The John Gale Horton Foundation

02/27/2026

Today we celebrate the life of Johnny Cash, a towering figure in American music, a voice that carried scripture, sorrow, justice, and grit across generations.

But here, we remember something deeper.

Before the legend, there were two young men chasing a dream through the lights of the Louisiana Hayride.

Johnny Cash and Johnny Horton were not rivals. They were brothers in song. Best friends. Business partners. Two craftsmen sharpening one another in the same fire.

They shared stages.
They shared miles of blacktop.
They shared belief.

When Johnny Horton was taken from us in 1960, the myth of the Man in Black fell away.

When Cash heard the news, he locked himself inside a bar in Nashville and cried.

Not for the public.
Not for the press.
Just a man grieving his best friend.

That image tells you everything you need to know about who he was.

Behind the deep baritone and the black suit was loyalty. Behind the legend was love. He mourned not a star, but a brother, the man who stood beside him in those early, uncertain days when the future was anything but guaranteed.

Today, on his birthday, we honor the icon the world knows.

But we also honor the friend who wept in a quiet bar.

Because this music was never built on fame alone.
It was built on friendship.
On shared struggle.
On devotion to the song and to one another.

Happy Birthday, Johnny Cash.

Your voice still rolls like the Red River.
And here in Shreveport and Bossier, we remember the brotherhood that helped shape it.

Photos Courtesy of Joey Kent and Global Media Archives

02/20/2026

Yesterday, Winston turned 44.

Some partnerships feel accidental. Ours felt scripted from the opening scene.

People love to talk about Walt and Roy Disney. Walt was the imagination, the man who could see a castle in an orange grove. Roy was the steady architect, the one who made sure the lights stayed on and the doors could actually open. But what made it magic was not one or the other. It was the partnership.

From the very beginning, ours felt like that.

This vision for preserving Shreveport’s musical legacy under the name of the late Johnny Horton may have started as a spark in my mind, but it has always been sustained by two sets of hands. Winston has been essential in keeping the flame bright. When I get buried in logistics and timelines, he pulls us back to the big picture. When the practical realities threaten to crowd out the wonder, he reminds me why we started.

After all, it all started with a mouse.

In our case, it started with a song. A stage. A belief that this city’s music deserves more than memory. It deserves permanence.

Winston carries that belief with imagination and conviction. He sees what this can become long before the paint dries or the doors open. And that kind of vision is rare.

Forty-four years looks good on a man who understands that building something timeless takes both courage and patience.

Winston, thank you for being my creative counterpart. Thank you for believing in this story as fiercely as I do. The John Gale Horton Foundation is stronger because we are building it together.

Here’s to the next act.

Happy Birthday, my friend.

02/13/2026

Here is your Live Music Schedule for the 28th Wayne Curtis Objets D'Art! This all day live music schedule is underwritten by Revel supporters and Governing Board members. Food & beverage sales from the entire day go to support Revel programs, check out the art packages below and make your plans to be there at Flames Mediterranean Restaurant on the 21st of February!

🎨: https://redriverrevel.com/objets/

02/08/2026

02/08/2026

Today we tip our hats to Josh McMillen, our Director of Traditional Music & Heritage Interpretation and the driving force behind The H***y Tonk Wranglers. Josh doesn’t just play the music. He lives it, protects it, honors it, and passes it on with grit, grace, and a whole lot of swing.

From keeping the old sounds honest to making sure the dance floor stays full, Josh carries the torch for real h***y tonk and traditional country the way it’s meant to be done. He reminds us that this music is not nostalgia. It’s a living thing.

Here’s to another year of sawdust floors, ringing steel, tight rhythm, and songs that tell the truth. We’re proud to have you with us, and even prouder to call you our H***y Tonk Man.

Happy Birthday, Josh. Let’s turn it up and let it roll.

01/14/2026

12/21/2025

On this day in 1992, the music fell a little quieter.

Today we remember Albert King, a towering figure in American music and one of the great truth tellers of the blues. Albert King did not just influence a genre. He helped shape the emotional language of modern music itself.

There was something unmistakable in his sound. That left handed guitar played upside down, those wide bends that felt like a human voice straining against the weight of the world, the space he allowed between notes. He understood that sometimes the silence says as much as the sound. When Albert King played, he was not showing off. He was testifying.

Songs like Born Under a Bad Sign were not performances so much as confessions. They spoke for people who had known hardship, disappointment, grit, and perseverance. His music carried the ache of working lives, long roads, broken promises, and stubborn hope. It was honest without being cruel and strong without pretending things were easy.

Generations of musicians found their footing in his work. Rock players, soul artists, funk bands, and blues traditionalists all borrowed from his phrasing, his tone, his restraint. You can hear Albert King in countless recordings, even when his name is not on the label. That is how deep his roots run.

But beyond the influence and the accolades, Albert King mattered because he told the truth. He gave voice to feeling when words alone were not enough. He reminded us that the blues is not just about sorrow. It is about survival, dignity, and carrying on.

Today we honor Albert King not only for what he played, but for what he gave us. His music still speaks. His guitar still teaches. And his voice still reminds us that even under a bad sign, there is meaning, beauty, and power in telling your story straight.

12/17/2025

Please join us in congratulating Wade Marshall, our Film and Entertainment Commissioner, on earning his international film accreditation, a significant professional achievement and a proud moment for Shreveport and the region.

This accreditation reflects Wade’s deep knowledge of the industry, his commitment to professional excellence, and his tireless work to position our community as a serious and welcoming home for film, television, and creative production. His leadership continues to open doors, attract opportunity, and tell our story on a global stage.

We are grateful for your steady hand, your vision, and the energy you bring to building a creative economy rooted right here at home. Well done, Wade, and here’s to what comes next!