This is where you can read about clubs from their members or club promoters to see what is happening on the Country music circuit. It is updated as and when we receive reports and get the time to include them.
Silver Churn CMC, Dartington, Totnes, Devon
Honky Tonk Strangers
by Wendy Haylock
7th February 2026
It was lovely to see a full house dancing the night away to some great classic country, from The Honky Tonk Strangers who tonight were from Winchester. On lead guitar and vocals, Mark Jacobs,with daughter Katy, just 16 on vocals, from Essex, on double bass and vocals, Rick Mckay, and on drums and vocals, from Plymouth, of Medicine Bow fame, Dave Cawse.
They kept us on our feet all night with music from Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Dave Dudley, Don Williams and Ray Price. Country Music just the way we like it.
From Katy we had some great music with numbers from Patsy Cline, Sandie Shaw and Alison Kraus, great stuff.
Thanks to everyone who donated draw prizes and Pam, Bill and Bev for the lovely refreshments. Four lead vocalists and volume and presentation perfect made it a fantastic evening.
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Colchester, Essex
Bob Keeley
by Wendy Haylock
26th February 2026
What an absolutely brilliant evening we had on 22nd February at Hickory Lake with the very popular Bob Keeley. Bob seemed to put everyone in a party mood as soon as he got on stage, he did us a great mix of songs and the dance floor was very busy all evening, you have a great personality Bob and it showed with the nearly full house we had last night, we thank you for a first class performance, and it was really good to see Tracy (Bob’s wife) come along and join in, we look forward to the next time.
The raffle this week was taken care of by Dave and Sylve, you did a grand job Sylve and we thank you for taking part, we also thank all who added prizes to the raffle table it’s much appreciated.
We had two Birthdays which were Dave (my Dave’s) which was last Thursday and also Janet which was on Monday, there were lots of chocolates bought round to celebrate, and Bob sang Happy Birthday to them both.
As always we value and very much appreciate our super team of Hickory Lake helpers from the start of the evening until the end, we thank you all sincerely for your help, also thanks to Sandra who stepped in to help Jane in the canteen in the first break, in the absence of Pru.
We thank all our supporters for their continued support of their club, and we appreciate and love you all.
Love to you all Wendy.xx
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Colchester, Essex
Henry Birkett
by Wendy Haylock
8th February 2026
It was a pleasure to have Henry Birkett back at Hickory Lake last night, a young talented and lively young man, what a great three sets he gave us, he interacted with his audience well and kept the dance floor busy all evening, we thank you
Henry for a great performance and good night’s entertainment, and look forward to the next time.
We had one newbie to the club which was James; it was nice to meet you and hope you come back and see us again soon. We also had Martyn (Roz’s relation) come along, it was lovely to see you again Martyn and hope it won't be to long before your next visit.
We had two Birthdays which were Roz and her granddaughter Bella Rose, Henry sang Happy Birthday to them both and we all wished them well and thank you for the chocolates that were bought round to celebrate.
Roger and Sylve looked after the raffle this week and you both did a grand job, and we thank all who added prizes to the raffle table it’s much appreciated.
Thank you most sincerely to all our Hickory Lake team of helpers, from the start of the evening until the end, we appreciate all you do for us and your club and thanks to Phil for stepping in for Chris, and Sandra who stepped in for Jane
in the canteen, with me helping out also in the absence of Pru. It was good to see all our supporters and we thank you for the support you give to your club.
Take care and much Love to you all. Wendy xx
Milton CMC, Gravesend, Kent
Billy Bubba King
by Nick Catford
1st February 2026
I have known Billy King for 35 years. When I first saw him, he was the drummer and occasional singer with the John C King Family Band. The family band came off the road at the end of 1999 when John decided to go solo. Billy actually did his first solo gig, a booze cruise on Loch Ness in 1998 then launched his solo career adopting the name Billy Bubba King in January 2000 and since then he has built up an excellent reputation as a modern Country singer. He has embraced the line dance culture; and always keeps up to date with the latest trends. He is a dancer himself and occasional instructor and is married to line dance instructor Sara King which guaranteed plenty of dance suggestions.
Billy was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2025 and had to take nearly 9 months off the road while he underwent chemo and radio therapy. He made a tentative return to the club circuit in November with a small number of gigs. It was good to see him back at the Milton on 1st February. He is a real showman and delivered three sets of predominantly up-tempo country with plenty of recent songs that kept the dance floor busy from start to finish.
He kicked off with Susan Ashton’s Closer, Reba McEntire’s Trailblazer, Marty Stuart’s Don’t Be Cruel and Scooter Lee’s J’ai Du Boogie. Billy sadly lost his dad in July 2024 and I was pleased to see he is now playing John's guitar. Much like John, Billy isn't a great talker and it really was one belter after another keeping the dancers on their toes.
Next we heard Gord Bamford’s Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass, Breland’s Cowboy Don’t and William Michael Morgan’s In Walked You. The Conquerors’s Lucky Lips has been popular on the line dance circuit for a couple of years. If you think this started as a Cliff Richard hit from 1963 you’d be wrong. The Leiber and Stoller song goes back to 1956 when it was first recorded by R & B singer Ruth Brown.
Post Malone’s Fallin’ In Love, Chawki’s Time Of Your Life, Josh Mirenda’s ‘Til the Neon’s Gone and Tracy Byrd’s I’m from the Country meant it was time for a barn dance to bring the first set to a close.
As mentioned I first saw Billy when he was a member of the John C King Family Band in 1991. I was delighted to hear there will be a reunion of the King Family Band on Sunday 26th July at the Digging Up Bones festival at Fendicks Fishery near Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Billy will be joined on stage in the marquee in the evening by his sister Angie and his brother John. I certainly plan to be there.
Set 2 started Playboys from Midland which Billy once told me was one of his favourite bands, this was followed by a beautiful rendition of The Judd’s Grandpa followed by Josiah Siska’s 3 Tequila Floor, Randy Travis’ Where That
Came From and Tim McGraw’s Undivided. Billy is a dancer and and knew exactly what was required tonight. It was good to see his wife Sara in the club and on the dance floor much of the evening.
A few more from the second set included James Johnston’s One More, David Nail’s Champagne Promise, Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy), William Michael Morgan’s Gone Enough and one of my picks of the evening Shenandoah’s The Church on Cumberland Road. This used to be a very popular song in the 1990s but is rarely heard these days. Drake Milligan’s Save It For A Sunny Day and DJ Texx’s Love Potion 666 which I can’t say I have ever heard before, brought the first set to a close.
Some male singers avoid girls’ songs but not Billy, with plenty included tonight including three to open the third set Jill Johnson’s Cowboy Up, Miranda Lambert’s Ain’t in Kansas Anymore and Kaylee Rose’s Going Blonde.
It was good to see my good friend John Millidge making his first visit to The Milton. John used to run the popular Palomino CMC in north London until 2010, taking over the club from Bernie and Kim Clapton. We became good
friends in the 1990s but lost touch when I had 20 years away from the British country circuit in 1997. John was also a big fan of the John C. King Family Band. He was also my dad’s commanding officer in the Royal Observer Corps in the 1970s so we first met before I knew British country music existed.
The third set continued with Luke Combs’ 5 Leaf Clover and 2341studios’s Stomp 2, 3, 4, another song I’m not familiar with but I know it’s currently popular on the line dance circuit having been choreographed by Rob Fowler. A few more from the final set included Neon Union’s Made In Mexico, The Montgomery’s Brotherley Love, Dalton Davis’ So Far So Good and Old Dominion’s Memory Lane. Billy finished with Enrique Iglesias’s Space in My Heart. It was an impressive performance that brought warm applause and shouts of “more” from the large crowd. He was on fine form tonight and it was good to see a club that attracts a lot of young people, something many clubs find difficult to achieve these days. For an encore Billy sung Josh Kiser’s I’m Never
Drinking Again.
See me phone video of Billy Bubba King at the Milton below.