Lawson serving as Cornfest MC


By Greg Price Taber Times


events or services that help make the annual S


free event hum for the thousands of people that enjoy the celebration. Someone has to help tie it all together, and that


is often the master of ceremonies. ‘Wild’Bill Lawson has been the MC for numerous


years, having also supplied his vocal and musical talents to several other community-minded initia- tives as well, including helping co-host the Taber and District Health Foundation Telethon. “A lot of the ease is doing it around people I


know.And playing in bands my whole life, you have to appeal to a broad base of people.You transpose that over,”said Lawson on the ease of being a ‘people person’ in the public speak- ing forum he does with regularity in the Taber area.“Honestly, it’s like a comedian who is funny,but wouldn’t be as funny if someone else said it.The guy who laid the foundation can get away with stuff that


FITCH TIRE Is Celebrating 50 Years


in business and would like to say Thank You to all our Customers past and present


YOUR LOCAL FARM MACHINERY AND PARTS STORE


carries Esso Mobil products and a line of parts for:


Spudnik, Grimme, Milestone and E-Z Tarp 100% locally owned and operated 100% locally owned and op


6004 - 46 Ave, Taber, AB Phone: 403-223-2555


Growers Supply


6027 64 St., Taber, • AB T1G 2H2 T: 403-223-5380 • F: 403-223-5381 CORNFEST 2019 ❙ PAGE 3


tarting off with open- ing ceremonies on the Cornfest Thursday, there are over 30


the new guy coming up might not be able to write new material.You are not going to please everyone all the time, you just try and please the most peo- ple and be as personable as you can.” Having been the man who has hosted karaoke at bars in Taber along with being a musician, Lawson knows full well the whole tone of Mcing changes at a drinking establishment rather than hosting the more family-friendly Cornfest. “It’s not just language you can use, but attitudes.


It’s a whole other atmosphere. I have four kids and a grandkid and I love that family atmosphere,” said Lawson.“I know what I’d like if I had my family at a place. But even at that, you run the risk of offending some people. Some have a very rigid set of morals where it’s easy to crossover when you don’t even think you are crossing over.You have to be very aware of that in a crowd, but you can’t be worried about it all the time.” There are times Lawson is going by script and others where he is simply going with the flow. There is a cadence, a flow, and times where that flow gets interrupted with, say, an equipment mal- function,a flubbed up word or some other unfore- seen circumstance. But Lawson’s theatre training has allowed him to roll with the punches.


◆ Continued on Page 4


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28