HEY RICK...THIS IS MIKE RAY HARTMAN. I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT KEEPING IN TOUCH.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOUR WEBSITE IS STILL GOING. I RETIRED IN JUNE OF 06,
FROM GENERAL MOTORS PARTS DIV. IT HAS REALLY FREED ME UP TO HAVE THE
TIME TO DO WHAT I REALLY HAVE A PASSION FOR...SINGING. I'M STILL THE THURS-
DAY NIGHT REGULAR, ON THE GRANBURY RIVERBOAT. JULY 14th WILL MARK TWO
YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN SINGING ON THE BOAT. I PERFORM AT FESTIVALS, REST-
AURANTS, PRIVATE AND CORPORATE PARTIES, NURSING HOMES, RETIREMENT
COMMUNITIES, ETC. SINCE 2002, I'VE SANG AT MOST OF THE DALLAS/FT. WORTH
AREA OPRYS...AND A COUPLE BEYOND THAT. IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE I'VE SANG
AT ONE. SINCE LIVING ON RETIREMENT, I'VE BEEN CONCENTRATING MORE ON PAYING JOBS...NOT THAT I'M "ABOVE" SINGING AT OPRYS...BUT, YOUR BUDGET
HAS TO DICTATE WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO. YOU SEE, MOST OF THOSE
VENUES DON'T PAY THEIR SINGERS...AND UNDERSTANDABLY SO. THEY PROBA-
BLY PAY THE HOUSE BAND. BUT, IN ORDER TO COVER EXPENSES FROM RUN-
NING AN OPRY, MOST OF THE SINGERS ARE NOT PAID. OPRYS ARE GREAT FOR
THE COMMUNITY. THEY GIVE SINGERS, OF ALL AGES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SING WITH LIVE BANDS, AND LEARN ABOUT STAGE PRESENCE. I MISS THE OPRYS
VERY MUCH. BACK IN THE APRIL 20th EDITION OF THE STAR TIME, IN THE STAR-
TELEGRAM, PERRY STEWART WROTE A SMALL ARTICLE ABOUT ME SINGING ON
THE RIVERBOAT. THEN, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO(FRIDAY), I GOT A NICE
WRITE UP IN THE "BURLESON, CROWLEY, CLEBURNE CLOSE UP" SECTION IN THE
STAR-TELEGRAM. IT EVEN INCLUDED A COLOR PHOTO OF ME...ON THE FRONT PAGE ! RICK, PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG HERE...I'M NOT BRAGGING...JUST
VERY GRATEFUL.

I PUT IN 36 YEARS FOR GM, AND GOD HAS BLESSED ME TO DO
WHAT I DO AT 55. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MUSIC...IT KEEPS ME
THINKING YOUNG. IT'S ALSO ALLOWED MY WIFE AND I ALOT OF TIME TOGETHER.
SHE MANAGES ME, AND RUNS THE SOUND. IF YOU, BY CHANCE, POST THIS ON
YOUR WEBSITE, I HOPE SOME OF MY OLD FRIENDS FROM GREEN B. TRIMBLE
TECH HIGH SCHOOL READ IT. I GRADUATED FROM THERE IN 1970. HEY, MY OLD
ALUMNI FRIENDS...PURSUE YOUR DREAMS. IF YOU'RE BREATHING, AND CON-
SCIOUS, GO FOR IT !...THINK YOUNG !! NOT JUST FROM SCHOOL...BUT ALL OF MY FRIENDS, EX CO-WORKERS, FELLOW RETIREES, ETC...IF YOU DON'T TRY, YOU'LL
NEVER KNOW...THE HECK WITH ALL THE "WHAT IFS"...GO FOR IT !! RICK, PLEASE
GET BACK WITH ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT ALL HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH YOU
AND YOURS. LATER. MIKE