- always the life of the party, anywhere he goes. He was in his Santa suit for the parade on Friday night, even, just as he had earlier donned the Santa suit to record a video promoting the event. Byron looks great and gave a wonderful testimony at the church service, his own version of the well-known "Footprints" poem, made so personal from tragic events that have shaped his beliefs over the years. Besides our own Coy Duke, Sonny ("Deputy Enos Strate") Shroyer, a very keen age 83, also shared some powerful words as part of the service. You'll see video of both later this week on BRBTV on YouTube.

BRB and Jason with Coy Duke! Below, a moment from the morning church service, with Pastor Steve on the right ...

You had two General Lees at the event, along with two Hazzard County Sheriff's cars, supplied by Ray and the Northeast Ohio Dukes, Brian and Kristy of B and K Star Car Rentals, and T.J., who also brought just a few (!) of the cool items from his "Dukes" collection for display.

Oh, and then that wonderful, still-so-handsome, one-third of what we call The Big Three of "The Dukes," Mr. Tom Wopat, happened to give a concert last night! You'll see that video, too! Wopat had performed to a sold-out audience the night before, and spent the weekend signing for fans. He has a new Christmas album out with John Schneider -- so very cool! Ten bucks got you that item, signed (below), best friggin' deal I've seen all year.

 

BRB and buddy Andrea with Tom Wopat, last night.

And .... history was made yesterday at the event. Sonny Shroyer now owns an actual gumbush, below. You see, he's been talking about possums on these things for years, and who has ever even known what the heck a gumbush is? Well, our friend Mike did wonder that, and asked Shroyer what a gumbush was at the Hazzard Homecoming event in Virginia a few years ago. Did Sonny know? Well ... he mentioned it being a Kentucky thing. Anyway, Mike decided to make one for ole Enos. You might see video of that little presentation from yesterday, too, if it turns out! Sonny says he'll find himself a possum for it somewhere ...

First three photos courtesy of Jason G.; second and third photos courtesy of Andrea M.; last photo courtesy of Mike.

Two more of Mego’s new “Charlie’s Angels,” plus some “Dark Shadows” and more at K-zoo toy show

It’s BRBTV comin’ at ya from the floor of the annual toy show at the county fairgrounds in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where all kinds of magical stuff abounds, just in time for Christmas gift-giving. We always see some different stuff at this toy show, so some of what we have seen is below. Emphasis on anything TV-related, of course!

Among the goodies are the next two Angels of Mego’s new “Charlie’s Angels” line, Kris and Sabrina. The vendor wanted $60 for the three and wouldn’t break ‘em up, noting the two new girls are tough to find. You saw the Kelly figure in a recent episode of the Terrific TV Toys series.

One of the other items below is something you will see on a future T3 episode — can you guess which one???

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific non-TV Toys: "Wizard of Oz" Megos Part 4, the Wizard and the Emerald City

It's the last of our four-part series on the original 1970s line of "Wizard of Oz" figures, and we've reached the Emerald City at last. We've seen Dorothy and Toto, the two lovely (?) witches, and the boys who accompanied Dorothy on her journey. Now we're off to see the Wizard and the wonderful Emerald City of Oz.

Mego Corp. did a great job with these figures and playsets, you'll see, and the Emerald City wasn't the only playset they did back then. They also did a Witch's Castle playset and Munchkinland playset. So cool, especially now that the revived Mego is stocking the store shelves once again with redone Oz figures and other figures ...

It's a heavenly Hazzard Christmas, right there in mid-Michigan

It's so close to where this author grew up, it seems too good to be true. A "Dukes of Hazzard" event, right here in Michigan!!!! Not since the jump of the General Lee in Detroit a couple years back or in Flint several years back have we heard of a bonafide "Dukes" event in Michigan. But this pastor, Steve Rau, has pulled out all the stops to make this a joyous Christmas event for "Dukes" fans at the Shiawassee Harvest Church in Corunna next weekend.

You've got Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat giving a Christmas concert, which is reason enough to come, but then there's Sonny ("Enos Strate") Shroyer and our ole pal Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry, whom we haven't seen in too many years. Then there will be a couple Generals there, from Ray Kohn of Northeast Ohio Dukes and Brian and Kristi Downing of B and K Star Car Rentals of Metro Detroit. On Sunday morning, you can hear Sonny speak at a special church service ...

Our friend T.J. Bethards, whose fabulous "Dukes" collection you have seen on the Terrific TV Toys series, will be showing some of his collectibles, as well as his own Hazzard County Sheriff's car. It will be a jam-packed weekend, even with a parade on Friday night.

Tickets for the concert Saturday night or Sunday night are only $10 and available through Eventbrite. A VIP package for $25 gets you some time with the cast members. This author will be there on Sunday with some pals, so y'all come out!!!

Support indie film! Especially when this author is in it!

I love having fun with film projects. I do it for a variety of reasons. And one special project I have been involved with lately is a good ole zombie production, a web series called "Reanimated." I got to play a zombie in a couple episodes, then I have one of the lead roles in the third episode, the tough interrogator Blanche Lancaster. It's produced by Evil Genius Entertainment, and it's a cut above a lot of the indie stuff that you see. This crew has been rolling awhile and has done some great horror stuff over a course of years, such as "Witchhunter," which features Gunnar Hansen of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" fame, as well as Glori-Anne Gilbert.

Check out the first episode of "Reanimated" for free on YouTube, then consider supporting this fab effort by a talented production crew. Only $5 gets you the second and third episodes.

Have you seen Honda's new "Six Million Dollar Man" TV spot?

So we're sitting there watching "The Voice" off the DVR last night, and I'm fast-forwarding through the commercials, and I catch a glimpse of a vintage Kenner action figure of "The Six Million Dollar Man." That red running suit with its logo is unmistakable. Whoa, hold the phone. I back up. There's the figure, all animated, jumping over cars and talking like a person. Like Lee Majors, to be exact. And it's totally him, doing the voiceover. How clever on Honda's part! Who knows why they did it, or how it ties in with their product, but it's super-cool.

Terrific TV Toys: Scooby-Doo Encyclopedia by Capstone / Hanna-Barbera

Which witch is which???? Well, you'll be finding that out if you own the brand-new Scooby-Doo Encyclopedia by Capstone and Hanna-Barbera. There were quite a few witches that popped up on the Scooby-Doo cartoons over the years, ever since the appearance of that very first, very creepy one in the 1969 series. This new softcover tome covers all of the ghoulish guest stars that Scooby, Shaggy and the gang had to deal with, whatever the name of the cartoon, whatever the year it aired. It's all rolled into one guide. You get the alias of the bad guy, too, in this book, which is really a "Who's Who of Scooby-Doo!" It's the focus of the latest episode of Terrific TV Toys ...

Jackson toy show delivers up some great Scooby action and more

Another weekend, another great toy show to take in. This time it was a toy show at the fairgrounds yesterday in Jackson, Michigan -- first time to this show for this particular author! It wasn't as big as the one in Kalamazoo, Michigan, over Thanksgiving weekend, but well worth the trip.

Among the TV-related goodies this time, we've got Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Six Million Dollar Man" represented, among others ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

New on the Six Feet Under blog: Frank Gorshin

We previously pointed you to the Six Feet Under post highlighting the final resting place of "Batman" star Cesar Romero. Now Brian Lombard shows you Romero's riddling counterpart in green, Frank Gorshin, whose grave marker is certainly a testimony to his celebrity impact ...

Six Feet Under: Frank Gorshin: Six Feet Under: Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 5, 1933.  He was the son of Slovenian immigrants to the United States,...