The McCarter Sisters are performing on stage in Knowlton Auditorium.

Monday, October 18, 1999

The McCarter Sisters are performing on stage in Knowlton Auditorium.

Austin Police Sgt. John Mueller has three suspects he is pursuing. They are his children and he is watching them, while his wife, Dawn, is busy.

Mrs. Mueller is counting the night’s receipts at the Austin High School concert. She is shoulder-to-shoulder with Jerry Petty of Petticoat Promotions to ensure the count is right the first time.

They are in the faculty lounge at AHS, which has become the behind-the-scenes headquarters for the country music concert.

The sponsors are impressed with the audience.

"Last year, we only needed the downstairs with Jeff Carson, but this year, we had to open the balcony. It’s a nice crowd," said Sgt. Mueller.

It’s Friday night at AHS. The school’s varsity football team is playing its arch-rival, Albert Lea.

The Country Music Spectacular is under way in Knowlton Auditorium.

T.G. Sheppard, the headliner, is nowhere to be seen, so promoter Petty talks about life on the road.

"We’ve been on the road for 15 days and our last date is Sunday night at a college somewhere up the road. It’s a college in Minneapolis. I can’t remember the name, but the bus driver will no the name," Petty says, during a break in counting the receipts. "After so long, they just run together it seems. I just take them one at a time."

Petty has been promoting music acts for 43 years. He started with the Carter Family, legends in country music, and Tex Ritter.

George Jones, ol’ Possum himself, was a client. Sonny James, Faron Young and Garth Brooks before he was famous.

He has taken acts to high school gymnasiums, America Legion halls, county fair stages and the Pontiac Silverdome.

"I work out of Florida," he said not bothering to pin down the city. "My wife usually goes in one direction and I take off in the other. I don’t know anything else, but promoting country music acts."

For the last 20-some years, he has come to Austin each October; first with music acts for the Mower County Sheriff’s Deputies Association and after that organization disbanded for the Austin Police Officers Association.

"I’ve known T. G. Sheppard for 20 years. He always gives a good show," said Petty.

"This kind of show is what we do to help a local organization to raise money. It don’t make any difference if its a small town or a big city. We’re here to give the folks their money’s worth of entertainment," he said. "In this business, you do what you have to do."

The headliner arrives with a female friend in tow. T. G. Sheppard exchanges details with Petty and band members and pleasantries with Mueller and others.

The McCarter Sisters are nearing the end of their act and Sheppard excuses himself to go into the dressing room to change for the show. When he exits, he is the quintessential "man in black" of country music. Long, black frock coat, pants and boats. Only a light colored Stetson hat and white shirt break the color scheme.

"T.G. is a good man. He’ll give them a good show tonight," said Petty. "There’s a lot of entertainers out there today and they all bring something different to the stage. You take Garth Brooks for example. There just ain’t no answer for him."

Sgt. Mueller, chairman for the Country Music Spectacular, fusses with his children. Money raised by the Austin Police Officer’s Association’s show will help fund the scholarship program for law enforcement career candidates and other community service projects of the organization.

Mueller both manages the show Friday night and works a second shift on patrol.

Petty checks his watch and is startled. "Excuse me," he said, "but I’ve got to go to work now. They don’t have an MC tonight and I have to do the chores."The band’s intro is long and loud and Sheppard walks back and forth behind the stage curtains until Petty shouts his name and the applause rises.

Sheppard is an interesting sort. This is his 25 anniversary in show business and when he takes the audience "down memory lane" with a medley of his hit records, the audience responds enthusiastically.

"I love this audience," he grins, when the medley is complete. "You must be starved for entertainment."

"The Last Cheater’s Waltz" is an obvious favorite among older members of the audience. "All Over You" and music from his first album release in 10 years all elicit whistles, cheers and loud applause. The audience clearly likes what they are hearing.

In between each number, Sheppard talks to the audience.

He tells them he took 10 years off in order to "give all the great new performers a chance to get their thing done." Then, he looks into the spotlight and says, "Now, I think it’s time for us old performers to come back to the stage."

The new CD has some hard-driving rock ‘n roll sounds to it. "Nothing On But The Radio" should receive air play.

He shows a self-deprecating sense of humor, too.

"I would like to remind you there is a limited number of our new CD release out in the lobby for you to buy and when they’re all gone, I’ll go out to the bus and bring in another limited number of the new CDs," joked Sheppard.

He also takes time to tell the audience about himself.

He ran away from home at the age of 15 to go to Memphis, Tenn., to "pursue my dream." Sheppard advises teenage members of the audience to stay at home and stay in school and pursue their dreams later in life.

He started performing with the Beach Boys, "but they seemed to make hit records after I left."

He credits Elvis Presley with saving his life and dedicates a soulful song about Memphis to the King.

Despite being a former successful RCA record producer – he signed John Denver to a contract – and himself the owner of 17 number one hits through his career, Sheppard wants to be remembered for more than his music.

That is, "somebody who sang songs that touched somebody’s heart" as well as "somebody who reached back to help somebody else."

From the stage, Sheppard can do both.