What a voice.  What a band.  And what a night in the garden.  There have been many amazing events at the Creative Arts Center and, God willing, there will be many more.  But there will never be another evening exactly like May 6 in the Creative Arts Center Garden.

A pleasantly cool spring evening and a faint breeze greeted guests arriving for this year's first Music in the Garden series.  Onstage was legendary Dallas singer Linda Petty and her five-man band, the Main Event.  The audience, which included several visitors from Sulphur Springs, quickly filled the garden in anticipation of a show that most had been looking forward to for weeks.  It was well worth the wait.

If you like timeless jazz, classic blues, country standards, patriotic songs and everything in between, then, hopefully, you were in your seat for the first note.  Otherwise, you missed a treat.

Linda Petty's voice left the audience spellbound.  Her pianist and musical arranger for the past 30 years, Larry Petty, is equally talented. This really does seem to be a union made in Heaven. 

When Larry Petty is asked why, even after three decades together, his eyes seem to follow Linda's every move onstage, Larry has a ready answer.

"I just enjoy watching her perform," he says.

But to reveal the depth of this band, the show began with a saxophone solo by Larry Barnett.  Anyone who was fortunate enough to see this performance will tell you Barnett is a gifted musician in his own right, whether a particular song calls for him to grab a sax, flute or guitar.  Oh, and he's got a great voice, to boot.  Parked in the back behind a wall of keyboards was Paul Allen.  A relatively new drummer is collaborating well with this talented quintet.

Whether it's a Gershwin tune, a cabaret-style Vegas number or Patsy Cline hits like "Walkin' After Midnight" and "I Fall to Pieces," it only takes a moment to realize why Linda Petty and crew have 21 Grammy nominations and 17 albums to their credit.  Up and down the line-up, these are musician's musicians.

And to be honest, Linda and Larry Petty somehow know Bonham better than many longtime Bonham residents. The Pettys reminded the audience that Friday evening at 6:00 p.m., the Creative Arts Center will host a Textile Show reception to formally open this weekend's Bonham Quilt Hop.  They know that the pink house behind the Center will be demolished Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. in honor of one very special young lady, Mikyla Pickering, who is battling leukemia.  The Pettys also reminded the audience how much life has changed in the Fannin County seat in recent years.

"The first time I played in Bonham, it was on concrete and in a tent," Linda recalled.

Thursday night, Linda Petty and Main Event performed on a professional stage with a scenic fountain to her right and in a comfortable garden setting made for nights just like this.

Linda Petty

"All of our sound system was donated by Linda and Larry when they found out what we were doing in the garden," noted Bob Self, Executive Director of the Fannin Community Foundation that runs the Creative Arts Center.

Mr. Self also reminded the crowd that the $2 cover charge for Music in the Garden and all sales at 2nd Time Around thrift store remains in Fannin County to fund art, entertainment and an array of children's programs at Creative Arts Center.

Don't forget that the Music in the Garden series will continue every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. through June 17.

To learn more about Creative Arts Center, visit http://www.creativeartscenter.us/

To learn more about Linda Petty and the Main Event, visit www.lindapetty.com