Jerry Forney, Carlene Hall Brought Decades of Experience to Pickering Horse Show

Carlene Hall and a surprise guest, Jerry Forney, performed at the Hopkins Picnic Friday. They played oldies, rhythm & blues, and even yodeling at the end. They played one of Jerry’s signature songs, “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues,” about the decline of small towns. They also played more familiar tunes such as “Route 66,” “Harper Valley PTA,” and “Cowboy Sweetheart.”

They have performed together before, but have never rehearsed together; however, it didn’t stop them from staying on cue with each other Friday.

Jerry has been playing since he was 12, back in 1966, and has been going strong ever since 53 years later. He shows no signs of slowing down, as he plans to release another album before long. The biggest audience he played for was 40,000 people at the Minnesota State Fair, along with Charlie Rich. Charlie Rich wrote the song, “Keep on Rolling with the Flow,” and Jerry said Charlie was the best person he had worked with.

Carlene Hall has played since she was nine, getting her first job at a tavern in Independence at 13. She has been playing ever since, hitting Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Her church objected to her performing in taverns at such an early age, but her parents, who were also musicians, backed her. “I can see where they are coming from now,” Hall said. But that didn’t stop her from singing rebellious songs like “Harper Valley PTA,” about a mother who exposes and shames all the PTA’s members after they unsuccessfully tried to reign in her daughter.

Hall has opened for such acts as the late Joe Diffie, the late Ray Price, and Joe Nichols.

Eliza and McClellan Clements presented the flag colors this year at the Horse Show. North Nodaway Eighth Grader Sydney Whipple sang the National Anthem. A Draft Horse Pull was held following the performance, which was highlighted by one of the contestants’ horses bolting prematurely and crashing through the fence.

A money scramble was held, and kids were able to scramble for $200 worth of quarters. The Pickering Lions put on the show for the 82nd time and ran the concession stand and did a silent auction.