John Matthews to be celebrated

Shackelford County rancher John Matthews will turn 100 on March 9, and a musical recital performed by both local talent and the North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums will be held at the Aztec Theater at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, March 2 in honor of the occasion.

Tickets to the free performancewere all given away before the end of the first day, according to pianist Sandy Abel.

“If you do have tickets, make sure to be there early,” Abel said. “The bagpipe players and drummers will march in at the start of the show, and once they begin lining up, we will not be able to seat anybody until after they have performed. If everyone could arrive and get seated early, we’d really appreciate it.” 

Sentimental Journey: The Century of John Matthews will feature songs that Matthews enjoyed during his life, varying in style from Blue Suede Shoes to Tchaekovsky to Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder?, according to Abel.

John Caldwell, George Harvick, Randall Palmore, Larry Braddy, Marc Sanders, and Abel will perform, along with bagpipe players and drummers from the Metroplex.

Abel said that the organizers are pleased but not surprised that the performance “sold out” so quickly.

“John has a large family and a lot of friends,” Abel said. “He is a wonderful man, and this is a special occasion. We are very excited!”