Del Reeves to play last homecoming on Saturday

The 10th, and final, Del Reeves Homecoming Show is set for this Saturday at the Sparta School Auditorium.

The show has been held in the auditorium, which seats about 900 people, for the majority of its history. The last show brings about mixed feelings for many who have been involved in it from the start.

The homecoming shows were a way for Reeves to contribute to the local area, said organizer J.D. Higgins. "We've had a good run," Higgins said. "When we started out with this thing, Del said he wanted to do 10 years and we've done that. It's run its course and it's helped raise money for a scholarship to benefit local kids. That's what it was really all about — a way for Del to give back to his home town."

A portion of the proceeds from every show was paid into a scholarship fund, which is awarded annually by the Alleghany County Education Foundation to an Alleghany High School student who plans to attain a higher education.

Besides the benefit to local students, Higgins said he was also proud of the fact that the shows have helped bring top-notch entertainment to a venue as small as Sparta.

"It's not every day that you get to see stars from the Grand Ole Opry in Sparta," Higgins said with a laugh. "The show has helped to bring some big names into town and generate some tourist dollars. Every year we have bus loads of folks from all over the country who come here to see Del Reeves and the other great Opry talent the show brings in. Del and I both really hope this show has helped the county and the people who live here.

"And we've had a good time doing it," he added.

This Year's Effort

Besides the show's namesake, featured performers in this year's homecoming show are George Hamilton IV and Ernie Ashworth, both of whom rose to popularity in the 1960s.

Hamilton, who calls himself the "International Ambassador of Country Music," has performed at country music festivals in England, Germany, Norway, Finland, Holland, France, Austria, Russia and other countries. Hamilton started his career by recording the 1956 top 10 pop hit, "A Rose and a Baby Ruth."

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