Goldie's Farewell Season

News Release From: Goldies Best Little Opryhouse Goldies Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky announces its farewell season! After 30 years in show business, owner and "star of the show" Goldie Payne is retiring! The 2008 season will be the Owensboro icons finale season. Goldie is a local entertainment legend. After spending four years entertaining at Windy Hollows theatre, Goldie Payne opened Goldies in downtown Owensboro in 1982. After a seven-year stint at the site that is now home to the RiverPark Center, Goldie moved to her current location in the historic Malco movie theatre, the home of the "flashing marquee." She has been entertaining audiences every Friday and Saturday night since with open mic nights on Fridays and featured, "headline" performers on Saturdays. Throughout the year, Goldies audiences are also treated to special variety shows like Goldies popular send-up of the old "Hee Haw" series and her routinely sold-out "Rock N Roll" shows, "Impersonation" nights and Christmas shows! Throughout their history, Goldie and her "Best Little Opryhouse" have been featured in a variety of print and media exposes. Among them . . . MTVs "Real World," VH1s "Where Are They Now," and "Nashville Now" w/ Ralph Emory. Goldie has also been a staple of various charitable telethons featured on local broadcast networks. She has helped raised money for organizations working to fight cerebral palsey, muscular dystrophy and more. While she routinely showcases "homegrown" talent, Goldie has shared her stage with some of the biggest names in country music, past and present. Among those gracing her stage over the years are Billy Dean, Barbara Fairchild, Jeannie C. Riley, Lew DeWitt of the Statler Brothers, The Whites, LuLu Roman, J.D.Sumner and the Stamps Quartet. Though she has a devoted cast and crew of talented regulars, Goldie has also maintained a commitment for finding new, up-and-coming talent. For years she has hosted kids and teen talent contests. For the last six years, Goldies has been home to the tri-states premiere talent contest, Goldies Survivor, a grueling ten-week-long battle of talent and wills. The wildly popular series is a fan favorite and each week finalists perform in front of sold-out crowds for the chance to win thousands in cash and prizes. Auditions for the final installment, Goldies Survivor 6, will begin in August with the finals beginning September 26th at Goldies. In addition to performing weekly on her own stage, Goldie is credited with creating a holiday tradition in Owensboro-Daviess County. She launched her first New Years Eve show in 1982 and its an event that continues to grow in popularity. Since 2000, fans in the tri-state and beyond have been joining Goldie at the RiverPark Center for her now famous, four-hour-long New Years Eve show, filled with music, comedy, food and celebration! The 2008 show will be Goldies final New Years Eve extravaganza! Tickets for the event will go on sale later this year at The RiverPark Center box office. Though she is best known for her on-stage antics, Goldies talent stretches beyond her stage as well. From 1978 to 1982, Goldie Payne was a radio personality and morning gal for 92.5 WBKR-FM. She also hosted "Classic Country" on NewsTalk 1490 WOMI from 1986 to 1992. She has been featured in and starred in television commercials too. She is probably best known for her work for Appliance Liquidators / Kings Great Buys Plus, for whom she coined the phrase "chee-eee-eap!!" In addition to stints and radio and television, Goldie has also spent some "life upon the wicked stage!" She landed lead roles in three summer musicals staged by Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, "Hello Dolly," "Mame" and "Annie Get Your Gun." If you havent seen Goldie perform live, you absolutely do not want to miss the chance to see her farewell season and the join the list of thousands entertained by her. Tickets for Goldies Best Little Opryhouse can be purchased by calling 270-926-0254. For a complete schedule of events at Goldies you can log onto the website goldiesopryhouse.com.