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'Shaggin' on the Boulevard'
Myrtle Beach stakes a place in the entertainment world August 5, 1998 Web posted at: 10:26 a.m. EDT (1026 GMT) MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) --- The number one attraction in Myrtle Beach is the 60 miles (97 kilometers) of coastline known as the Grand Strand. It's so popular, in fact, that in 1997 AAA named the area the country's number two summer vacation destination, trailing only Orlando, Florida.
While the surf and sands draw the crowds as they have for decades, in recent years, the entertainment industry has given the city a new wave of success.
Calvin Gilmore is given much of the credit for getting Myrtle Beach in tune with the entertainment world. He opened the Carolina Opry in 1986, billing his show as "Grand Ole Opry with a dash of Broadway."
Gilmore was raised in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri with a penchant for country music, but his current show is full of variety. Still, he says, the "good old fashioned country music" is his favorite part of the show.
"That's probably what I do best," he says.
As for what makes his musical efforts a success, Gilmore gives 12 million reasons.
"Twelve million visitors a year to Myrtle Beach," he says.
Those kind of numbers are music to the ears of the local Chamber of Commerce.
"We are getting inquiries from all 50 states, almost every day, and a lot of foreign countries," says COC president Ashby Ward. "We used to have to explain where Myrtle Beach was ... and now it's a given."
Myrtle Beach is making waves in the entertainment business with a wealth of local shows and Broadway
touring productions
Calvin Gilmore can take much of the credit for getting Myrtle Beach in tune
with the entertainment world. He opened the Carolina Opry in 1986
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And what's even better, says Ward, is that almost three-quarters of those who visited last year will be back this year.
Celebrity invasion
But for many years, there was one thing lacking on the Strand.
"At night there was a dearth of things to do," Ward says. "We did not have a lot of regular entertainment on a nightly basis and so the basic question we had was, 'What do we do here at night?'"
During the 1990s, nightlife at Myrtle Beach has taken on a new meaning. Eleven live entertainment theaters have helped the city evolve into a year-round destination with one key -- affordability.
The average night's stay is about $66 dollars. Add that to the price of a theater ticket --generally about $25 per show -- and you've got a night on the town Myrtle Beach style.
A trip to Myrtle Beach now includes an affordable nightlife including entertainment theaters and great music. The group Alabama got their start at the Bowery (right), a local hangout
Country music supergroup Alabama was the first celebrity act to hit the Myrtle Beach music scene -- as Wild Country, the house band at local hangout The Bowery, for seven summers before their debut on the country music charts in 1980. Their stay at The Bowery is immortalized in the song "Dancin', Shaggin' On The Boulevard."
"The Bowery gave us a great place, a great avenue to be a band and to be able to write and be able to create," says singer Randy Owen. "The thing with Myrtle Beach and Alabama, it's a unique thing because this is us."
Alabama has outgrown The Bowery and has its own theater now in Myrtle Beach, so visitors can sing along with their longtime favorites or try something new. And no, the group isn't there 365 days a year, but the Alabama Theater does host a two-hour show, this year called "Celebration '98," along with "Christmas in Dixie" (an Alabama song title) and celebrity concerts.
'Give my regards to Broadway'
Nowadays the coastal town even attracts touring Broadway productions. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" starring Barbara Eden (TV's "I Dream of Jeannie") was running at the Palace Theater the weekend CNN visited.
"Changing Myrtle Beach?" Eden says. "It makes me feel very good ... If it's changing, it's changing for the positive."
Country singer Steve Gatlin (of Gatlin Brothers fame) calls Myrtle Beach "a dream" location.
"I believe the entertainment industry within the Myrtle Beach area is just the icing on the cake," Gatlin says. "People still come here for the golf and the beach, so that in itself is a little different. If you're in Branson, Missouri, you know everybody who comes to that town is going to see a show. That's not necessarily the case here -- we're trying to change that."
The scenic shoreline, plenty of places for discount shopping and the game of golf will keep travelers singing the praises of Myrtle Beach. But now the city is discovering the power of making waves in the music world, adding a new harmony to this already popular destination.
Related Resources: Weather: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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Related stories: South Carolina Destinations:
o Charleston - May 1998
o Edisto Island - June 1997
o Hilton Head - May 1997
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• Myrtle Beach Live (Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce)
• Official South Carolina Web site: Grand Strand Attractions
• City of Myrtle Beach government Web site
• Alabama Web site
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GOVERNOR SANFORD RECOGNIZES CALVIN GILMORE AND THE CAROLINA OPRY ON THE SHOW’S TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY June 2, 2006 Myrtle Beach, SC – Twenty years ago when Calvin Gilmore opened the doors of his Carolina Opry, he could not have known that it would lead him to this moment in time. Two nights ago, the Honorable Governor Mark Sanford took the stage at The Carolina Opry to congratulate Gilmore on the occasion of the landmark show’s twentieth anniversary. Mr. Sanford arrived at the theater early, and watched the show from the wings until he was introduced. Light bulbs flashed as he strode out to join Gilmore onstage before the sold‐out audience of more than two thousand. With his own brand of casual and friendly dialogue, the Governor began his remarks by saying, “...the Opry as a whole and Calvin in particular have made a difference in Myrtle Beach, and frankly the State as a whole.” He pointed out that twenty years ago, they rolled up the sidewalks at an early hour on the Grand Strand, and went on to add, “Twenty years, 5,800 shows, and 6 million visitors over the years, and a whole lot of folk’s lives impacted in the
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process.” He continued, “I’d ask you to give him a round of applause and this greater team a round of applause for the difference that they’ve made in people’s lives,” triggering a standing ovation. The Governor noted that Gilmore set an example as an entertainer and entrepreneur by giving priority to his family and family entertainment.
The Carolina Opry opened on May 2, 1986 in a small theater in Surfside Beach. The little show that no one thought could possibly work quickly began to draw crowds, and before long it was playing to sold out audiences nightly. In December of that year, they performed the first of their annual Christmas Specials – an
event that has grown to mega proportions in the ensuing years, and has become a family tradition for thousands of residents throughout the Southeast. In 1992, Gilmore moved The Carolina Opry to its present 2,200‐seat show palace in the heart of Myrtle Beach. Late the following year, he sold a large portion of the company to the Family Channel Television Network, which was subsequently sold to Rupert Murdock’s Fox network; in 1998 Gilmore acted on a rare opportunity to buy the company back. Gilmore brought the first nationally televised show to the Grand Strand in 1994, when they filmed “Country Music Spotlight” at The Carolina Opry theater; the series featured, among others, Martina McBride, Kris Kristofferson, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, and Three Dog Night. The well‐known theater has been featured in national media such as NBC Nightly News, USA Today, New York Times, Hollywood Variety, and Southern Living Magazine. For the past three years, Gilmore has performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Gilmore is known not only as a performer, but also for the technically advanced and creatively tight shows that he produces. The Carolina Opry continues the tradition of music, comedy, dance, and variety that has made it the favorite of audiences for twenty years. In addition, the phenomenally talented cast performs a second show three nights each week. Good Vibrations! is a celebration of the glory days of popular music and culture, the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s; it features
June 2, 2006 Page 3 of 3
everything from the Righteous Brothers to the Beatles to Kiss, and is enhanced by an impressive multi‐media display. Gilmore says, “Twenty years can go by in a moment ‐ and it has. My dreams twenty years ago were probably completely unrealistic – but they have been met and exceeded in a most improbable way. Myrtle Beach has been really good to me, and I am thankful for that every day.” Governor Sanford completed his remarks on Wednesday evening by saying, “... as sure as Tom Cruise has a mission in Mission Impossible, every one of us here on earth has a God‐given mission that we’re due to fulfill. A lot of folks get tripped up, though. They never follow their dream, either because they forget about the dream or they won’t act on it. And he’s done both and in the process made a remarkable difference in people’s lives. I just wanted to come by long enough to say thank you for that difference in people’s lives.” The governor’s appearance was followed by a short champagne reception and toast at intermission, attended by longtime friends of the Opry and local dignitaries. The Carolina Opry is the first and longest running year‐round live show in the Southeast, and is the only live show and theater to have won the coveted Governor’s Cup, the state’s highest tourism award, and to be voted South Carolina’s Most Outstanding Attraction. ###
1986 — May 2: The Carolina Opry opens in Surfside Beach, South Carolina
1986 — December: The Carolina Opry Christmas Special debuts as one of the first Holiday attractions in Myrtle Beach at a time when even restaurants closed in December
1987 — February: The Carolina Opry is named the State’s Most Outstanding Attraction by the Governor of South Carolina
1992 — Calvin Gilmore opens Candock Recording Studio in Surfside Beach
1989 — September 1: Calvin Gilmore opens his second theater, The Dixie Jubilee, in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
1992 — June 29: Opening night in the new 2,200-seat, state-of-the-art Carolina Opry theater
1992 — July 3: Calvin Gilmore opens his third Grand Strand theater, Southern Country Nights in the Surfside Beach theater that was the original home of The Carolina Opry
1992 — July 18: Governor Campbell names Calvin Gilmore “South Carolina’s Country Music Ambassador” and The Carolina Opry is designated as “The Country Music Center of South Carolina.”
1992 — The company’s in-house showbill, Spotlight Magazine, expands to include 13 theaters in Branson, MO including Andy Williams, Tony Orlando, Bobby Vinton, The Grande Palace, Roy Clark, Beating out the venerable Playbill of New York for the contract
Gilmore Entertainment Timeline
1992 — November 17: USA Today feature article/photo on Calvin Gilmore and The Carolina Opry, crediting him for “Starting the Myrtle Beach Boom”
1993 — February: The Carolina Opry and Calvin Gilmore Productions wins the state’s highest tourism award, The Governor’s Cup
1993 — September 8: Calvin Gilmore Productions sells 80% to the Family Channel Television Network
1994 — January 5: SC’s first weekly television series, Country Music Spotlight, airs on The Family Channel live from The Carolina Opry theater, named for the company’s in-house showbill, Spotlight Magazine; starring Calvin Gilmore, and other featured performers from The Carolina Opry along with Merle Haggard, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, Travis Tritt, John Michael Montgomery, the Gatlin Brothers, Martina McBride, and Patty Loveless
1994 — July: Nascar Salute to Fast Cars, taped live before a studio audience at The Carolina Opry airs on The Family Channel, featuring Calvin Gilmore, the Carolina Opry, Denver Pyle, and Tom Wopat
1995 — Gilmore brings all three shows under one roof at the new Carolina Opry theater
1995 — April 18: The Wall Street Journal credits Calvin Gilmore for the entertainment and motor coach boom in Myrtle Beach
1995 — June: Calvin Gilmore receives a star in the Myrtle Beach Walk of Fame with Vanna White
1995 — September 27: Gilmore opens Serenade Show, in Charleston, South Carolina
1997 — May 30: Calvin Gilmore is inducted into the Hard Rock Café Hall of Fame
1998 — April 10: Murdock buys Family Channel Television Network, and Gilmore buys back 100% of Gilmore Entertainment/Calvin Gilmore Productions
2001 — August 22: Pat Summerall interviews Gilmore on Fox News Success Stories
2003 — January: Gilmore Entertainment launches Tom Bodett radio spot marketing campaign
2003 — April 29: Calvin debuts on the Grand Ole Opry, followed by numerous appearances over the following years
2003 — August 9: Legendary producer Barry Beckett produces Calvin’s album, Better Late, in Nashville
2003 — Spetember 30: The News York Times calls The Carolina Opry “A hit with visitors”
2004 — March 5: Calvin Gilmore opens Tribute theater in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2005 — August 9: Gilmore accepts the Best Producer award from The Entertainment Network at the annual convention of the International Guild of Celebrity Impersonators & Tribute Artists in Las Vegas
2006 — May 31: The Carolina Opry celebrates its 6,000th show and 20th Anniversary with guest, Governor Mark Sanford, who proclaimed May 31 as Calvin Gilmore and The Carolina Opry Day
2007 — Calvin Gilmore makes small appearances in two films, “Bolden” and later, “Get Low” (featuring Bill Murray and Robert Duvall)
2008 — May 31: Calvin Gilmore and cast are asked to perform the National Anthem on Fox Television Network for the National Presidential Republican debate, aired live from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2010 — November 18: Calvin Gilmore is named Pioneer of the Year, an honor bestowed each year on the individual who has best exhibited a significant, positive impact on the Myrtle Beach area. Gilmore is also presented with the Palmetto Patriot Award, recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their fellow citizens and the State of South Carolina. The award is the highest the Lieutenant Governor can bestow.
