Forty-four years of music and laughter

Still smiling, still trying hard, still playing their best after all these years, the Hickory Hill Winterfest was a big hit Saturday, even if it rained all day beforehand.

The crowd at the Music City Theater in Linden stood to applaud the six performers who make up Hickory Hill bluegrass. The applause was for two hours of continuous music. Here are the musicians’ names: Richard Bowden, Milo Deering, John Early, Don Eaves, Ronny Singley and Bob Stegall.

To keep the record straight, Hickory Hill is playing in its 44th year of being together and its 21st year of being at the Music City Theater building. That’s ever since the former American Legion Hall became Music City Theater in 2003.

Hickory Hill plays here twice yearly, spring and fall. They get the first choice of dates, too.

And its pretty much the same program. Everyone comes out to hear “Mail Order Dog,” “Help Me Make it Through the Yard,” “Songs About Texas” and “Jesus on the Main Line,” After laughing or feeling thankful, Hickory will play familiar Beatles or Bob Dylan music such as “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Their renditions are smooth and heartfelt.

The jokes, memories and interchanges with the audience are about the same, too.

“Ya’ll sing along,” humorist John Early tells the audience. And they do, too.

One new joke line was new this night. Early says to the audience, “You know the Eagles have been having their Farewell Tour? Well, we are going to have ours, ‘cept we’ll call it different. Ours is going to be the Home Health and Assisted Living Tour.”

And then, Hickory plays its music as if they were still young or at least ageless. Pretty soon it will be 50 years of singing and playing.

Maybe some new young members will join and continue on. Then, it will be difficult to tell who enjoys the twice yearly occasion the more, the audience or the performers.