Penny Gilley Show roots planted in Grapevine

The Penny Gilley Show, a weekly country music variety show featured on RFD-TV, is taping 18 shows this month at Grapevine’s Historic Palace Theatre.

“There’s no better destination for me and my show,” Penny Gilley said. “Grapevine is a destination city. There’s a lot to do here.”

And, she said, “More people need to know about Grapevine and its great country music shows. I’ll be able to continue giving Grapevine national exposure through my show.”

The 18 shows she will produce Jan. 12-14 for the upcoming season feature a lot of familiar names including Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, Ronnie McDowell, Charley Pride, B.J. Thomas, Amber Digby, Jake Hooker and Mollie B.

The shows taped at the theater will begin airing on April 2.

There is no charge to watch the three-day productions, which run from noon to 8 p.m., but reservations are required. For reservations, call 817-410-3100 or email palaceevents@grapevinetexasusa.com. People are welcome to come and go.

“But be prepared to be a part of our studio audience,” Gilley said, meaning some fans may wind up on TV.

Gilley, originally from West Monroe, La., has been a Grapevine resident since 1995.

The Penny Gilley Show was first taped at the Grapevine Palace Theatre in 2013. Prior to 2013, Gilley performed and headlined in Branson, Mo.

Mickey Gilley, a second cousin, will make an appearance and Rocky Gribble, retired producer of The Grapevine Opry, will provide musical accompaniment for performers and show segments.

In North Texas, RFD-TV is available on DirecTV, Dish, Verizon FiOS, AT&T’s U-verse and Fort Worth’s Charter Cable, as well as hundreds of cable companies nationally.

Called “The sweetheart of country music,” Gilley brings glitz, glamor and down-home country classics to her show, according to her publicist and husband, Mike Stanglin.

Gilley has logged more than 300,000 air miles performing for troops across the world, including 11 tours to South Korea.

Her song, The Line Drawn in the Sand, caught the attention of General Norman Schwarzkopf, who invited her to perform for the homecoming of Desert Storm soldiers in Oceanside, Calif.

“I get the opportunity to share the kind of music that I love — and that people love and don’t get a chance to hear much anymore: classic country,” Gilley said.

Her “lifetime favorites” include Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and Barbara Mandrell.

Gilley loves chatting with her live audiences and brings some of that personal intimacy to her TV show. One way is to avoid a script and just keep it spontaneous and “laid back.”

Her journey to the Grapevine can be traced to 1993 when she decided to put down roots locally, in part because of her love of the county music scene in Grapevine.

She moved at first to Las Colinas and then to Grapevine.

“I’ve always been pretty passionate about Grapevine,” Gilley said. “This is the home for the Penny Gilley shows.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2015 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Penny Gilley Show roots planted in Grapevine."