Cast Members

Special Guests this Season at the Hoedown!

Donna Rhodes

Born into the famous Rhodes family of Slim, Speck, Dusty and Bea Rhodes, Donna grew up singing with the family as far back as she can remember.  She is the daughter of Dot and Dusty Rhodes.  She sang in family shows all her young life on the radio, on television and live.  In the late 1960′s she began singing harmonies on records with her sister Sandra.  She has sang on records with Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Al Green, Frank Sinatra, The Bee Gees, John Cougar Mellencamp, Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn, Clint Black, Brenda Lee and many, many others.  She and her sister, Sandra, were nominated for a Grammy Award for their debut album, “The Lonesome Rhodes”. On The Nashville Network (TNN) she led the Nashville Now Singers for over 10 years on the networks highest rated program, Nashville Now, hosted by Ralph Emery.

Randy Holland

Randy performs music of all ages with his smooth voice, as well as his impersonations of a number artists including Conway Twitty. Randy “Conway” Holland boasts a number of command performance engagements including the “Louisiana Hayride,” “Ernest Tubb’s Midnight Jamboree” in Nashville with Roy Acuff, and two consecutive years performing with David Faria in a 50’s Rock and Roll show. Randy was a two-time winner of “You Can Be A Star!” on the Nashville Network. His accomplishments include the hit single “We’ll Talk It Over” on the famous Hill Top label out of Nashville, and the “Razorback Boogie” which soared to #1 regionally when the University of Arkansas basketball team won the National Championship. Randy’s ability to perform as Conway Twitty is incomparable. His moving voice and matchless style of delivery are so close to the original that Conway’s sister-in-law had to say, “It’s like hearing Conway sing one more time!” Randy made his singing debut on radio when he was four years old and has literally grown up with country music. Randy started playing a toy guitar in the “Variety Band,” his family’s group.

Matt Huff

Matthew jam packed his first year of his career with booking shows around the nation, from Arkansas to Missouri, Tennessee, Colorado, Iowa, and Florida.  He opened for David Nail, Joe Diffie, Michael Sarver, and Pat Green, completed his album, in which his debut earned him his first Top 40 hit on Music Row! The follow up single, As Time Goes By, is already making head way on Music Row. “I’ve enjoyed the hard work and anticipation that comes with every part of being a musician.  As a true independent, it’s gratifying knowing that I had very little funding for my debut and was still able to earn a debuting Top 40.  I’m humbled and appreciative of all that’s happening early in my career and looking forward to year number two!” -Matthew Huff Vocal groups such as Little Texas, Diamond Rio, and Black Hawk, rich in harmony and steeped in deep and touching lyrics appealed to Matthew early on. Anyone who grew up as a child of the nineties heard and was drawn to the legends like Reba, George Strait, and Alabama.  But Matthew’s musical influences have always been diverse. Matthew finds passion as easily in an 80’s Alabama song as he does in jamming to more modern styles like Keith Urban.   Keith Urban is definitely an artist that Matthew pays particular attention to, someone who continually rocks the stage and the airwaves consistently with touching ballads to powerful modern day themed anthems.  For Matthew, it’s not just Urban’s songs that touch him, but it’s the courage of taking one’s life struggles & turning them into songs and performances that are authentic that inspires Matthew’s artistic spirit.

Jana King Evans

Jana is originally from Snyder,Texas.  She graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education degree and completed years of masters degree  work in Musical Theatre at Texas Tech University.

Jana is most recognized for her many years on television on TNN (The Nashville Network) as lead background vocalist and vocal arranger on the Ralph Emery show… “Nashville Now” and on the Crooke and Chase show… “Music City Tonight”.  These shows aired live, nationwide for over 12 years.  She has performed on numerous other television specials such as The Country Music Association Awards Show, Tribute to the Grand Old Opry , Tribute to Minnie Pearl, Tribute to Ralph Emery, and Branson Jubilee. Jana also was featured with Neil Diamond on his CBS television special, “Under a Tennesse Moon.”  One of her greatest television performances was on two different occasions when she had the honor of performing with Roy Acuff and Johnny Cash when they were each inducted into the Kennedy Performing Arts Hall of Fame in Washington DC on the Kennedy Honors Show.

She has sung and arranged vocals on 100′s of hit recordings with artists such as Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan, B. J. Thomas, Mickey Gilley, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap, Glen Campbell, Randy Travis, Pam Tillis, Mark Chestnutt, John Anderson….and the list goes on & on.

She is also nationally recognized for her many commercials (or “Jingles”) that she has sung on, such as “And like a Good Neighbor…State Farm is There”), “You’re in Good Hands… with Allstate”,  “Heartbeat of America…Today’s Chevrolet”, “Oh I’d love to be an Oscar Meyer Weiner”, “Toyota”, “Budweiser Beer”, “McDonalds”, etc.

Jana is also an accomplished songwriter and is most proud of one of her songs. “Jump Into My Fire”, which was  recorded by the legendary  Etta James on her Contemporary Blues Grammy Award nominated Island Records album,  Seven Year Itch. Jana has been a featured vocalist the Les Brown Band of Renown Show, the Pam Tillis Show, the Yakov Smirnoff Show. the Larry Gatlin Show and the Doug Kershaw Show.  She was honored to join the Mickey Gilley Show in July 2010.

At present, Jana has been busy in the studio producing country, gospel and contemporary christian acts and has been called upon to compose vocal arrangments for the likes of Pam Tillis, The Letterman, Shirley Jones, and Jim Stafford, among others.

Gloria Tillotson

Gloria was born in Henderson, Kentucky and was raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She began singing in church when she was only 2.  Even as a small child Gloria knew that she wanted to be a singer when she grew up. Gloria comes from a family of singers and is related to the famous singer-songwriter Johnny Tillotson who recorded such hit songs as “Poetry in Motion”, “Tears on My Pillow” and “Earth Angel” to name a few.  Johnny was one of the top 100 recording artists of the Rock Era according to Billboard Magazine. Gloria drew from her talented relative’s inspiration and began writing her own music when she was a pre-teen.

Gloria had the opportunity to record a few of her songs at age 14 and knew she had found her true passion in life.  Gloria has been writing and producing songs ever since. Gloria sang a duet with the late great singer John Whitehead, famous for the Grammy nominated inspirational song, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” Gloria sings “Bridge of Friendship” on the new “Love Has Begun” Album featuring Rita, Israel’s Queen of Song. She recently authored a book, “Two Miracles Two Lives Saved” which is based on a true story of Gloria’s fight for her and her sons life, including a near death experience. Gloria also wrote and co-produced an album inspired by this book also titled “Two Miracles Two Lives Saved” and can be accessed at www.gloriatillotson.com.