Free Entertainment Topics in Phoenix

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  Dig Deeper – Really Connect with the Civil War (at a personal level)

  Ron Meeks, Hall of Fame Musician & Civil War Historian

  Ron Meeks has been an American Civil War student for approximately 65 years! He has visited more than 50 Civil War Battlefields, read approximately 200 non-fiction books on the subject, researched the history of numerous historical places and people from that era and taken every opportunity to expand his Civil War knowledge and experiences. He became genuinely interested in studying the war because of several somewhat strange and unusual connections to the war that he experienced early in life. MORE >

  Ron was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. His family moved into a historic part of Akron in 1951. Shortly after moving in, Ron learned that two doors down the street from his house was a museum that had been the home of the famous abolitionist John Brown. The property that Ron’s house was located on was also part of the Brown property prior to the Civil War. Across the street was another museum honoring another famous individual named Simon Perkins from the pre-Civil War era. Ron was given free access to both museums, so he spent many hours in and around those museums.

  Ron’s interest in the Civil War was further primed when he visited several battlefield sites in the south during the next few years. He learned that his father was born in a Civil War Battlefield town, located very close to several other famous Civil War Battlefield National Parks. Additional research revealed that his grandfather’s childhood home had been taken over by the Confederate Army for several months during the war and was used by a prominent general for his headquarters. Ron found several books and articles mentioning that fact and showing photos of the house.

  When Ron was in his early teens, he got a job working in a nearby cemetery after school. As he worked there, he learned that the cemetery was not only for burying Akron citizens, but it was also a Civil War Memorial Cemetery containing the graves of hundreds of Civil War soldiers.

  Another surprising connection occurred as Ron researched more and more. He learned that the building next door to the McLean House in Appomattox Court House, Virginia where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant was a Meeks General Store. Ron knew that his ancestors had been in the General Store business during the Civil War but had not known that one of those stores was located in such a famous location.

  All of these surprising connections to the Civil War fueled Ron’s lifelong interest in learning more about the American Civil War at a very personal level. He continues his research to this day.
  As part of his research, Ron has studied war records of ancestors and others. These records detail their specific history during the war including where they went, what battles they fought, and other information. He has read many personal letters written by soldiers to families and friends during the war. He has studied weaponry, life and death experiences, specific battles and other aspects.
  Ron has become quite knowledgeable about the Civil War and shares this information in his speeches. He also invites the audience to join in the discussions. He looks forward to speaking before new groups of people with interest and enthusiasm.

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  Rock-On – Really Connect with Early Rock Music

  Ron Meeks, Hall of Fame Musician & Civil War Historian

  Ron Meeks is a Hall of Fame musician who recorded and performed professionally during the early years (first generation) of Rock and Roll Music from 1957 to 1965. He has a very unique story to share. He played with several successful bands and performed at approximately 420 public events during that period including concerts, rock and roll shows, nightclubs, etc. MORE >

  Ron was also a “studio musician” (“session musician”) and helped create approximately 25 early rock recordings for two record companies. Several of these recorded songs were released to the public and became national or regional hits. The original records are now being sold as collector records. Some of the songs are included in more than 30 different “Oldies” or “Legends” albums and collections that are still being sold by record and music companies in a dozen different countries around the world.

  Ron was NOT a “front man” (star of the group). He was one of those people playing and singing in the background. Ron Meeks played electric bass guitar, sang background harmony and was a music arranger. He performed with more than a dozen different bands including several famous entertainers from that era.

  Ron Meeks discontinued his active rock music career in 1965 and moved from Ohio to Arizona for health reasons. Once settled in Arizona, he started his commerce law and finance practice, which has been his primary profession until his recent semi-retirement.

  In 2017 Ron was added to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee as one of the “Legends that helped create Rock and Roll Music”. That Hall of Fame is now a rockabilly museum.
  Throughout Ron’s career, he has been a public speaker relating to this and other subjects of general interest at more than 60 events at many different locations in and near the United States.

  In addition to his regular business activities, Ron found time to perform free as a musician to benefit various charitable organizations, particularly at events for the homeless. Although his early years in music were primarily in rock and roll (also referred to as rockabilly music), he also played traditional jazz, blues, swing, country and gospel music to appeal to more audiences and situations. During recent years, he made recordings and public appearances playing these styles.

  Some of Ron’s most enjoyable music events occurred during the last 20 years after his children, and then his grandchildren, were growing up. All 3 of his children, and several grandchildren are musicians. Ron and his children have produced some good recordings made by his “family bands”.

  Ron Meeks has learned from experience that many people are interested in the music and lifestyle of the 1950’s and early 60’s. Although he no longer performs as a musician, he still loves to share his unique experiences through public speaking so that others can recall and enjoy their musical memories and experiences from the past while expanding their understanding of music during those early years.

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  Arizona Wild Territorial Days and its Economic Development through Statehood

  Albert Monreal Quihuis, Author / Historian

  This is a presentation of the wild history of Arizona. Its prospecting and mining towns, saloons, gambling, brothels, lawless gunfighting days, Tombstone, the OK Corral, Pleasant Valley War, the Baron of Arizona, stagecoach robberies, cattle rustlers, military forts, and the Indian Wars. MORE >

  It is a wonder how Arizona was able to achieve statehood as the 48th State. The driving forces behind this were the 5C’s: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, Climate, and the Roosevelt Dam which created large-scale irrigation and hydroelectric power. Are the 5C’s still important today, or were they cut off at the pass and are there new 5C’s in town?

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  “From RSVP to OMG: The Evolution of a Party Animal”

  Donna Vessey, Gala Guru, The Gala Guru

  Donna Vessey is "The Gala Guru," and her journey is an inspiring tale of resilience peppered with danger and excitement. "My mantra has always been to say yes and then figure out how to do it." The story could have ended before it began. As the former owner and creator of Donna Vessey Events, an international event management company, she honed her skills in orchestrating unforgettable experiences. MORE >

  Donna's genuine passion for performance led her to study improv at Chicago's renowned "The Second City," laying the foundation for a successful acting career. She has become a versatile performer with over 100 television commercials and 600 theatrical performances. Her role as host of the adventure TV show "Hittin' the Road" for Rocky Mountain PBS further show-cased her on-screen charisma and love for exploration. As the creative force behind the popular advice blog Dear Gala Guru, she offers her humorous and insightful perspective on life events and celebrations.

  With an unwavering commitment to infusing joy and laughter into her work, Donna Vessey continues to inspire and entertain. Her unique blend of event expertise and theatrical flair is a testament to her dedication to creating memorable experiences that bring a smile to everyone's face.

  The road to becoming The Gala Guru is a story worth hearing!

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  How I Wrote and Published My Debut Novel

  Howard Gershkowitz, Author

  Sitting in the lobby of the historic Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona, I sipped my coffee and stared at the period pieces surrounding me. It was January 1, 2015 when my eyes landed on the switchboard, circa 1927, and I started day dreaming. What might it have looked like, some young person sitting at the station, routing calls between the guestrooms and the rest of the country? I pictured the roaring 20’s, the coming market crash, the world plunged into the Great Depression, ultimately bringing about World War II and it’s horrifying consequences. What if I could go back and warn them? Stop it somehow? MORE >

  Thus, began this journey back to 1929, where I sent our hero, Harold, to meet Talia Sanders, the operator. Over the course of the next couple of years—in real time—he navigated the interceding nine decades, traveling back and forth, trying to change the past, and, when he fails, to prevent the same thing from happening in the present.

  As the story unfolded in my mind, I had one major problem; most time travel stories break down because of unresolved paradoxes. If you visit the past, don’t you automatically change it by your presence? What if you only go back a few months or years? You run the risk of meeting your younger self, which is a real no-no in terms of theoretical physics. How, then, could I get around it?

  The main concern, as far as I could see, was this little thing called the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, If you take a human being and transport him into the past, you simultaneously remove his bulk from the present and insert into another epoch. The Universe should implode immediately upon such a distortion. The answer? Well, if modern theory is right, we can hitch a ride through a wormhole, traveling unimaginable distances across the galaxy without disrupting the flow of time. So why not a slimmed down version to permit local excursions? Why not a ‘squirmhole?”

  Join Harold as he wanders through time in order to prevent the past from repeating itself.

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