Governor Coming To Town For Billy Yates' 'Hearts For The Arts' Show

The ‘Hearts For The Arts’ experience is coming back home and bringing some very special guests.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife, Teresa, are scheduled to be in the audience for Billy Yates’ Hit Songwriters In The Round show. The benefit for Doniphan High School scholarships will be held Friday, May 28, at the high school gym.

This will be Parson’s first visit to Ripley County as governor and possibly may be the first time for a sitting governor to come to town for a social occasion.

Yates said he became acquainted with the Parsons when they attended several of his shows in Branson. He and his family also have been guests of the Parsons in Jefferson City.

Doors open at 5 with the show to begin at 6 p.m. There will be no advanced ticket sales. All tickets will be sold at the door on the night of the show for $10 per person.

Joining Yates on stage will be veteran Nashville songwriters and producers Rafe Van Hoy and Wood Newton.

The concept is an informal, laid-back, acoustic style with Yates and his guests taking turns playing their hits and sharing stories behind the songs including personal experiences with many of the stars.

Van Hoy and Newton performed numerous times in Branson with Yates’ Hit Songwriters In The Round show. Yates has since taken the show on tour and most recently has split time between his home in Nashville and his hometown of Doniphan since leaving Branson.

Van Hoy was raised in Bristol, Tenn., where his father, a postman, encouraged him to write songs from an early age.

Upon high-school graduation in 1972, Van Hoy and his family moved to Nashville so that he could pursue a musical career. Still a teen, he signed with Green Grass Music, which led to a song writing contract with Tree International.

His first major success as a writer came in 1976 when George Jones and Tammy Wynette turned his song ‘Golden Ring’ into a hit.

Over the next three years he had between 50-60 of his songs recorded each year by some of Nashville’s biggest stars.

Through the years, his songs have been recorded by such stars as Tanya Tucker, John Conlee, Lee Greenwood, Janie Fricke, Mark Chesnutt and many others.

In 2013 he was nominated for the Nashville Song Writers Hall of Fame.

Wood Newton was born and raised in Hampton, Ark., and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas.

In 1978-79, Newton recorded for Elektra Records, charting the singles “Last Exit for Love”, “Lock, Stock & Barrel” and “Julie (Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?)”.

He later became a songwriter with his credits including Razzy Bailey’s number one single ‘Midnight Hauler’ and The Oak Ridge Boys’ ‘Bobbie Sue.’

Yates started the ‘Hearts For The Arts’ show seven years ago as a fundraiser for graduating seniors in Doniphan. The awards are designated for students with an interest in music and the fine arts.

Last year’s show fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic and was cancelled.

Previous musical guests coming to Doniphan have included Jimmy Fortune, Lulu Roman, Buddy Jewell, T. Graham Brown, Jeff Bates, Mark Narmore, Scott Reeves, Becky Hobbs and Dave Gibson.