Wayne Newton, pop and country stars
highlight USO's Thanksgiving tours
By Scott Schonauer,
Rota bureau
| USO
Thanksgiving tours Operation
Seasons Greetings
Featuring: Ricochet, Jolie
Edwards, The Wanted and the Air Force Reserve Band.
- Nov. 16: Rota, Spain.
- Nov. 17: Sigonella, Italy.
- Nov. 21: Spangdahlem, Germany.
- Nov. 22: Camp Able Sentry,
Macedonia.
- Nov. 24: Incirlik, Turkey.
- Nov. 26: Lajes Field, Azores.
Holiday Tour
Featuring: Wayne Newton,
Jessica Simpson, Rob Schneider and Neal McCoy.
- Nov. 11-19: Bosnia/Kosovo or
Germany/Italy/Bahrain. Due to force protection concerns, exact times and locations of some
performances will not be released.
For more information on performance
times and venues in your community, check with your local Morale, Welfare and Recreation
office.
From
staff reports |
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain — The United Services Organization has an early
Christmas gift for U.S. troops overseas: a deployment of big-name entertainers that would
put some Las Vegas shows to shame.
The military booster group’s holiday celebrity tours begin this week with pop star
Jessica Simpson, comedian Rob Schneider, and several country music performers. Headlining
the USO’s Holiday Tour will be none other than "Mr. Las Vegas" — Wayne
Newton.
The roving performers are scheduled to visit bases and ships worldwide through the
Thanksgiving weekend.
Another USO tour, Operation Seasons Greetings, kicks off Friday at Naval Station Rota.
The tour will pass through Spain, Italy, Germany, Macedonia, Turkey and the Portuguese
Azores and include country music group Ricochet and Jolie Edwards and The Wanted. The Air
Force Reserve Band, based at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., also will perform.
Rota’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department plans to bring the performers
around the base to meet servicemembers before Friday’s show at Reflections.
Coordinators were finishing last-minute details on Tuesday.
As many as 1,000 people are expected to attend the first show in Rota, said Paul Lopez,
the naval station’s programs director.
Country music lovers will probably be first in line to enjoy the free show.
Ricochet has been named Top New Vocal Group of the Year by the Academy of Country Music
and has toured with John Michael Montgomery, Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt. Jolie’s
debut album hit stores in late June and her first two singles from the album, "I
Would" and "Boom," have received significant video play. She called the USO
tour "a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"Even though it means giving up the holidays with my family, I prayed so hard to
go on this tour," she said in a statement. "I don’t have a million dollars
to contribute to the fund-raising efforts, but I can share my God-given talent by
entertaining our troops who are fighting for our freedom."
Newton and the rest of the entertainers left the States on Monday and planned to
perform in the Balkans and on an undisclosed U.S. Navy ship. In October, Newton took over
the USO’s Celebrity Circle, agreeing to recruit entertainers for future tours.
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