September 3, 2004: Headlines: Music: Sweetwater Reporter: RPCV Charlotte Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Library: Peace Corps: Music : Music and the Peace Corps: September 3, 2004: Headlines: Music: Sweetwater Reporter: RPCV Charlotte Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-13-188.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.13.188) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 6:35 pm: Edit Post

RPCV Charlotte Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium

RPCV Charlotte Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium

RPCV Charlotte Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium

Kendrick's path includes Peace Corps, Olympic moment

As Charlotte Kendrick prepares for the Pacific Coast stretch of her first U.S. concert tour, she took time to reflect on the unique road that leads to her Sweetwater performance on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Kendrick will headline the inaugural show in the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series at Sweetwater's historic Municipal Auditorium. Jim's daughter, Jessika Wortham Damron, will be the opening act, with a variety of musical styles. Various local musicians also will provide instrumental support to Kendrick and Damron.

A major highlight of Kendrick's two Los Angeles tour stops will be to visit her brother, as she promises in her song "Brother in LA," which is featured on the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund website at WorthamFund.org.

"Charlotte's family is very close," said Jim's brother, Greg Wortham, who is working with the Sweetwater Auditorium Board to coordinate Kendrick's concert and the Jim Wortham Memorial Fund Concert Series. "They faithfully attend her shows throughout metro New York and around the country."

In fact, her family will fly into Sweetwater from New York and Los Angeles for the Oct. 2 concert, which will be the final performance of her "100 Day Tour."

"Charlotte's music and her commitment to family and friends have been very important to our invitation to her to open this concert series, which is obviously dedicated to Jim and to Jim's family and friends," Greg said.

The Jim Wortham Memorial Fund was established in 2003 to benefit continued restoration of the auditorium.

Kendrick at one time was determined to follow her dream to be an Olympic gymnast -- after she watched Nadia Comaneci shine at the Summer Olympics. She decided, actually, that she wanted to be world's first "singing gymnast." She kept her sights solely to music within a couple of days, however, after her first Nadia-inspired back flip into a hotel swimming pool failed to clear the pool's edge. Sweetwater audiences will have a chance to enjoy the fruits of her musical decision.

Kendrick has had globe-trotting experience fit for an Olympic shining gymnast. She grew up in New York, but her family soon moved to London -- site of the infamous pool flip. She graduated from the University of Vermont and left for the Peace Corps in West Africa.

She returned from her remote African village to New York City in 2002.

Her song, "I Get Stupid," chronicles the tribulations of cultural readjustments, as she sings about the hazards of walking in high heels and getting used to cell phones and constant communication.

Shortly after returning to New York, Kendrick was "discovered" by Sweetwater Auditorium pioneers Greg Wortham and Carolee Patterson, when their company sponsored her first professional performance -- at a 2002 company Christmas party. Since then, she has released two CDs and launched her first national tour.

Kendrick writes and performs her own music, and her style is sometimes characterized as "acoustic pop/country" and has been described as "a beautiful, genuine voice, combined with personal, heartbreaking lyricism sure to captivate audiences."

"Some of Charlotte's musical influences are Alison Krauss, Ryan Adams and Joni Mitchell," Greg said. "But to describe Charlotte as 'like" somebody is to drastically underrate the amazingly original experience that you will have when you hear her in person. The lyrics are captivating, the music pulls you in, and her talented performances leave you cheering for more.

"I think Jim would be proud," he added. "On behalf of our family, we hope you will be able to join us on Oct. 2."

Tickets are on sale through the Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce, which is located at 810 East Broadway.

For ticket information, call the chamber at 325-235-5488 or 800-658-6757.





When this story was posted in September 2004, here was the front page of PCOL Magazine:


Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview
This month we sat down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.

Then read the questions and answers one by one and leave your comments on the issues raised during the interview including Infrastructure Upgrades and the new Situation Room at Headquarters, Is there a Budget Crunch this year at Peace Corps, Peace Corps' Long Term Expansion, the Changes to the Five-Year Rule made last year, Safety and Security Issues, the Cooperative Agreement with NPCA, RPCVs in Policy Making Positions at Peace Corps Headquarters, Peace Corps' Departure from Russia in 2002, Director Vasquez's Accomplishments as Director, the Peace Corps Safety and Security Bill before Congress, Continuity at the Agency during Changes in Administration, the Community College Program, and the Director's Message to the Returned Volunteer Community.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






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Story Source: Sweetwater Reporter

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Music

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