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From Enterprise Staff

Sting Ray Anthony’s “Juke Box Rock” with special guest Shake Rattle & Roll will be in concert at 4 p.m. July 17 at the Old Town Theatre located at 1023 12th St. in Huntsville.

Do you remember saddle shoes and poodle skirts? How about jukeboxes and cars with fins? Sting Ray Anthony does–although in the 1950s, he wasn’t even a gleam in his father’s eye yet. But for Trinidad-born, Canada-raised Anthony, it was love at first listen. His mother, as it happens, was a bit more modern than his father (who favored the standard bearers of the previous era, such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin). She was into rock and roll.

“When I was around eight or nine, my mom turned me onto the rock and roll stuff,” Anthony said.

He then proceeded to buy and listen to every Elvis Presley recording he could.

Anthony turned his love of music into a passion for playing. He began playing rock and roll music around town and was doing quite well. Then, the movie La Bamba came out. It was a biopic of the late young California musician who was hitting the charts in the early 1960s with songs that touched a generation, Ritchie Valens. The movie starred Lou Diamond Phillips, and changed the course of Anthony’s career.

“I was already out there playing, and when the movie came out, people started saying, ‘hey, you look like the guy from La Bamba,’” Anthony said.

With his uncanny resemblance to Lou Diamond Phillips, Anthony literally brings Valens’ music and more back to life. There are cover artists. There are tribute artists. There are even look-alike impersonators. But if you want to see the real thing, there is Sting Ray Anthony and his Juke Box Rock show. For those who long to relive the 50s and 60s music of their own youth, and those who are discovering it for the first time, Anthony presents a legendary line-up of songs of the era.

“I’ve been very fortunate to help keep Ritchie’s memory alive and play all kinds of rock and roll,” Anthony said. He has been able to meet and work with several performers of the era and help introduce them to a new generation of fans.

“I’ve gotten to play on the biggest stages and befriend my heroes. Just last week I met James Burton (famously known for working with Elvis). I’ve met and played with and befriended just about everyone who played with Elvis and in that era, including Chubby Checker, Bill Medley, Peter Noone, Frankie Avalon and even Valens’ sister, Connie,” Anthony said.

Perhaps the most touching meeting, though, has been Anthony’s encounter at a show in York, Penn. Gil Rocha, the only surviving member of The Silhouettes (Valens’ original band), was moved to tears of gratitude to Anthony for keeping Valens’ music alive. “The bottom line of this whole thing that we do here is to keep the music and the memory alive. The music is dying out, the radio doesn’t play it anymore,” Anthony said.

He said his show is old school and entertaining. He talks to the audience and encourages them to sing along. “You wanna get up and dance. That’s why I’m here–to entertain you. It’s not a serious show. I like to have fun. That’s why I keep playing this music. By the time you leave this show you’re gonna be rock and rolling out the door, bringing out the spirit again.”

Special guest performers will be the all-girl doo-wop band, Shake Rattle & Roll. These internationally known, award-winning ladies will quickly have you dancing and laughing and loving the music of an era gone by. Made up of band leader Tavie Spivey, her sister LeAnn Bemis, avowed funny girl Brenda Spencer and relative newcomer Debi Comis, the band is on a mission to bring the fun of the 50s and 60s to both those who were there and those who came after.

“It’s a real family show. People bring their kids and grandkids to the show. We cater to those people,” Bemis said.
Achieving the level of success that the band currently enjoys did not happen by magic though. Tavie Spivey was freshly retired from 27 years in the army and had always wanted to have an all-female show group. She had begun singing when she was 15 and quickly discovered that she could make more money singing on weekends than she could in a whole week at work.

Spivey’s husband, Tom, was getting ready to call it a day as well, and entertainment was needed for his retirement party. Bemis recalls the event.

“They wanted her to bring entertainment for the show, and it ended up being just me and her. We didn’t have a group, so we had to put a group together. It went well and the phone started ringing,” Bemis said.

The group has been together for 16 years now, and although Spivey admits it was a bit difficult to find the perfect blend of harmonies and personalities for the show, she said, “Things are trucking, comin’ back and we’ve got a lot of people interested. We do male and female so it’s not all just women’s songs.”

She describes some of the stars that they pay tribute to, “Roy Orbison, the Four Seasons, Elvis … we do everything from Lollipop to Little Darlin’. A big draw on our show is that we get the audience involved with us, we do singalongs, and we’ve got some gals who love to work the harmonies.”
Bemis agreed.

“We’re there to have fun and love entertaining other people to make sure they have fun. Our show isn’t just singing, it’s a show. We have choreography, jokes, we go out into the audience, we try to get everyone involved. It really is an interactive show.”

As it happens, all four members of the group used to sing gospel, and that love of music and harmony shines through whenever they perform. While some of the support from their husbands is more of the cheering from backstage kind, Spivey’s husband, Tom, is their sound engineer, and Bemis’ husband, Doug, handles their merchandise sales, photography and security.

“So many of the fans follow us from show to show, they’re almost like friends, they call out from the audience and say ‘we’re here, we’re here. It’s really neat. We’ve (also) become friends with the bands and other entertainers we work with,” Bemis said.

In addition to the satisfaction of winning awards, including a recording contract at a doo-wop contest in Las Vegas and Vocal Group of the Year by Valley Star Awards, it’s the love of the music that keeps them working hard to continue to hone their skills and bring their show to as many fans as possible.

“We’re excited about coming to Huntsville. We haven’t entertained there before. I think my favorite thing is the friendship that the three ladies and I have together, and we love entertaining other people. We’ve been together so long it’s almost like we’re sisters,” Bemis said.

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From Enterprise Staff

The investigation into a local shooting that occurred Wednesday night continues. Javius Smith, 22 of Goodrich, suffered a gunshot wound and was transferred by ambulance to St. Luke’s Health Memorial Hospital where he was later airlifted elsewhere.

The Livingston Police Department received a call at 8:04 p.m. Wednesday of an altercation in the parking lot of the Livingston Plaza Apartments located in the 1000 block of Forest Hollow.

“There are multiple different stories,” Livingston Police Chief Matt Parrish said, adding that investigators are still collecting and reviewing witness statements and evidence from the crime scene.

Parrish said that according to witnesses, Jaylen Washington, 20 of Livingston, began shooting at a truck and then Jarquavious Nickson, 25 of Livingston, took the gun and began shooting.

Washington and Nickson fled the scene but were located by officers shortly thereafter near the intersection of East Mimosa and Thicket where they were detained. Parrish said that during a search of the vehicle, officers found several firearms including two semi-automatics and a rifle. They also observed blood in the vehicle, he said.

Nickson has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with physical evidence and unlawfully carrying a firearm. As of press time Friday, charges were pending against Washington as officers waited for him to turn himself in.

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Members of Class 111 of the Angelina College Law Enforcement Academy pose before their recent graduation ceremony. A total of 20 cadets received recognition inside Temple Theater on the AC campus. Gary Stallard/AC News Service photo

Sending 20 new members into law enforcement

From Enterprise Staff

The Angelina College Law Enforcement Academy recently celebrated Class 111’s graduation inside Temple Theater on the AC campus, with 20 new cadets honored for their efforts and achievements.

AC Chief of Police and Academy Director Doug Conn addressed the crowd of family members and other well-wishers, praising the cadets for their perseverance.

“We had good times, bad times and fun times, but that’s how it goes when you start out with 30 cadets and finish with 20 – the cream of the crop,” Conn said. “I’m proud of each of these cadets. I know they’re going to do a great job, and they’ll mean a lot to the community.”

Keynote speaker Randy Hargrove, a former graduate of the AC Academy and long-time member of law enforcement, shared a personal story of arresting a young man and taking him into an office for a heart-to-heart talk. Years later, Hargrove said, he received a message from the man letting Hargrove know he’d turned around his life all because Hargrove had taken the time to talk to him about his life choices.

“You’re going to be driving around, and you’re going to be the one who answers a call,” Hargrove said to the cadets. “You’re going to make a difference in their lives. You’re not here for any other reason, and those meetings aren’t going to be by accident. It’s going to be divine intervention that you’re in position to push someone from a life of failures to a life of success.”

Lt. Jack Stephenson, Academy Training Manager, offered the cadets his “simple” rules for succeeding in law enforcement.

“Remember that every department has a budget, so be prepared to spend your own money on the right equipment to make you successful,” Stephenson said. “Buy comfortable shoes. You’re going to need them. Most of all, don’t bring your work home with you. Your families worry enough about you already.”

Valedictorian Lourens Jackson, a native of South Africa, told of watching the events of 9/11 unfold, and how seeing the way police officers performed inspired him to move to America to pursue his own career.

Other cadets earning individual awards included Cory Hubbard, who won best driver; Garrett Rocchi, who won top gun; and Jeffery Cooper, who won the director’s award.

The full list of Class 111 graduates is as follows: Lawrence Adamick of Groveton, Kasey Ballard of Crockett, Ryan Boyd of Livingston, Noah Cole of Lufkin, Jeffery Cooper of Pollok, Gordon Denman of Crockett, Jonathan Evans of Livingston, Jacob Holland of Lufkin, Cory Hubbard of Huntington, Christopher Hughes of Palestine, Lourens Jackson of Grapeland, Clayton Little of Huntsville, Justin Mangrum of Lufkin, Brandon Martin of Palestine, Erick Martinez of Lufkin, Geoffrey Parker of Livingston, Tykeidren Roberts of Nacogdoches, Garrett Rocchi of Bronson, Britton Shoellhorn of Livingston and Angelo Vela of Coldspring.

Angelina College was issued a license to operate a police academy in 12 East Texas counties in September of 1993 by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The academy offers basic and in-service training courses at sites throughout Deep East Texas with the assistance of an advisory board, which assists in directing the academy.

Academy staff members include Doug Conn, Chief of Police; Lt. Randy Holland, Training Manager; Officer Jack Stephenson, Training Manager; and Kim Capps, Administrative Assistant.

For information on the AC Police Academy, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Stephanie WilliamsFrom Enterprise Staff

Stephanie Williams, a member of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and the Chief Financial Officer for the Tribe’s Naskila Gaming, will serve on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee (TTAC). Williams was appointed to the committee by U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, who is the ranking member on the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means.

The TTAC advises the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury on matters related to the taxation of native communities, the training of Internal Revenue Service field agents, and the provisions of training and technical assistance to Native American financial officers. The membership has three appointees nominated by the secretary, two appointed by the House Committee on Ways and Means and two nominated by the Senate Committee on Finance.

Prior to serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Naskila Gaming, Williams served as Internal Auditor and Executive Director for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Gaming Agency. Williams also served as Tribal Administrator overseeing various tribal and federally funded programs. After completing her MBA, Williams served as the VP of Support Services in Accounting at a local bank. Throughout her career, Williams has worked in various capacities with the Tribe’s Indian Health Service, housing and education programs. She also served a term on the Tribal Council.

“I am honored to serve my tribe and all tribal communities across the country as part of this prestigious committee,” Williams said. “I look forward to using my experience and expertise to help the Department of the Treasury serve tribal communities. I am grateful to Congressman Brady for entrusting me with this appointment.”

“Our tribe is grateful and delighted that Stephanie is going to give us this seat at the table as important policies and decisions are considered. We have full confidence in her to represent our tribe well and give the secretary guidance that is in the best interest of tribal communities across the country,” Ricky Sylestine, chairman of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Tribal Council, said.
Williams’ term on the TTAC will expire on June 20, 2023.