An $11 million observation wheel is the centerpiece of the island in Pigeon Forge which will open this week.

    The Island in Pigeon Forge, a new retail and entertainment center in the heart of this vibrant tourist town, opens to the public 10 a.m. June 21. It features restaurants, shopping, attractions, and a 200-foot-high observation wheel offering spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Island in Pigeon Forge is a 22-acre mixed use entertainment development that will open Phase 1 with a total investment of over $100 million with established eateries, attractions and shops like Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Island Yogurt, The Fudgery, Poynor’s Pommes Frites, Timberwood Grill, Mellow Mushroom, Dude’s Daiquiris, Arcade City, The Flying Horse Carousel, The Euro-Bungy Dome, The Island Trading Post and The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel Gift Shop. Phase 2 will begin construction in the fall with an anticipated spring 2014 opening and is set to feature a $2.7 million show fountain covering 11,000 square feet, and a 132-room, four-star hotel.

The centerpiece of the development is the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, the largest observation wheel in Tennessee. The ride’s experience provides visitors panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains in one of 42 climate-controlled gondolas which seat six to eight guests. The 20-minute experience becomes even more spectacular at night with an electrifying LED light show with over 1 million lights.

The Island in Pigeon Forge is located at 130 The Island Drive adjacent to the LeConte Event and Exhibition Center. Pigeon Forge is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States.

To find your next vacation sweet spot explore tnvacation.com and join other Tennessee travelers following us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

Proving you can't keep a good man down, Andrew Mattison appeared at the Stihl U.S. Series Competition in Pigeon Forge only two weeks after a near-death experience. Mattison (Left) is pictured with Rob and Sheila Scheer of the great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud.  

   May 21^st started out like any other for Andrew Mattison. Before the day was over the 26-year-old timberjack would find himself in a battle for his life and an eight and one-half hour surgery with less than a five percent chance of survival.

  That morning Mattison went to work at The Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud where he works as a performer. On this particular day he was meeting with three co-workers that were helping organize the Stihl U.S. Timbersports  Competition. Mattison was seated at a desk in front of computer on a conference call with event organizers. In the office with him were co-workers and long-time friends Chuck Peters, Mike Downs and Matt Samler.

  “I had just typed in some information and hit send when all of a sudden I collapsed and my head hit the keyboard,” recounted Mattison. “Chuck and Mike helped get me to the floor and Matt called an ambulance.”

  The ambulance arrived and the attendants immediately administered an EKG to check his heart activity. The test showed no problems with the heart. Convinced it was merely an anxiety attack, the paramedics asked Mattison to calm down. 

   “In the ambulance I was in a lot of pain and I was getting loud,” said Mattison. “I kept asking them for a chest X-ray.”

  Mattison was taken to Mount LeConte Hospital where he was given the chest X-ray he had asked for after waiting an hour and a half. The pain in his chest was at times excruciating. Finally, the doctor entered the room and quickly made arrangements to have Mattison airlifted by helicopter to Park West Hospital in Knoxville. Mattison’s  insistence on a chest X-ray proved to be fortunate.

  The X-ray revealed a problem the EKG could not detect. Mattison had several arteries leading to his heart that were hemorrhaging.         

   Mattison was born with a bicuspid aortic valve defect. The condition is similar to a heart murmur. His condition had been monitored throughout his childhood and he had never allowed the condition to hinder him from various activities and enjoying a full life. But, the X-ray revealed much more.

  “I was rushed into emergency surgery and they cut me open and separated my sternum,” said Mattison. “Doctors realized with one look that I probably had something called Marfan Syndrome.”

  Marfan Syndrome is a genetic condition of the connective tissue that often causes degeneration of the aorta and coronary arteries.  People with Marfan tend to be unusually tall, with long limbs and long, thin fingers. Historians have long contended that Abraham Lincoln and country music legend Hank Williams Sr. suffered from the condition. Williams died at the age of 29.

  While Mattison underwent more than eight hours of surgery his parents waited in the waiting room pondering their son’s fate. The procedure to repair the failing arteries was a risky one and rare. There had only been three such procedures at the hospital. Mattison would be the fourth such case and he was the youngest of the four patients. There were so many variables and so much that could go wrong. Due to the rarity of the situation, Mattison’s surgeons were treading into uncharted waters.

  “When they opened me up they realized there was so much work that needed to be done,” Mattison said. “They could see the arteries were weak. Based on my build and the condition of the arteries they speculated I might have Marfan’s.”

  Late in the afternoon, doctors met with Mattison’s parents and delivered the good news. He would survive. But it was against all odds. When doctors first examined the condition of his arteries they estimated he had less than a five percent chance of survival. He had a triple artery aneurism But, Mattison had beaten the odds. He awakened the next afternoon and saw his girlfriend sitting next to his bed. His first words were “tell me this is all just a dream.”

  Mattison is slowly healing. Doctors are predicting a full recovery for the burly lumberjack. He must now carry a card that states he has metal in his sternum from the staples used to close his chest cavity.

    He is not allowed to lift anything that weighs more than 10 pounds for the next six weeks. But, the prognosis is good. Doctors expect a full recovery and Mattison is anxiously anticipating a return to competing in the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud.

  “I had never been a religious man but after such an experience there is no doubt,” said Mattison. I am most grateful for the skilled surgeons that worked tirelessly and for the thoughts and prayers of family, friends and strangers, alike. Thanks to all for saving my life.”

Matt Cogar won the Stihl U.S. Timbersports Championship Series in Pigeon Forge

  Former U.S. Timbersports  Champion Arden Cogar Jr. lost his bid to retain his title in the U.S. Championship of the Stihl Timbersports Series held this weekend at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud.  Cogar won four of the last five U.S. championships and came into the 2013 competition as the favorite. But a come from behind victory by his cousin, Matt Cogar, surprised the audience and left Arden to settle for second place.

  Ten finalists competed in a competition of six disciplines to accrue points. The competition is based on traditional lumberjack events. The six events include the standing block chop, the spring board, the stock saw, the underhand chop, the single buck and the hot saw competition.

   Matt Cogar maintained  a narrow lead going into the hot saw competition. This last event was Arden’s final chance to retake the lead and maintain his title. Arden’s cut failed to make its mark and he was disqualified in the hot saw.

  Matt Cogar will now go on to compete in the World Championship Series to be held in Stuttgart, Germany in October. Matt won the overall competition with 45 points.

  Arden Cogar came in second place tying with Mike Forrester with both timberjacks scoring 36 points. David Moses came in third with 33 points. Moses had difficulty with his hot saw when the saw stalled during his cut. Moses restarted the saw and finished his cut in 26 seconds.  Carson Bosworth finished fourth followed by Mel Lentz and Super Dave Jewett. In eighth place was Mike Eash followed by Walt Page who finished ninth.

  “These lumberjacks are the best of the best in the United States,” said Brad Sorgen, executive producer for Stihl Timbersports.

  For the Cogar family lumberjack sports go back almost 90 years when the grandfather of Arden and matt began competing. Today more than 20 members of the Cogar family compete professionally.

  The event was the second time in as many years the event was hosted at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud. Rob Scheer, president of the GSMLF, said he was pleased with the sell-out crowds and the level of competition at the event.

   “I have been producing the Lumberjack Sports for 35 years and this year’s STIHL Timbersports Series was first class in all regards,” said Scheer. “We had a young new Champion in Matt Cogar a second generation West Virginia man.  My goal in coming to the Smokies was to move the geographic center of the sport to this area.  In two years we have hosted the STIHL Timbersports Championship event, the premier event in  North America, in both 2012 and now 2013.  We have also hosted the IRONJACK Collegiate World Championships held last January and will be hosting it again in 2014.

 With a facility like the Lumberjack Feud we will be expanding the number of competitions each year and will see the STIHL Timbersports return in the near future.  We will also be opening the Lumberjack Sorts Boot Camp in September.  This is a 3 or 5 day session of intense lumberjack training with our professional athletes.  Men or women will learn all there is to know about equipment, wood, chopping, sawing, axe throw, tree climbing and log rolling.  They will then be certified to compete and receive internet based support as they progress through the sport.  Anyone interested in our Lumberjack Boot Camp can contact us a www.lumberjackfeud.com.

Thanks to STIHL and my staff at Lumberjack Feud for making this possible.

  The U.S. Championship competition was filmed and will be featured on the Outdoor Channel beginning June 16 and will air on ESPNU in July. For more information about air dates visit www.stihltimbersports.us.  

David Moses chops away in the Springboard competition. Moses came in third place in the series.

Former U.S. Champion Arden Cogar lost his title to his cousin, matt Cogar.

 The Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud will be featured in an upcoming June 10^th episode of  “Red white and New” on the Travel Channel.

  In This episode, the Host of the show, Steve Watson, visited the Lumberjack Feud arena and learned several lumberjack events such as the speed climb, the log roll and the underhand chop. Watson is a potential lumberjack enrolled in our up and coming lumberjack boot camp.

  The episode will air Monday, June 10, on the Travel Channel. Check local listings for times.

 Jimmy Fortune and T. Graham Brown will perform at Country Tonite June 14.

  Perhaps it was providence that inspired Jimmy Fortune to write the hit song “Elizabeth.” Fortune was the tenor for the Statler Brothers in 1983 when a series of circumstances occurred that inspired him to write what became the most successful song of his career.

 The band was on a stop while on tour when Fortune heard a woman talking to her daughter, Elizabeth. Later that day, Fortune saw the movie “Giant” starring Elizabeth Taylor. He was struck by her beauty and gorgeous blue eyes.  Later, he was on stage performing with the Statler brothers when a small girl walked up from the audience and quietly strode across the stage and walked up to Fortune and took his hand. While he was trying to concentrate on singing the little girl began telling him “I’m Elizabeth, I’m Elizabeth.”

  After the show Fortune saw the girl in the autograph line and told her  “I’m going to write a song with your name in it.” The child beamed.

  “I have seen her once since then,” Fortune recalled. “She’s all grown up now. I still keep up with her on Facebook. I believe it was God at work inspiring me to write that song. I got the opportunity to sing it to Elizabeth Taylor on her 52^nd birthday.”

  Fortune will perform “Elizabeth” and his many other hits at Country Tonite with T. Graham Brown on June 14, at 8 pm.

  Brown is known for such hits as “Darlene”, “Wine into water”, “Hell and High Water” and others.    

 Recently, Fortune’s hit “Elizabeth” made its way onto the Bluegrass charts when the bluegrass team of Daily and Vincent recorded the song.

  “The song is now reaching a new generation of fans,” Fortune said. “It was up for a Grammy last year against Lady Antebellum and the Zac Brown Band. I didn’t win but it was an honor to compete against such talented bands.”

  Fortune’s other hits include “Too Much on My Heart”, “My Only Love”,  “More Than a Name on a Wall” and many others. Currently, he is promoting his newest CD entitled “Lessons.”

  “The songs are some that I wrote years ago with some friends in Nashville,” Fortune said. “It’s about lessons in life.”

  Fortune left the Statlers 11 years ago when the brothers decided to retire. But, Fortune has kept busy touring and performing. He still sees his old friends frequently.

  “We get together every Christmas,” Fortune said. “It’s good to keep up with them. We talk a lot on the phone. We weren’t actually related but I think of those guys as my brothers.”  

  Tickets for the Fortune-Brown Show are available at Country Tonite located on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge or may be purchased by calling Ticket Sales Final 1-800-792-4308 or 865-453-2003. 

 World class timberjack Dave Jewett survived a kidney transplant and continues on the road to a full comeback. 

   The Dave Jewett story is truly an inspiring story of an indomitable spirit of a man who simply will not give up and fights for life against overwhelming odds. Jewett is a survivor. Six years ago the world class timberjack began going through a period of time where he simply didn’t feel well. Then one day while competing in a timberjack competition he almost passed out.

  At that point I decided to go to the doctor,” said Jewett. “The doctor conducted some tests and concluded my kidneys had failed.”

  The prognosis was grim. His kidneys were functioning at 15 percent. He began a regimen of dialysis which took a considerable toll on Jewett. After almost a year of treatments doctors decided to perform a kidney transplant. Jewett’s father donated one of his kidneys.

  Following his recovery, Jewett began  his quest to make a comeback. With only one kidney, he returned began competing again in 2008.

  “I wasn’t at my best,” said Jewett. “It was two more years before I was back at 110 percent. In 2010, Jewett finished in the top five timeberjacks I the country. It was a substantial accomplishment for a man who’s survival had been in question only a few brief years earlier.

 “These days I feel great,” said Jewett. “I am doing well for 44 year-old man with a 71-year-old kidney.”

Indeed Jewett is doing remarkable well. Currently he is ranked #2 in the nation behind Arden Cogar, Jr. and ahead of Matt Cogar. Jewett will be squaring off against the two Cogars and a number of other world class timberjacks on June 7-9 in the Stihl U.S. Timbersports Competition at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge, TN. Which will be televised nationally on ESPN and the Outdoor Channel. The winner of the event will go on to compete in Stuttgart, Germany for the world championship in October.

  As for making a prediction on the outcome, Jewett responded: “I am going to give it 110 percent. Cogar is good and the competition is fierce. I am just happy to be here competing.”

  Tickets are sale now. For more information visit the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud’s web Site at www.lumberjackfeud.com.

  The Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to all the local fans that have helped make the show the most popular and innovative show in the Smokies. The Feud is hosting Local Appreciation Days from May 28 through June 5th.

  Fans can see the show only for just $5 or have a dinner and show for just $15. For more information visit our web Site at www.lumberjackfeud.com.

  A local Pigeon Forge theater is seeking to reach out to local churches and charities and assist in fundraisers. In an effort to give back to the community, Doug and Jackie Miranda, of the Grand Majestic Theater on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, are offering to help local civic groups and churches raise money by donating a portion of their proceeds.

  The Grand Majestic is home to two of the most popular shows in town, according to trip advisor, where the theater has received a multitude of rave reviews.

  The first of the two shows is the “America’s Hit Parade.” The show features a star studded cast that presents the golden era of American music from the 1950s to the 1980s.

   “America’s Hit Parade” features Matt Cordell, who pays tribute to Elvis Presley singing some of the songs that made Elvis the King of Rock and Roll. Cordell has won numerous Elvis competitions including the “Tribute to the King” in St. Louis in 2004. A charismatic performer, Cordell sings various songs in the show with a unique voice that captivates the audience.

  Jackie Miranda, choreographer of both shows has traveled the world teaching dance. In addition, the show features James Francis, Mervin Marvey and Janessa Morgan.  Francis, whose voice has been compared to Josh Grobin’s, performs Grobin’s classic hit “You Raise Me Up.” Mervin Marvey, of South Africa, is eloquent in seven languages. In the tribute to the “Lion King,” he sings and speaks in his native language which gives the production an exotic element.

    Janessa Morgan, a trained opera soprano who stars in both shows. Morgan performs a stirring rendition of “Time to Say Goodbye,” an Italian Classical song recorded by Sara Brighton and Andrea Bocelli. Her unique skill brings an innovative quality to the show unlike any other in pigeon Forge.   

    The second show at the Grand Majestic is the “Soul of Motown.”  This show is a unique and energetic concert-style tribute to some of the greatest Motown Legends ever to hit the charts.  The show features the music of the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, the Platters and many more.  Featuring a cast of 6 talented and gifted singer/dancers, this show promises to entertain and leave you wanting for more.

   To learn more about the fund raising opportunities at the Grand Majestic call the Grand Majestic Theater at 865-774-7777.

The Titanic Violin is now on display at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. 

   Dozens of students stood silently in a dimly lit room of the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge where they huddled quietly around a display case containing a rare, iconic artifact from the sinking of the luxury liner more than 100 years ago.

  The violin that belonged to Wallace Hartley went on display this week at the popular tourist attraction where it will remain for several weeks before being shipped to England where it will be sold at auction.

   The violin is a silent witness to the horrific tragedy that took more than 1,500 lives, many of whom were society’s elite, after the ship struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912. On the fateful night the Titanic hit the iceberg, crew members began evacuating passengers into the life boats. Unfortunately, there were not enough life boats and many men chose to allow women and children to take their places while they stayed behind where they would meet their fates.

  Wallace Hartley was the leader of the band that remained onboard the deck. In an act of selfless sacrifice, the chivalrous Hartley gave up his seat to other passengers and decided to stay behind and play the violin in hopes that his music would calm the panicked passengers. Hartley offered his band mates an opportunity to flee the stricken vessel, but none chose to evacuate, Instead they remained at his side and continued to play music. 

  By some accounts the last song they played was “Nearer my god, to thee.” Some witnesses later recounted that after the band played the cherished hymn they played, “Autumn,” a more upbeat ragtime tune.

  As the band played on hundreds of terrified passengers screamed and scrambled to the rescue craft. As the band played on half of the mighty vessel began to lift from the water as the other end filled with water. Within seconds the night air was filled with the sounds of shattering glass, breaking timbers and rivets popping loose and the Titanic broke in half. Moments later the halves of the ship began its descent to the ocean floor almost a mile below the surface of the water.

  Two weeks later, Hartley’s body was recovered. The violin was recovered nearby in the debris field. The violin is now in possession of a private collector who has decided to remain anonymous.

  “His story was classic tale of a man making the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of others,” said Craig Sopin, an attorney and leading expert on Titanic artifacts. “The music was calming. Had those men not remained onboard there would have been a lot more chaos.” 

  Sopin said the violin is expected to sell for a price in the six figures and possibly seven. The violin will remain on display until  July 27 before it travels to the Titanic Museum Attraction’s sister-location in Branson.  It will be on display in Branson, Thursday, Aug. 1 through Thursday, Aug. 15 prior to it traveling back to England where it will be auctioned off by Henry Aldridge and Son on Saturday, Oct. 19. 

    The Blast from the past returns to Pigeon Forge Sunday at the Grand Majestic Theater

   The Blast from the Past returns to Pigeon Forge Sunday night at the Grand Majestic Theater on the Parkway. The show is a tribute to Elvis and the Movie Grease.

    The Blast stars Matt Cordell who performs a tribute to Elvis and plays Danny in Grease.  Matt is joined by Kendall Manning, Greg Stout, Tasha Cordell and the rest of the cast from the original production. The show ran for two successful seasons at the Smith Family Dinner Theater. Cordell appears regularly at the Grand Majestic in the “America’s Hit Parade.”

    Blast from the past is a 90 minute walk down memory lane featuring the music of the greatest rock star in history and the music from the biggest musical in history.

   Cordell posts an impressive resume. He won the National "Tribute to The King" competition in Kansas City, MO in 2004 where he won 1st place. He also won 1st place in the "Reflections of the King" competition in Pigeon Forge, in 2007.

   Cordell has performed all across the country with stops at major casino locations too numerous to mention. Matt competed in the Elvis Extravaganza competition in 2003 in Las Vegas and was ranked number 9 in America without being a member of any Elvis associations.

   The Blast From the Past Show starts at 8 P.M. at the grand Majestic Theater on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Doors open at 7 p.m. For ticket information call 865-774-7777 or visit the Grand Majestic web Site at  www.thegrandmajestic.com.

  “We had a huge following when we performed this show at the Smith Theater,” said Cordell. “We want to invite all our fans and friends to come out and join us for what promises to be a great show. We look forward to seeing everyone there.”

  Matt Cordell plays Elvis and as Danny from the Musical "Grease."

     From time to time Joe Diffie meets a fan that can identify with his hit song “If the Devil Danced in Empty Pockets.” They can identify because many feel as though they have been to Diablo Motors. The fictional car dealership is parodied in his classic hit about a man that went to buy a used car and ended up deeply in debt with a lemon after making a deal with a car salesman that could be compared to the devil himself.

     This will be an evening filled with stories and songs, getting back to the roots of their music. These three great artists will be performing on stage together, acoustic versions of more than 40 Top Ten Hits. A few of Aaron's hits include "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio", "You've Got to Stand for Something", "Kiss This", and "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly". Sammy has quite a list of hits as well, including "Cadillac Style", "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", "National Working Woman's Holiday", and "Third Rate Romance."

  “This is a really fun show,” Diffie said. “The three of us sit on stools and sing our hits and we tell stories and the audience gets a chance to get to know us better. After the show we meet with the fans and sign autographs. It’s a lot of fun.”

  Diffie recently got an enormous surprise when superstar Jason Aldean recorded the song “1994.” The song is about Diffie and many of his songs are cleverly mentioned in the song.

  “I was tickled he did it,” Diffie said. “It brought me notoriety and put me back on the map. I thought he was just going to mention my name and the next thing you know the whole song was about me. I thought, ‘holy cow, can you believe this?”

  For tickets call 1-800-792-4308 or 865-453-2003 or visit the web site http://www.countrytonitepf.com/celebrities.aspx.

Joey Spurlock poses with two pups he plans to train in Dock Diving. 

    It was at the Dock Dogs AKC Eukanuba National Championship competition last December when a yellow Labrador retriever, named Tango, stepped confidently out on the dock ready to compete. At the command of his trainer, Joey Spurlock, Tango charged down the dock and leapt into the air for an incredible 22 feet 6 inches.

   Impressed by his performance, the commentator remarked “Can you believe it? He was a shelter dog and nobody wanted him. Look at him now.”

   Tango was rescued from a shelter in Wisconsin by ex-cop turned animal trainer, Joey Spurlock who taught Tango and a number of other dogs to dock dive.

   Dock Diving is a competitive sport that tests a dog’s agility, speed and stamina in a contest that combines three events. The first is the Big Air jump in which the dogs run down a 40 foot dock and jump as far as they can into a 40 foot pool of water (distance is measured from the end of the dock to where the tail set breaks the water).

  The second event is the speed retrieve in which dogs run down the dock at the 20 foot mark and leap into the pool to retrieve a bumper, in a timed competition.

  The third and final event is the extreme vertical event in which dogs are running and jumping to grab a  bumper that is suspended in the air 8 feet from the end of the dock (20 feet or less on the dock is to be used for the starting point). 

  The Iron Dog competition is a combination of the three disciplines that are given points for how far they jump, how high they grab the bumper and how fast they make the retrieve.

 Tango has come a long way since he was left at an animal rescue facility. But, Spurlock concedes he still has work to do with the agile canine.

  “Tango has been jumping early,” said Spurlock. “If he could jump from the end of the dock he would be one of the biggest jumpers. There was one occasion when he jumped 13 feet early, he still cleared over 17 feet. If he could jump like that from the end of the dock, he would be jumping 30 feet which would be one of the biggest jumps in the sport.  He’s new to the sport so he will need a lot of time on the dock to hit his full potential.”

  Despite those early jumps, Tango is winning competitions. In St. Louis he jumped seven feet early and still cleared 22 feet 2 inches. Tango is currently ranked the #1 yellow lab in the World for Iron Dog as well as the #1 overall in the Sportsman Series for Iron Dog. Tango is not the only champion trained by Spurlock who has 15 years of animal training under his belt. Another of his Timber Dogs is Brock who is working on his fifth straight World Championships.  Brock is the defending Dogs and Logs Relay World Champion and is consistently ranked in the top for the sport.

  Tango and Brock are among several performing dogs that entertain at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. In the show, the dogs participate in the boom run and give a demonstration of dock diving.  

  For more information about dock diving visit the web Site at http://www.dockdogs.com/. To see action photos of Tango and Brock in action visit the web Site http://www.lumberjackfeud.com/.

   A two year legal battle has finally been decided in favor of Doug and Jackie Miranda owners of the Grand Majestic Theater.

    It took two long years but Doug and Jackie Miranda finally received the vindication they had sought this week in a suit brought against them by a company representing a former singing group.

  The Mirandas are the owners of the Grand Majestic Theater on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. The theater is the home of two shows, the Soul of Motown and America’s Hit parade. Two years ago they were sued for $2 million by Ron Layher and Rhonda Lyles, of SM Productions, promoters and producers for Nate Evans, and the Temptations Review, which had appeared and performed the Grand Majestic Theater at its former location on Music Mountain Drive.

  According to court documents, SM Productions rented the Smoky Mountain Jubilee in 2009 and produced a show featuring the Temptations Review. After an unsuccessful run, SM Productions was forced out of the Smoky Mountain Jubilee and contracted with the Mirandas to open the Temptations Review at The Grand Majestic. The Temptations Review’s tenure at the Grand Majestic was brief and SM Productions soon initiated a lawsuit alleging breach of contract on the part of the Mirandas.

 Last week Chancellor Telford Forgety, Jr. issued a ruling in the case in which he ruled in favor of the Mirandas  and awarded them compensatory damages of $13,000 for a loan the Mirandas made to SM Productions. In addition, SM Productions was ordered to pay $5,878.35 for unpaid sales taxes, $2,589.15 to reimburse the Mirandas for equipment, and $387.33 for printing costs.

    In his dismissal of the suit, Forgety chastised the company for misrepresentations made to the Mirandas and ruled “The plaintiffs are precluded from recovery based on the grounds of lack of good faith, unclean hands, and perhaps outright fraud and inducement.”

  According to court documents, SM Productions owed $72,000 in back rent to the owners of the Smoky Mountain Jubilee and were under the threat of eviction when they closed the show.

  After leaving the Smoky Mountain Jubilee, SM Productions contracted with the Mirandas to perform at the Grand Majestic. From the outset, the Temptations Review lost money. At one point the Mirandas lent the owners of SM productions $10,000 to pay the band. 

   Under the contract between the Mirandas and SM Productions, the production company was obligated to pay the band and provide marketing. SM Productions provided the Mirandas with a projection of revenues the Temptations Review were expected to generate. The group failed to generate the projected profits and lost considerable sums of money in the process.

   In his ruling Fogerty stated “So the evidence is abundantly clear to the court that this show was a losing proposition from the time it started at the Smoky Mountain Jubilee in 2009 to, in the month of June when SM operated it at the Grand Majestic, and then from July until the end of December when Mr. Evans continued to perform and operate the show at the Grand Majestic Theater, the show still lost money.”    

  “We are glad it is over,” said Doug Miranda. “We feel justice has prevailed. We just want to move forward and do what we love to do which is to entertain and put on great shows.” 

     These  buffaloes were spotted grazing in a field on Birds Creek Rd. near Gatlinburg. The behemoths belong to Benny Hammonds, Gatlinburg-Pittman’s  football coach.

Reigning U.S. Timbersport Champion Arden Cogar will be competing in Pigeon Forge 

  For Arden Cogar, timbersports is more than a competition. Six generations of his family have competed in the sport going back several decades.

  “I have a grandfather, a great uncle, my father, 16 cousins a wife and daughter and myself who have all competed in the sport,” said Cogar. “My father continues to compete and he is in his late 70s.”

  Timbersports is a sport that challenges skill, endurance and strength. The timberjacks compete in a variety of events such as the hot saw competition which involves a chain saw with a modified engine. At the signal, the competitors start their saws and make three cuts. With only six inches of wood to work with, precision is key

  In the single buck competition, the competitor makes one cut through 19 inches of white pine using a single man cross-cut saw.

  The springboard chop is a discipline based on the need for old-time loggers to establish a cutting platform above the massive root bases of old growth trees, the competitor uses an ax to chop pockets into a 9-foot poplar pole and then place 6-inch wide springboard platforms into the pockets. Climbing up on the springboards, the competitor chops through a 12-inch diameter white pine log at the top of the pole.

 The standing block chop mimics the felling of a tree, the competitor races to chop through 12 to 14 inches of vertical white pine. The competitor must chop from both sides of the log with the time ending when the block is severed.

  The stock saw discipline is a true test of operator ability. The competitor uses a MS 660 STIHL MAGNUM® chain saw and begins with both hands on the log and the chain saw idling on the deck. At the gun, the sawyer makes two cuts through 16 inches of white pine. With only four inches of wood to work with, precision is key.

 Because the sport relies more on skill than strength, competitors often become more proficient at the sport in later years.

 “I use the analogy of comparing it to golf,” Cogar said. “In golf the older players have acquired more skill and discipline. You will see these more experienced players hit the ball down the fare way. The younger players have a difficult time keeping it straight. It either goes right or left. In timbersports  it’s the same way. The younger competitors aren’t as proficient with their axes or their saws. Technique and timing are crucial to competing in the sport. Those skills come with experience.”

  While many older competitors have been successful at the sport, Cogar said the sport is extremely physically demanding. His father, who continues to compete late in his 70s, had been a lumberjack for years and has competed for decades.

  Currently Cogar is the reigning U.S. Timbersports Champion. He will be competing in Pigeon Forge on June 7-9 at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud located on the Parkway. The event will be televised on ESPN and the Outdoor channel. If Cogar should emerge victorious he will advance to the World Championship competition in Stuttgart, Germany in the fall. Last year Cogar was one of many athletes from 24 countries that competed in Lillehammer, Norway for the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series World Championship in front of 10,000 international fans.  Cogar , placed fourth in the World Championship individual competition.

  That’s a big if. Cogar will be facing stiff competition from around the world. Tickets for the Stihl Timbersports Series U.S. Championship are now on sale. For more information about the competition visit www.stihltimbersportsus.com. Or call the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud at 855-244-3383. 

     Two separate burglaries of the Sevierville Sprint store, located at 699 Parkway, have been reported this month. According to Sevierville Police Department Detectives Kevin Bush and Dweese Milliron, Sprint managers say that a total of over $50,000 in cell phones and a small amount of cash were taken. The stolen cell phones were mostly iPhones and other smart phones.

     The first burglary allegedly occurred on April 13, 2013 at about 4:15AM; the second was on April 19, 29, 2013 at about 4 AM. In both instances, it appears that the suspect was a white male wearing a mask and gloves, approximately 6’1” tall and weighing 200 pounds. The suspect made entry into the store by forcing open a rear business door on April 13, and by breaking the front store glass on April 29. The attached video was taken from security equipment on April 29, 2013.

     Anyone with information on these incidents is requested to contact Detective Bush or Detective Milliron at 865-453-5507. 

     Seviercountynews.com writer Michael Williams has released a new book about amazing kids. Great Kids in History is a collection of 22 amazing stories of incredible kids who have accomplished many great feats. Throughout history children have played a significant role in key events. As incredible as it may seem it was a 14-year-old boy that invented television and it was a child that discovered the legendary Lost Sea. Read about the child that invented a frozen treat that changed summer forever. Learn the amazing tale of the incredible Sybil Luddington, the teenage girl that rode more than 40 miles to rally soldiers to defend two towns during the American Revolution.

   Read the tale of amazing Jackie Mitchell who struck out the two greatest baseball players in history. Learn of the courageous kids that organized the greatest labor strike in U.S. history. Read the story of the young girl that named a planet, and learn of the boy with learning disabilities who invented more than 1,000 inventions.

   Marvel at the exploits of the Heroine of Lime Rock. Read about Joe Nuxhall, the youngest major leaguer who played professional baseball and stepped up on the pitcher’s mound at the age of 15.

   Read about the precocious Tad Lincoln whose plea for mercy for a doomed animal started a holiday tradition.

   These and other stories will inspire and entertain and amuse readers of all ages. This book is written with the young reader in mind in a vernacular that appeals to children. The stories are short but informative which and capture the attention of the younger readers. It is my hope that parents will enjoy these stories with their young children who will be inspired by other kids who accomplished wonderful things.

  The book can be purchased in Kindle or in print. For more inromation go to amazon.com or www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

   You can order a signed copy for your child by sending $8.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

 Celtic Woman performed to a capacity crowd at Harrah's Friday.

    Celtic Woman, the internationally acclaimed all women band, inspired and entertained a capacity crowd at Harrah's Cherokee Friday April, 26, with a rich blend of Scots-Irish music and dance.   

   The talented group kept the audience mesmerized with their melodic Irish jigs and timeless classics. 

    Celtic Woman debuted on Public Television in March 2005 where they quickly emerged as a spectacular commercial success that crossed cultural borders with now more than six million CDs/DVDs and over two million concert tickets sold worldwide.

   In Cherokee they charmed the audience with the energetic act that has endeared them to audiences around the world. The group performed songs from the newest CD "Believe." The show was part of a 60 city tour that is currently underway.

   The band performed classic Irish and Scottish melodies such as "Caladonia" and their internationally renowned hit "Sail Away."   

  Celtic violinist Mairead Nesbitt performed several tunes including Irish jigs with great energy and enthusiasm that kept the audience clapping to the melody.

   The band performed a show  stopping rendition of "Amazing Grace' with bagpipe accompaniment and harmonies that were as tight as a drum. The reverent gospel classic brought the audience to their feet with a standing ovation.  The women performed a breath taking tribute to Broadway that included "The Circle of Life"  from the "Lion King."

  Celtic Woman is truly a magnificent show that is not to be missed as they continue on tour. 

Mairead Nesbitt performs an Irish jig in a high energy performance. 

  Country Music legend George Jones died this morning at the age of 81.

   Country music icon, George Jones, died this morning at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after being hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, according to his publicist Kirt Webster.

   Jones, regarded by most music critics as the greatest country music star, recorded as many as 150 chart topping hits in a career that spanned five decades.

  “I was fortunate to have worked with him in 21 sold out shows in Pigeon Forge,” said Tim McAbee, president of First Class Productions. “He was my favorite male vocalist. It is a sad day. He paved the way and created a way for himself in the music industry. He was a favorite of many artists in so many fields and his loss will be felt across all genres. His family is certainly in our prayers. My heart is very heavy for his family.”   

  With a wide ranging baritone voice ,Jones had No. 1 songs in five separate decades, 1950s to 1990s. He was idolized not just by fellow country artists, but by Frank Sinatra, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, James Taylor and countless others. "If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones," Waylon Jennings once sang.

   Nicknamed "Possum," Jones’ career evolved from young honky-tonker to country music legend as he recorded more than 150 albums and became the champion and symbol of traditional country music influenced by his hero, Hank Williams. Over the decades he waged battles with alcoholism and drug addiction and had close encounters with death, including bypass surgery and a tour bus crash that he only avoided by deciding at the last moment to take a plane. In the end he conquered his dependencies and emerged as an iconic elder statesman of the industry.

   His hits included the sentimental "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes",  "The Race is On", "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair",  "She Thinks I Still Care", "White Lightning", "Still Doing Time." Jones also recorded several duets with Tammy Wynette, his wife for six years, including "Golden Ring," ''Near You," ''Southern California" and "We're Gonna Hold On." He also sang with such peers as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard and many others.

   But his signature song was "He Stopped Loving Her Today," a song about a man who carries his love for a woman to his grave. The 1980 ballad, which Jones was sure would never be a hit, often appears on surveys as the most popular country song of all time and won the Country Music Association song of the year twice.

  Jones won Grammy awards in 1981 for "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and in 1999 for "Choices." He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and in 2008 was among the artists honored in Washington at the Kennedy Center.

  In declining health in the past year, Jones went on what was intended to be his farewell tour. He appeared in Knoxville in April and was scheduled to appear in Cherokee in June.

   Jones was born Sept. 12, 1931, in a log house near the east Texas town of Saratoga, the youngest of eight children. He sang in church and at age 11 began performing for tips on the streets of Beaumont, Texas. His first outing was such a success that listeners tossed him coins, placed a cup by his side and filled it with money. Jones estimated he made more than $24 for his two-hour performance, enough to feed his family for a week.

   He got his start on radio with husband and wife team Eddie & Pearl in the late 1940s. Hank Williams once dropped by the studio to promote a new record, and Jones was invited to back him on guitar. When it came time to play, he froze.

   "Hank had 'Wedding Bells' out at the time," Jones recalled in a 2003 Associated Press interview. "He started singing it, and I never hit the first note the whole song. I just stared."

   After the first of his four marriages failed, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951 and served three years. He cut his first record when he got out, an original fittingly called "No Money in This Deal."

   He had his first hit with "Why Baby Why" in 1955, and by the early '60s Jones was one of country music's top stars.

   Jones was married to country music star Tammy Wynette, his third wife, from 1969 to 1975. (Wynette died in 1998.) Their relationship played out in Nashville like a country song, with hard drinking, fights and reconciliations.

   In 1983, Jones married his fourth and final wife, Nancy Sepulveda, whom he credited with stablizing his private life. He had four children, one with first wife Dorothy Bonvillion, two with second wife Shirley Ann Corley and one with Wynette. His daughter with Wynette, Georgette Jones, became a country singer and even played her mother in the 2008 TV series "Sordid Lives." 

   The original Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward, will be among more than 30 TV stars and movie stars that will appear in Knoxville at the annual Fanboy Expo to be held May 31 through June 2, at the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park.

   Fanboy Expo provides fans of all genres of movies and TV to meet many of their favorite stars or comic book artists. Fans get to purchase autographed photos of their favorite stars and get their photos made with them. They can meet the creative talent behind many of their favorite comic book characters such as Angel Medina, whose work can be seen in the pages of Spiderman, the Hulk, the Avengers and Spawn, Tom Nguyen, whose work includes Green Lantern, Batman and Superman and many other comic artists will be on hand so sign their work and sell original art.

  Fans can meet Cassandra Peterson, who played Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Anthony Michael hall, who played in many 80s comedies opposite Molly Ringwald, Margot Kidder, of Superman fame, William Katt of the “Greatest American Hero”, and many others.

 Science fiction will get a chance to meet Billy Dee Williams, from the Star Wars saga, Erik Bauersfeld, Jeremy Bulloch and many other sci-fi stars.

  Wrestling legends will be on hand to meet die hard wrestling fans. Among the warriors of the ring will be Jerry “The King” Lawler, Jake “The Snake” Roberts,  Rowdy Roddy Piper and Diamond Dallas Page.

  Vendors will be on hand to sell all types of collectibles including toys, comics, art work and other collector’s items.

Many other stars will be present for autographs, question and answer sessions and much more. Tickets are on sale now. The event is a three-day event featuring fun for the whole family. For more information visit the web Site www.fanboyexpo.com.