January 29, 1967
The 38th annual Southwestern Livestock Show and International Rodeo will get off to an entertaining start next Saturday with a huge Western Parade through downtown El Paso at 10 a.m. and a big National Western celebrity Show at 8 p.m. in the Coliseum. The stock show will continue through Feb. 10 when the annual auction sale will be held, with rodeo performances running Feb. 7 through Feb 12.
The annual parade has been moved this year from its traditional Tuesday afternoon spot, on the day of the rodeo opening, to next Saturday morning to allow more people from surrounding communities to take part, that more people can view it and to make it more convenient for youngsters to attend than on a school day.
The biggest innovation this year is the addition of the National Western Celebrity show on Saturday night as part of the continuing program of expanding the activities of the popular exposition.
Rex “Mr. Cowboy” Allen will be master of ceremonies for the gala western show which will feature Marty Robins and his band, Dottie West and her band and the Mexican cowboy comic Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez. The western show performers will be here for the Saturday night affair only with the exception of Gonzalez Gonzalez who will present a specialty act at all seven rodeo performances.
Allen is one of the busiest attractions on the rodeo and fairs circuit. He also has made 66 motion pictures, a television series and records on three different labels. He will sing many of his favorites at the show.
Robbins has been credited with the new sound in country-western music and is famous for his rendition of “El Paso,” one of his all-time hit ballads. His songs feature many styles and fine talent.
Dottie West, who brings her own musical group with her, has been one of the country’s leading female country vocalists since she won the recording industry’s Grammy Award in 1964 as “Most Outstanding Female Performer.”
Tickets for the big Western Show and the rodeo are on sale in the lobby of El Paso Electric Co. and Central Ticket Agency downtown, the Coliseum ticket office, Bassett Center on the Mall and at the J.C. Penney Co. in Northgate.
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