LA GRANGE — The Fayette County Country Music Club will host their monthly opry on Monday, June 16, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in La Grange,. The show starts at 7 p.m. and the doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $8.
Entertainers this month are Byron Wren and Bailey (Wren) Mathison, Victor Rodriguez, and Wayne Brown and Cyndi Gurley.
Mathison was born and raised in Lexington and now resides in Smithville with her husband, Shane, and their three young kids. She was a teacher for six years in La Grange and Smithville and now loves being a stay-at-home mom. Mathison learned to play the guitar when she was 26, but she has been singing the majority of her life with her parents and at church. She enjoys being a member of the “The Wrens & Friends” country classics band as well as a ladies Christian music group that plays on ACTS retreats and various local church events.
Wren began playing the guitar at an early age, sitting in with Lexington musicians such as his dad Buddy Wren, Mack Nettles, Joe Rodgers, Chester Thomas, Bill Dowdy, and others. Around 2010, Wren began singing on ACTS retreats where he met David Machac, Bruce Lebeda, Dennis Stryk and Chris Janca. From this, the Christian group “D’Vine Testament” was formed, Joe Dybala joined in a bit later on the keyboard. D’Vine Testament would go on to record four Christian CD’s and is still heard on Christian radio. During this time, Wren and wife Karen, and daughter Bailey began singing country music at small venues which ultimately led to forming the group “The Wren’s & Friends” country classic band, with David, Bruce, Dennis, and Joe. Recent dances have included lead guitarist Mark Lehmann, Chuck Stephens on the keyboard, and Bubba Olle on drums. Byron and Karen have three adult children, Bailey, Karley, and Keldon, all play the guitar and enjoy music.
Rodriguez was born in Big Spring in 1966 and was raised in Fayette County. All though he has traveled to different parts of Texas and also has lived in Louisiana he still resides in Fayette County in Flatonia. Rodriguez started his music journey in 1998 when he found he had a talent for singing. He started up his own karaoke business in 1998, just to be able to sing out in public along with whoever else participated with the show. Rodriguez has continued his music journey till this day but over the years he learned to play the good ole six string guitar and with the years of experience playing and singing he has had the opportunity to have his own live band from 2010 till or around 2015. He has been doing a one man band show for several years now and continues to play all over surrounding counties. He enjoys playing the good ole 60’s-90’s – 90’s country cover songs and more. He has also performed at other opry’s in Edna, Alvin, Cuero, Brenham, Refugio and a few times here at La Grange Opry.
Brown lives at Manvel and his earliest memories are of singing in church and at family gatherings. He has been singing at oprys across Texas for more than 30 years. Gurley lives in Houston. She also grew up singing in church and with family. Brown and Gurley met at rehearsal for Buckshot Jamboree, they recognized kindred spirits and sang together that night.
They love harmonizing.
