NEWPORT — Back in the early days of rock ’n’ roll, Jackson County was buzzing with budding musicians such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Sonny Burgess and Billy Lee Riley. People would travel hundreds of miles to attend performances by these musicians.
One way in which the county celebrates its rich musical heritage is with the Depot Days festival. Although it began as a tribute to the restored Jackson County depot, the event has evolved into a celebration of the musical history of Jackson County.
The 13th annual Depot Days will be Friday and Saturday at Newport’s historical depot, located downtown. There will be another lineup of rock ’n’ roll pioneers who blazed through Jackson County during the late 1950s and early ’60s. Lining U.S. 67, now the Rock ’n’ Roll Highway — a stretch of U.S. 67 from Newport to Pocahontas — were night clubs such as The Silver Moon, Porky’s Rooftop and Bob King’s “King of Clubs.” These clubs pulled in thousands of rock ’n’ roll fans, who laid the foundation for today’s popular music.
“The festival has expanded its appeal to children this year with a ‘Kid Zone,’ featuring pony rides, a Flip ’n’ Flop Flyer Bungee Trampoline, Flip ’n’ Flop bounce houses, a kiddie train ride, a dunking booth and magic shows at 1, 3 and 5 [p.m.],” Depot Days chairman Henry Boyce said.
The headline act will be a tribute to Elvis, featuring Ronnie McDowell and D.J. Fontana. McDowell was the singing voice for the 1979 made-for-TV movie Elvis that starred Kurt Russell as the young Elvis.
“For fans of early rock ’n’ roll, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Boyce said. “The real story this year is that we will present the last surviving drummers for Sun Studios in the ’50s with D.J. Fontana (Elvis), W.S. Holland (Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins) and J.M. Van Eaton (Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Lee Riley and just about everyone else who recorded at Sun after 1956).”
Fontana, Holland and Eaton all played in the nightclubs with the stars in Jackson County in the 1950s.
“They lived their early careers playing Arkansas’ Rock ’n’ Roll Highway,” Boyce said. “Many of [the] readers in this region still remember those days, and we strive to preserve the history for the generations since.”
Saturday’s entertainment lineup is as follows:
• 1:30-2 p.m., Opening ceremonies with special guests
• 2-2:45, The Dunham Family Band
• 3-3:45, J.R. Rogers and The All-Star Band
• 4-5, The Ace Cannon Band
• 5:15-6:15, J.M. Van Eaton with Travis Wammack
• 6:30-7:30, The W.S. Holland Band
• 7:45-8:45, Sonny Burgess and The Pacers
• 9-10:30, Ronnie McDowell and Band, featuring Elvis drummer D.J. Fontana
According to a press release about Depot Days, “McDowell and Fontana have played together on numerous occasions throughout the years, and their tribute to Elvis still thrills fans today. Holland was the backbone of Johnny Cash’s sound for 40 years and is still banging the drums through every show. Van Eaton and Wammack bring true rock and soul to crowds from far and wide. Burgess and his Pacers still deliver their high-energy raucous rockabilly to international audiences year after year. Nowhere in Arkansas or the entire mid-South region will you find a more fantastic lineup of stars from the Sun Records era to bring the original music to the fans.”
Admission is free. Audience members may bring lawn chairs and coolers. For more information about vendors, crafts, the barbecue contest or lodging, contact Julie Allen at director@newportarchamber.org or www.depotdays.org.