MUNY BAND TO CELEBRATE HOMER GILBERT NIGHT TONIGHT

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band will celebrate Homer Gilbert Night at 8 tonight at the Capaha Park bandshell.

This season ends Gilbert's 72 years of participation in the band. He will be the celebrity guest director.

Special guest entertainer for the evening is John Ramey, Gilbert's grandson. Ramey, originally of rural Cape Girardeau, is a songwriter and singer in Nashville, Tenn. He co-wrote the new Ty Herndon song "A Man Holdin' On," which is both the first single and video off a new album, "Big Hopes," released in June.

The song jumped from nine to five on the Billboard list in one week and reached No. 2 on the R&R listing, which is used by the music industry to determine how often a song is being played on radio stations around the country.

Ramey's name also appears as co-writer on the Doug Supernaw song "Daddy Made the Dollars," Neal McCoy's "Betcha Can't Do That Again," and Rick Trevino's "Mary's Just a Plain Jane."

The band will perform "Thunder and Blazes March," "Egmont Overture," "Original Dixieland Concerto," "Big Band Showcase," "The Thunderer March," "Exodus" and "The Music Man."

The concert is free. Those attending should bring lawn chairs. Ronald Nall is director of the band.