Back to earth for Marton's country girl

APPEARANCES would suggest that Anne George is back in hometown Marton with her feet firmly on the ground.
But in her mind she's still in the US of A, floating around with a whole bunch of international stars of traditional, classic country music at the National Traditional Country Music Association's 38th annual festival at the Harrison County Fair Ground, Missouri Valley, Iowa.
It was during that weeklong festival, in September, that Mrs George was formally inducted into the NTCMA's Old Time Hall of Fame. She now has a place among such celebrities as Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Burl Ives, Hank Locklin, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and two of her own favourites from the traditional country music era, Tex Ritter and Slim Whitman.
She said the induction ceremony was "an emotional experience".
"There was a big lump in my throat and a tear or two in my eyes," she said.
However, that was really only a small part of the total experience.
Mrs George was on stage every day performing her brand of country music with a wide variety of singers and musicians.
One of the highlights was being asked by NTCMA president Bob Everhart to organise, perform in and MC her own hour-long "special".
She said she opted to make that show an international event involving singers from the five countries represented at the festival America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Holland and New Zealand.
She also had the honour of being one of the judges of the festival's "Battle of the Bands" segment and do a television interview about the festival and her part in it.
Mrs George said one of the eye-opening aspects of the festival was the number of teenagers and children performing traditional country music.
and keep going. It could so easily be lost if we don't do that. But it was amazing to see the number of teens and kids performing ... it was just great," she said.
As a first-time visitor to America Mrs George said she found the people she mixed with at the festival to be "down to earth, ordinary people & nothing like you see on television."
"And I just loved the country places. I'd go back there in a heart-beat," she said.
Her participation in the Iowa festival also gave Mrs George the opportunity to tap the shoulders of several possible guest artists to encourage them to come to New Zealand in 2009 for Marton's own, fourth annual country music festival.