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Each 2 months and exactly 30 years ago to the day, we re-publish the original Country Goss' magazine and supplement it here with additional photos, videos and stories that may not have been readily available at the time. A veritable "time capsule" of line dancing! There's more to read in the original magazine, in the meantime here is a look at what the Editor had to say back in March 1996, plus a little more!

Tamworth Country Music Festival and Australian Line Dance Championships 1996.

Another Festival has come & gone with none being more controversial than that of January 1996. Line Dancing in Tamworth has steadily grown from very humble beginnings in 1993 to the most extraordinary proportions today.

As the home of both Australia's premier Country Music Festival and The Australian Line Dance Championships, Tamworth is thriving. Visitor numbers have skyrocketed, accommodation is in huge demand and patronage at many of the bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes and outdoor concerts is overwhelming.

Twisters - The original Durango Western Collection is now available. Look out for Durango's new Twisters Line Dancing Boots coming direct from Nashville. Call 02 281 4611 for details of your local Durango Stockist.

From workshops with Gordon Elliott, to street dancing, to in-store demonstrations, to battling extreme floods! Yes, you heard correctly, extreme floods! January 1996 had it all. With much of Tamworth opened this year to campers alongside the Peel River to alleviate the accommodation shortfall, who would have guessed that Tamworth was about to experience an extreme wet weather event the likes rarely seen before. Coinciding with the line dance heats, the Peel River burst its banks prompting police to converge on a "fully packed" Calrossy urging dancers with campsites to immediately salvage their belongings amidst an evolving full-scale evacuation. Check out the photos below. Mayhem!

And to give you an understanding of how many visitors overall may have been affected in Tamworth, it was estimated that at one stage over 15,000 mobile phones jammed the mobile network!

Fortunately, not all of Tamworth was affected by the Peel River bursting its banks thanks to the construction years earlier of east and west levee banks with much of the Festival still able to proceed, including the fun and vibrancy of the popular Peel Street Parade. Bill Larson was out and about with his dancers soaking it all in as were the many onlookers.

ALD's Terry Kelly (above far left) and his "Bloody Mary's" managed to take advantage of some clear skies attempting to top their efforts of last year's 'first place' in the "Drunks Talent Quest" at the Locomotive Hotel (above). The only criteria for membership to the Bloody Mary's is your own bottle of Tabasco & Worcestershire Sauce. Word is, with age catching up, last year's effort was a bit hard to top!

Now, what happened to Australia's beloved "Longest Line" this year? It was a disaster! We mentioned last issue that with the best of intentions, the marshalling of the Longest Line was handed to the APEX Clubs of Tamworth. This was done at a formal handover presentation during the Line Dance Championships at Calrossy (see video below).

Whilst APEX agreed to carry out the marshalling in the prescribed tradition of "a very long line", it didn't quite go to plan. What transpired was an absolute shemozzle with the event resembling a crowded sheep pen with dancers squashed into just one small section of Peel Street preventing others from joining in or simply crowding others out. So disappointing.

Worse still, there was no official record count. The estimate was around 2,900 dancers but there may well have been many more. The 2,900 number was attained by dividing the money kindly contributed by the dancers by two. "Not good enough" Joe told Country Goss' following the debacle. "However, there WILL be a proper LONG LINE in Tamworth in 1997 and it will be assisted by Apex but managed and marshalled by the line dancers. The line will be a continuous one and it will be a simple matter of dancers proceeding to either end of the line"!

Sydney Line Dance Promotions. The very best in line dancing in Sydney's west including West Ryde, Baulkham Hills, Wentworthville, Northmead, St Mary's, Pitt Town, Dharruk, Richmond and Penrith. Phone Lance Pritchard on 02 896 8662.

On to this year’s Australian Country Line Dance Championships and competition for the coveted Golden Boot Trophy was indeed fierce. However, it was the dazzling dance routines of the younger dancers that had the crowds on their feet, leaving the ’30 plus’ year olds, mumbling quietly amongst themselves about the need for more ‘age’ categories.

Big winners at Tamworth were two 12 year olds - Luis Riveros and Jessica Myers who won gold medals in four categories of the Australian Line Dance Championships. They entered (and won) the 12 & Under Duo, 16 & Under Duo and Open Small Group along with a 1st and 2nd in the inaugural Golden Boot.

However, it was 1st place Duo Gold Medal winners Simon Ward and Tiffany Hill that had the crowds on their feet with their dazzling outfits and extraordinary dance routine which was choreographed to Scooter Lee's Well Oiled Loving Machine. Great outcome for the Breakaway Bootscooters NSW!

There was a lot of comment on Tiffany and Simon's outfits, especially Tiffany's beautifully crafted feather and bead covered skirt. Well, we hear Tiffany's mum Jenny was behind the outfits, meticulously sewing every little thread and accessory. Great work Jenny!

Justine Shuttleworth and Heather Gurney (above) were up for the challenge picking up 3rd spot in the Open Duo field, smiling for the entire length of their routine.

With a record number of entrants in the coveted Open Duo Section, Rosemary Messenger and David Dickson gave it their best shot with this spectacular dance routine above.

In the Open Large Group, the Larrikkin Line Dancers tied for 1st Place with WA's Texan Rebels. In the Under 16's, Cindy Truelove's Texan Rebels walked away with their very own 1st place trophy.

2nd place in the Open Large Group Category were New (Generation) Country Rebels from Toowoomba in Queensland.

Picking up 3rd place in the Large Open Group were the Breakaway Bootscooters from NSW while the Coraperena Dancers were definately crowd favourites.

Pied Piper Music for all your latest line dance CD's tapes & videos at the cheapest prices. Stacks of CD's or tapes with seven line dances on each one. Compare our prices! Mail orders especially welcome. Phone Frank Drewes on 02 869 8740 or 018 234 486.

Winners of the Over 55yrs Small Group - Southern Cross Line Dancers. Check out Country Goss' Magazine on Page 5 for the full 1996 Australian Line Dance Championships results.

Club of the Championships and Winners of 5 National Titles - Westlakes Line Dancers.

Next year's 1997 Championships:

Next year the heats will start on the Tuesday and conclude on the Friday afternoon. The Finals will be on the Friday night with the exception of the Junior Finals on Thursday night. Calrossy Auditorium has been booked once again and the Bursar extends a thank you to all who attended and for the manner in which they looked after the venue.

Before we leave the 1996 Championships, we just had to share this.... There is a strict rule in place at Calrossy, rigorously enforced, that "At no time when a dance is being performed, are people allowed to enter or leave the auditorium". Sounds fair right? But what do you do when you're the doorman, there is a routine taking place and you are confronted by a frantic mum with a 2 year old child in desperate need to go the toilet? You'd discreetly let them out, right? Not this doorman! Read what happens in our very entertaining "What's Been Happening". It all starts on Page 11 of the original mag above.

For our New Zealand readers and from one competition to another. Darren Jackson has sent us this March 1996 photo of three Upper Hutt dancers - Lyn Davis, Kathy Baoumgren and Carol Jackson. The group, based at the former Silverstream Hospital won a Gold Medal in the National Bank North Harbour Masters Line Dance Competition held in Auckland over the weekend. The three Upper Hutt members are part of a larger six-member team. Congratulations girls!

And as line dancing sweeps Australia with American country music at its core, a new breed of country music fan is emerging in Tamworth. So, how do the Aussie country music performers of Tamworth (or anywhere else for that matter) cope with the throng of line dance enthusiasts now turning up at gigs?

Well, Aussie legend Craig Giles is the quintessential showman encouraging all dancers to enjoy themselves at his shows whether they be line dancers, rock & rollers or freestylers. So, it's little wonder he is one of Australia's favourite entertainers. Keith Urban puts himself right amongst the dancers when he performs gigs at Sydney's Arizona Cowboy Bar.

And then there are the many other entertainers around Australia who welcome line dancers to the floor such as Lonnie Lee, Keith Glass, Bandolin, Dinah Lee, Buckshot, Cactus Moon, Freshwater, The Lone Strangers, McCauley's Raiders, Tonite We Ride, Kathy Raydings & Borderline to name just a few.

However, one outspoken critic - Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers, had a bit of a cringe moment with Country Goss' when asked about line dancers slapping leather at his gigs "I don't get it, probably never will" he said. "However, I really like Julie, she's a great ambassador for the Festival. Let's just get a photo together". Very safe answer Dobe!

Pandarra Trading Company - Country Western World. Pandarra offer everything imaginable for the urban cowboy and cowgirl. Grab a taste of Texas at 96 Oxford St Darlinghurst or try their mail order service to anywhere in Australia. Ph: 02 361 5785 or Fax: 02 361 6812.

It's Dance Week across Australia and great to see "Bootscootin" get a look in. If you are in Sydney, you can catch bootscootin' displays and lessons in Martin Place from 12pm - 2pm daily. For NSW Dance Events enquiries phone 02 241 4022.

Country Connection - The Australian Legend in Jeans Wear. Bootcut Jeans in Black Denim and Indigo Blue. Three Western or Stockman Style Shirts, Blue or Black Denim. Agents in NSW, ACT, VIC, NT, TAS, QLD and WA. Contact Lace on 015 281 927.

Don't forget you can utilise the Country Goss' jacket as your own Club Magazine just like Ron and Sandy from the South Coast Line Dancers. Ron and Sandy also seek out and capitalise on their own advertising. Contact Country Goss' for details.

DANCERS BEWARE!! Lock up your grandmothers because we're introducing that whiskey drinkin', boot slappin', moustache twirling avant-garde... Computer Chip Cowboy! Lying abreast his waxed-up woody listening to Hank Williams on his headphones as he surfs the NET carving out all the exciting country & western dance news from around the world, the Computer Chip Cowboy will not fail to impress! Did you know that when a dance is created in the USA to a new song, that dance cannot be released by the choreographer until the song is released by the record company, sometimes many months after the dance was written! Apparently, it's true! Check him out on Page 7 of the original mag above.

Other new features in this issue are Kath & Joe McManamon's "Spirit of Tamworth Report" which will keep you updated with all the line dance info out of Tamworth leading up to the 1997 5th Australian Country Line Dance Championships.

Joe reports that $4,005.00 has been received by the Arthritis Foundation of NSW, this being the Net profit from the Championships. The Arthritis Foundation will also receive the proceeds from the 6th Annual Tamworth on Parade Charity Concert at the Olympic Venue Homebush Bay, NSW on the 30th June 1996. Readers are invited to assist in the promotion of the event by requesting a few posters for display at your local dance class. Full details of this and much more, head to the Spirit of Tamworth on Page 9.

"WOTS HOT AROUND OZ" takes a look at Australia's most popular dances state by state with contributions this month from Chris Black, Mark & Trevor Smith, Julie Briggs, Julie Talbot, Sharon & Dail Platz, Rodney Thomas, Geoff Payne and Shari Parnell. What dances were you doing in class 30 years ago? You'll find the answers and much more in this issue of Country Goss'.

Prairie Dancer Productions. Line dance classes, demonstrations and promotions. Contact Jan Wise 02 713 6478 or 015 890 860.

And there's a swag of local dance choreographies in the new "Home Grown". One dance in particular comes with an extraordinary back-story from Josephine Batten of NSW (snippet above). See the full letter and dance in this month's magazine.

FREE Bootscootin' every Sunday 1pm - 5pm. Harold Park Hotel, 115 Wigram Road, Glebe. Why not eat at Harold's Bar & Grill while you're there! Ph: 02 692 0564.

Loads of holidays also. The Wild West Line Dancers in Queensland invite dancers on their USA Line Dancing Tour '96. Five cities over 21 days visiting Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Fort Worth, Texas Nashville and Reno. Includes Fan Fair, Billy Bob's and CWDI International Championships. Price is $4,950pp. Further information 07 55 737 265.

Due to popular demand and hot on the heels of his 1995 dance cruise, Noel Bradey from Gentry Traveland is offering a further 2 South Pacific line dance cruises later this year. Departure dates to choose from are 25th June and 24th November 1996. Prices start from a low $990.00pp. Phone Noel on 9906 7000.

Bob's Mobile: Line dance shirts, jewellery, Bolo's, hat bands, collar tips, bandannas, key rings, belt buckles and heaps more. Would you like Bob to visit your Workshop or Social? Bankcard, Mastercard & Visa accepted. Call Bob now 018 412 298.

If it's a beachy line dance holiday you're after, then Traveland are offering a 5 night escape to Long Island on the Great Barrier Reef from the 1st - 6th June 1996. With packages out of Melbourne at $1,159.00, Sydney at $1,059.00 or Brisbane at $919.00, the first 50 rooms booked will receive a free upgrade to a beach front suite. Contact Traveland for further details on 1800 654 899.

Country Goss' is also heading to the USA in June 1996 for the 25th International Country Music Fan Fair in Nashville Tennessee. And you are invited! 14 fantastic days, departing 9th June 1996, the trip includes Memphis, Gracelands, Beale St, Grand Ole Opry, Los Angeles, Disneyland, the Wildhorse Saloon, Opryland Resort, Jack Daniels Distillery and more! Group numbers are limited. Cost is $4,699pp twin share, brochures and more detailed information can be obtained from any Harvey World Travel office throughout Australia and New Zealand on 132 757 or contact Country Goss’ directly.

If your feet are remaining firmly planted on home soil, there are a host of activities on offer. Let's have a look:

23rd March 1996: Autumn Line Dance Spectacular at Hawkes Nest, NSW. Workshop and Social with Lance Pritchard along with guest DJ Max Bowen. Ph Cheryl on 049 971 110.

29th March 1996: The Warialda Bee Liners are holding a Dance for Life 48hr Line Dance Marathon 6pm at the Warialda Golf & Bowling Club. All proceeds to the Heart Foundation. Free accommodation at the Showground Pavillions. Phone Beth Albert on 067 291 078.

30th March 1996: Dance for Heart Line Dancing event at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. Commences 3pm contact Carol or James on 06 282 5744.

5th - 7th April 1996: Orana Country Music Association's 17th Annual Easter Festival & Line Dance Spectacular. All proceeds to the Child Flight Helicopter Service. Further information and bookings contact Margaret Bye on 068 841 537 or Sheral on 068 846 776.

12th - 14th April 1996: Stokers Siding Line Dance Workshop and Party with Noel, Liz Collett and Julie Talbot. Stokers Siding QLD. Details and Bookings Noel on 066 779 508.

11th May 1996: The All Australian Choreographed Line Dances Annual Ball at the Tenterfield Memorial Hall NSW. Proceeds to Make A Wish Foundation. Starts 7.30pm. Contact Leslie on 015 623 396.

16th - 18th May 1996: The Brisbane Stampede in the Great Hall of the Brisbane Convention Centre, featuring a major dance competition along with CWDI International sponsored workshops with Charlotte Skeeters from the USA.

25th - 26th May 1996: Ourimbah Total Country Challenge at the Ourimbah RSL, NSW. $2,000 in prize money. Entry Forms are available by phoning 018 023 018 or 043 402 404.

1st - 2nd June 1996: Mountain Mavericks Line Dance Festival at the Burnie Civic Centre, TAS. Incudes workshops with Julie Talbot, talent quest and dance cabaret. Further details Laraine Spurr on 004 330 012.

Laraine Spurr (above) takes a Department of Tourism, Sport & Recreation 50 plus line dancing class.

Let It Rock - The largest range of Western Boots in the country. Including the famous Justin & La Granda Bota brands. We've also got Bolos, Bandanas, Buckles, Spurs, Ties & much more! Everything you need for your line dancing. Phone: 02 231 4640.

1st - 6th June 1996: Traveland are offering a 5-night escape to Long Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Packages out of Melbourne at $1,159.00, Sydney at $1,059.00 or Brisbane at $919.00, the first 50 rooms booked will receive a free upgrade to a beach front suite. Further details in Country Goss' Page 30 & 31 or Contact Traveland on 1800 654 899.

2nd June 1996: Hunter Valley Line Dancing Association's Regional Line Dancing Championships at Wests Leagues Club in New Lambton, NSW. Further details 049 688 500 or 049 904 626.

8th - 9th June 1996: The 1996 Gold Coast Line Dancing Competition at the Helensvale High School in Helensvale, QLD. Over $2,500 in prizemoney and trophies. Further details contact Frank or Margaret Parrish on 07 5573 3518.

8th - 10th June 1996: Forster - Tuncurry NSW, Country in the Park & Line Dancing Competition. Includes a carnival for the kids plus live music by The Dead Ringer Band, Hot Diggety and Darren Coggan. Further details contact Karen 065 55 4259, Noelene 065 54 9760 or Rhonda 065 55 4640.

Julie Talbot was out and about at the 1996 Country Music Festival in Sydney's Domain with her youngest son Ned whilst Bill Larson was in Tamworth for a series of workshops following a recent visit to the USA with Terry Hogan.

Grizzly Adams "Country's Hottest Mobile DJ" for the best in Country, Rock & 50's/60's Rock 'n' Roll. Ph: 018 405 543 Fax: 043 631 737

It's Show Time in Sydney and ALD dancers Ken Julie, Bob & Kay (above) are gearing up for the 1996 Sydney Royal Easter Show - Line Dance Spectacular in the Main Arena.

And as Sydney prepares for its 1996 Royal Easter Show, Channel 9 ran a huge promo out of their Willoughby studio.

RAS Events Organiser Hellen Waller along with fiddle player Pixie Jenkins (above) and around 450 dancers were invited into Channel 9 to promote the event with Kerri-Anne Kennerley.

Here's a great video clip of the day (above). The 450 dancers stretched from inside the studio out to the Channel 9 car park where they were joined by Steve Vizard.

March 1996 and nearly every media outlet wanted to include line dancing in their programming. Cheeze TV, a children's program screening on Channel 10 invited young dancers from Sydney and Wollongong to appear on the show (above). It is a fascinating look back in time. Where are all those young kids 30 years later?

Line Dancing every Friday night at Darkes Forest Woolshed. $8 includes supper. Country Line Dancing, all new country music releases, fully licensed. Phone 042 943 424.

And while the kids had a good run in the media, the "Seniors" were captivating their peers with public demonstrations. Thanks to Katy Benedet who sent us this fabulous video of the many dancers invited to take place for Seniors Week at the Chatswood Civic Centre in March 1996.

Country Goss' has some great giveaways this month and you can win any one of them! First off, rooArt Country Volume 1 showcases six hot new talents currently making a huge impact on the Australian country music scene including Shanley Del, Carol Young, Clint Beattie, Mitchell Shadlow and The Wheel. Check the magazine for further details.

Doug Ashdown, most famous for his haunting classic "Winter in America", has just released his brand-new album "no cheap grace". Co-written with Jimmy Stewart, the album features 14 easy listening tracks and is an absolute masterpiece. Country Goss' has one copy of Doug's album to give away. Details Page 35.

If you've got children that enjoy line dancing or you would like a family activity to share, we are giving away a copy of Line Dancing Especially for Kids. Eight fun, easy to learn dances with full instruction and some great music. Details in Country Goss' Page 28.

And more for the line dancers, Country Goss' is giving away a copy of Div's Line Dancing Directory containing 110 line dances in a ready reference form complete with a glossary of line dance terms. An invaluable back pocket accessory for that inevitable "How does it start" question!

We also have the Hottest Linedances video featuring 5 dance routines from beginner through to advanced including Bartender Stomp, Sleazy Cowboy, Linda Lu, Cadillac Ranch & Girls Night Out. You'll find all the details for these giveaways in this issue of Country Goss'.

As we look back on 1995, the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart featured some notable #1 Country Songs. Who debuted with their first ever #1 hit? Sit back, find out, and enjoy six of the greatest #1 songs and videos of 1995!

Pickup Man - Joe Diffie. This song was the first number one of the year starting its reign in December 1994 and continuing into January 1995.

Gone Country - Alan Jackson. One of three #1 hits for Jackson in 1995, showcasing his significant presence on the charts that year.

I Like It, I Love It - Tim McGraw. This song had a notable run at the top, spending five weeks in the number one position.

Any Man of Mine - Shania Twain. Twain's first #1 hit, marking her rise in the country music scene.

Dust on the Bottle - David Lee Murphy. A popular hit that contributed to Murphy's recognition in the country genre.

That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You - Aaron Tippin. This song concluded the year as the last number one hit in December 1995.

Overview of the Year 1995: In total, 29 different songs reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1995. Alan Jackson was the only artist to achieve three number one hits that year, while Tim McGraw had the longest unbroken run at the top with "I Like It, I Love It." Other artists like Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, and John Michael Montgomery also made significant contributions to the country music landscape during this year.

Brooks & Dunn, John Michael Montgomery and George Strait also had big hits in 1995.

Line Dancing Footwear by Mail Order - Women's, Men's & Children. Eight styles available. Gateway Footwear, Gosford, NSW. Phone: 04 325 7206 Fax: 04 389 6998.

Now, Golden Oldie Time. It may be 2026 now, but do you remember what song you were singing and dancing to 30 years ago in March/April 1996? According to Country Goss' and Wots Hot Around Oz, it would have been the song and dance of the same name "Girls Night Out" by Gina Jeffreys.

Choreographed by Terry Hogan (AUS) in 1994 and featuring as the advanced dance on Julie Talbot's Instructional Video Hottest Linedances, the song was lifted from Gina's debut album "The Flame" which achieved Platinum in 1997. The song picked up solid country radio airplay and won Jeffreys her second Golden Guitar Award for best female vocal in 1995.

Here's a live version of the song plus the dance sheet of "Girls Night Out" courtesy of Div's Line Dancing Directory. Give it a go!

We hope you have enjoyed this edition of Country Goss'. If you have any fun stories or old photos that you would like included in past or upcoming editions, then drop us a line at linedancehistoryaustralia@gmail.com 

Bye.