While researching our papers for the Omega Productions Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library, we came across this project, titled “Texas 150: A Celebration Special.” The program was a major television broadcast associated with the 150th anniversary of the state of Texas. The two-hour prime-time telecast aired on April 28, 1986, on the ABC Television Network. The special was taped live on the evening of April 27, 1986, at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center at The University of Texas in Austin, TX. Ticket sales for the live taping directly benefited the State Capitol Restoration Project.
Omega Productions was selected to record the project utilizing the company’s 24/48 track mobile unit to capture the dialogue and musical performances. The program blended live musical performances with pre-taped “I Remember Texas” segments featuring notable personalities reflecting on their home state, mixed with historical mini-features and archival film clips. The event gathered one of the largest assemblies of Texas-born or Texas-associated entertainment superstars for a single television special. Among the artists and perdonalities featured were Debbie Allen, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Gene Autry, Johnny Cash, Van Cliburn, Walter Cronkite, Mac Davis, Jimmy Dean, Sam Donaldson, SandyDuncan, Morgan Fairchild, Freddy Fender, Jennifer Holliday, Tom Jarriel, Barbara L. Jordan, Kris Kristofferson, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Johnny Lee, Steve Martin, Delbert McClinton, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Gary Morris, Michael Martin Murphey, Willie Nelson, Phylicia Rashad, Ginger Rogers, Jaclyn Smith, Sissy Spacek, B.J. Thomas, Tommy Tune, and Boz Skaggs.
“Texas 150: A Celebration Special” was produced and directed by Emmy Award winner Joe Cates. The executive producer was Bill Starnes. Head writer was Chet Hagan, a former producer of the “Today Show.” George Pettit of Dallas did the set design. Special production consultant was Gordon R. Wynne, Jr., of Wills Point.
Paul and Donna Christensen and their award-winning crew thank ABC and Cates Productions for the opportunity to work on this historic project. It was one of the highlights of our 50+ year career.
The following excerpt is from the June 1986 issue of the Texas 1986 Sesquicentennial Commission’s Stars Over Texas newsletter.
Stars Salute Texas on Prime Time
“ABC Television said “no” to California. Same to New York City. But when approached with the idea of presenting a television spectacular saluting Texas, ABC had an offer too good to turn down. That’s why ABC gave the o.k. to “Texas 150: A Celebration Special” and presented it as a two-hour, prime time telecast over the ABC Television Network on the night of April 28, 1986.
“Texas 150” featured the largest gathering of Texas superstars ever assembled to perform in a television special.
The show was taped in Austin the evening of April 27 at The University of Texas Frank Erwin Special Events Center before an enthusiastic audience that paid $20, $50, $100 and $500 for tickets. Ticket sale proceeds went to benefit the State Capitol Restoration Project. “Texas 150” combined live performances and pre-taped “I Remember Texas” segments of stars’ reflections of their home state, colorful historical features, and film clips. Performing on a panoramic stage set depicting memorable scenes of Texas past and present, the stars showcased talents as wide as the Lone Star State.
Country Music of America award-winner George Strait sang “Amarillo By Morning.” Sandy Duncan and Tommy Tune performed a show-stopping number from their hit Broadway musical “My One and Only.” Van Cliburn brought Gary Morris to the stage to thrill the audience with an aria from “La Boheme.” The legendary Johnny Cash paid tribute to the heroes of the Alamo. And Freddie Fender brought the crowd into the act with his foot stomping, hand clapping rendition of “I Love My Rancho Grande.”
The audience was treated to a behind the scenes “out take” when Jimmy Dean stopped his number “Bob Wills Is Still the King” half way through to start over. Dean confided to the audience, “I get nervous because I don’t do this much anymore. But I don’t have to – I sell sausage.” The warmest welcome of the evening fell to the movies’ first and foremost “singing cowboy” Gene Autry. The Sesquicentennial celebration stirs fond memories for Autry, a Tioga native. Autry had been a star attraction at the 1936 Texas Centennial in Dallas, where he made one of his first movies, “Ride, Ranger, Ride.” “If I’d a known I was gonna live this long, I’d a took better care of myself,” Autry quipped.
Other stars appearing live at the Erwin Center include Mac Davis, Larry Gatlin the Gatlin Brothers, Roger Staubach, Johnny Rodriguez, John Hillerman (of “Magnum P. I.”), Tom Jarriel (of ABC News), Patrick Swayze (of “North and South”), Jennifer Holliday (Tony award winner for the Broadway show “Bubblin’ Brown Sugar”), Phyllis George Brown, Michael Martin Murphey, B.J. Thomas, Johnny Lee, Dorothy Malone, The Mighty Clouds of Joy and The University of Texas Longhorn Marching Band – all 300-plus members on stage at one time.
Appearing on tape were Walter Cronkite, Phylicia Rashad, Jacklyn Smith, Sissy Spacek, Barbara Jordan, Tom Landry, Mean Joe Greene, Boz Scaggs, Morgan Fairchild, John Henry Faulk, Ana-Alicia, Lydia Cornell, Ginger Rogers, Willie Shoemaker, Katherine Helmond, Jerry Hall, Martina Navratalova, Byron Nelson, Dennis Quaid and Tommy Lee Jones.
The show was more than a year in the making. It took the cooperative efforts of the Capitol Committee, Texas Tourist Development Agency, Sesquicentennial Commission, Sesquicentennial Productions of Dallas, SFM Entertainment Network in New York City and the ABC Television Network to turn the concept into a reality.
‘Texas 150: A Celebration Special” was produced and directed by Emmy award winner Joe Cates. Executive Producer was Bill Starnes. Head writer was Chet Hagan, a former producer of the “Today Show.” Set design was by George Pettit of Dallas. Special consultant for production was Gordon R. Wynne, Jr., of Wills Point.”
