Legend will join another legend. Again.
But this time in Wheeling. At the Capitol Theatre.
This Thursday evening.
That’s when Glen Dale’s own Lionel Cartwright and country music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy will partner for “An Intimate Evening of Stories and Songs” in downtown Wheeling beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online.
It will be the second time Cartwright and McCoy join each other in song since the holiday season.
“Charlie and I did a show at the Country Hall of Fame and Kyle (Knox) found out about it and thought it would be a cool thing if we brough it to the Capitol Theatre,” Cartwright explained. “I’ve worked with Charlie quite a bit through the years and I can tell you he has some of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard. They truly are insane.
“The show is a two-man show and we’ll cover his stuff, and we’ll cover my stuff,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I think the crowd is going to enjoy the music and love the banter between the two of us.”
Cartwright’s musical hits include 3-BMI Million-Air Award songs, including the Billboard #1 “Leap of Faith”, “I Watched It All On My Radio”, “Give Me His Last Chance”, along with other Top 10 hits. He was a member of the famous country music class of 1989 and was nominated for 1990 ACM New Male Vocalist alongside Garth Brooks and Clint Black.
Cartwright’s work as a composer has been credited in over one hundred television and film projects – including for streaming services such as Netflix, Apple TV, Discovery, and more.
McCoy?
As a session musician and primarily a harmonica master, he’s played with a few artists most might have heard of before. Folks like George Jones, Roy Orbinson, Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Johnny Paycheck, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Waylon Jennings, Josh Turner, Gordon Lightfoot, Bobby Bare, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tom T. Hall, for example.
And the list goes on.
“Me and Charlie became friends because he’s liked my stuff and I like his stuff, so that’s how the Hall of Fame show came about,” Cartwright revealed. “And it really was well received because we just naturally talked with each other during the show. Now, I’m sure it’ll be different in Wheeling because we’re not trying to copy the content necessarily. Just the format, really.
“The crowd in Wheeling is going to love it because they’ll be able to sing along, and they’ll be able to learn some things about a lot of folks in the country music business.”
Those Country Roads
While most shows are stage shows, the last time Cartwright performed at the Capitol Theatre, he AND the audience were all on stage.
The performance was in May 2018 and Cartwright played his hit songs and many other originals, and he shared with the crowd the tales behind each tune. He expects a similar format this Thursday evening.
“I’ve never really thought about how much I like that format – playing and talking about it – but I do like to perform that way because it’s more personal,” Cartwright said. “And the folks will just love hearing about the life that Charlie has lived in this industry. His career has been truly remarkable because he’s worked with so many of the national cats through the years.
“He’s been a session guy who’s worked with every country artist possible. Seriously. I’d have a hard time finding someone in country he’s not worked with during his career,” he said. “I’m talking about people like Roy Orison and Johnny Cash and everyone since them. Shoot, when Bob Dylan has come here (to Nashville) to record, there’s Charlie McCoy, and his stories could go on for days.”
Cartwright reminisces about those just-a-kid Jamboree days when he was a musician for star after star when country music took over downtown Wheeling each Saturday evening. Wheeling’s Jamboree USA was ranked second only to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry when it came to the most popular country music venues.
“I don’t come home often because I don’t have family here anymore, but the best part about returning for me is touching base with where I came from. I drive down to Glen Dale just to see the house where I grew up, and there’s really something about going back to your roots. It always puts things into perspective for me,” Cartwright said. “And I love going back to the Capitol Theatre. It’s a very special place for me.
“Every Saturday night, from my senior year in high school and all the way through college, I was playing music at the Capitol Theatre,” he said. “It was absolutely formative for me. It’s what I ended up doing for the rest of my life, and it’s because of those Saturday nights. That stage is magicial, and that room, that theatre, is very special.”
And this show with Charlie McCoy will add another chapter.
“I do think back on those Jamboree nights, and I remember those warm nights during Jamboree in the Hills, and I realize now just how special those nights were. It’s all just so dear to my heart,” Cartwright said. “It’s never been lost to me, the privilege that it was and is now.
“And now I get to perform with Charlie McCoy and I can’t wait.”
