Posted on 01/06/2014 6:12:26 PM PST by BenLurkin
popular bluegrass quartet at Disneyland was set to play its final show Monday even as fans sought to drum up support to keep the band at the “Happiest Place On Earth.”
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, who first played the theme park in 1988, were scheduled to perform their last gig at “The Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree” in Frontierland after playing to standing-room-only crowds over the weekend.
Musicians Kirk Wall, Dennis Fetchet, Rick Storey and Anders Swanson are the most recent incarnation of the Hillbillies, which have used at least four different teams over the band’s 25-year history at the theme park.
But while the group’s post-Disneyland stints have included a New Year’s Eve show at Knott’s Berry Farm under their new name, Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies, the band’s future prospects remain uncertain.
City of Orange resident Steven Iversen launched an online petition in November called “Save The Billys” asking Disneyland to reverse its decision. The petition claims the Billies are “the main reason many people continue to purchase annual passes and travel from around the country.”
As of Monday, more than 2,600 supporters had signed the document.
Iversen told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that while Disney blogs have been filled with hundreds of complaints about the cancellation, Disney officials have yet to provide any real explanation for the move. “The only things we heard as far as rumors were were it wasn’t Disney-themed enough, but we don’t have any official word as far as why it was happening,” said Iversen. “The people that are involved in making that decision, we don’t have access to speak to them.”
The band’s New Year’s Eve performance at Knott’s was apparently so successful, however, that Iversen said a park official told him they were considering bringing back the Billies “more frequently” in the coming year.
The last show for Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at Disneyland is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
They weren’t enough of a “Deliverance” brand of yokel for the mouse.
They just don’t fit in on gay days.
Lemme guess - They’re being replaced by “Whoopie Hayseed and His Crazy Queens.”
They played at a local event must be about ten years ago now. Cracked a lot of jokes. Were hilarious.
Made fun of people in a city down the highway; characterized them as rubes. I suspected they made the same jokes about us when they played there, but I didn’t mind..,it was all in good fun.
I suppose Hillbilly/Redneck/White/Rural/Christian/Heteronormative/American no longer fits the Disney paradigm.
I am sure Walt is Spinning in his grave.
There was a time when Khrushchev was not welcome!
And Americana music is pretty big right now.
Brilliant, Disney.
Yes. That is why I brought up that memory from long ago.
It is not the same.
However, I must admit that one of my vocal students was in the DW Christmas Show and it was ALL ABOUT JESUS...I kid you not. They had a combined choir of 300 people and Blair Underwood narrated the Christmas Story.
It was VERY different from what I expected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.