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She Can ’t Stop SingingMarywithLou Kent started singing as a child her sister at church services. Todayshe sings alone, sometimes accompanying hersell on the guitar. (Lonsinger Photo)By NANCY LONSINGERMary Lou Kent, Walhond-ing, can’t remember when she first started singing in public but she says it was mostly likely for Children’s Day Services at Dutch Run Church.For a long time she and her sister sang together with their father accompanying them on the guitar.Her sister never liked appearing in public so gradually dropped out of the act.Mrs. Kent prefers the old fashioned country music, the kind she refers to as “tear jerkers.19 She has developed a style that comes quite naturally for her that of breaking just before the last word in a phrase. It gives the listener the feeling of a half yodel.Many Grangers in the county remember the time, just, before the birth of a third child, she sang, “Out behind the Barn” at their county banquet. She still receives many requests for this song when she makes an appearance, but says it wouldn’t be as funny now.When she works alone on a program, Mrs. Kent likes to keep her plans flexible. “I never know,” she says, “until I sing a song, whether the audience is going to want love songs, funny ones or popular tunes.”She has a large repertoire she. can sing on a moment’s notice. Occasionally while filling a special request she gets caughtin the middle of the song and can’t remember some of the words. “Once you start singing, there is no stopping,” she said. “The only thing you can do is laugh it off.”While she was still in high school her family often spent Sunday afternoons at Hillbilly Park near Newark. Among the activities at the park was a talent contest. Using the fact that it cost the family $3 to enter the park, her father would urge her to enter the contest so she could win enough to pay their admission fee. The winner was selected by the audience’s applause. Mrs. Kent says it was rather humiliating to stand on the stage and be able to see that your own father wasn’teven clapping for you to win. When she approached him for it, his comment would be, “You don’t need my help to win, there’s always enough other people clapping for you.”It was true. She always walked away with first prize, more than enough to cover the gate fee, “Although I kept the money myself, Dad felt the family had a day's en-j tertainment at no cost.” ;The Kents visit Nashville,' Tenn., often and have been, able to meet some of the coun-j try singers they admire onj television. Mrs. Kent was! especially impressed with her; conversation with Tammy i W y n e 11 e. Miss Wynette \ 'described the rough scheduleshe had to meet to promote her records.‘Cutting a record doesn't take too much time,” says Mrs. Kent, “but the time away from my family for the promotion has made me decide that it isn’t for me not now anyway.”Mrs. Kent sings for many benefits around the area and sometimes with a local band. For private parties she accompanies herself on the guitar, but feels more relaxed when she has a group behind her.She sings al home, too.“My family’s pet peeve is that when they put on a record they want to hear, 1 can’t keep still. 1 sing along with it. I thinl they would rather hear the ’record.”Your HoroscopeJEANE DIXONYOUR BIRTHDAY May 3:Once past the relativestandstill at the beginning of your year, the path is broad and profitable. Materialgains, emotional satisfactioncome well within reach.Today’s natives have skills with magnetic forces, elee-effects you want. Live in the present moment rather than performing post mortems over the past, Money matters become complex.LEO (July 23* Aug. 22): Realize now that some habitsand time-worn practices nonow? Get thru the duller routines and a bit of troubleshooting.SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 • Dec. 21): You have to p u 1 something more than just words into whatever you do. Old skills, long experience may make all the difference.r.APRirnRM 22.Jan
Newspaper Details
Coshocton Tribune
Coshocton, Ohio, US
Sun, May 02, 1971
Page 26
Full Page
Clipped by
Karysa K.
NA, NA 07 Aug 2024
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Coshocton Daily Tribune
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