Award-Winning Performers Headline March 16 Opry Show in La Grange

The Fayette County Country Music Club will host their monthly Opry Show on Monday, March 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: Vicki Wehmeyer, Paul Schlesinger, and Sister Sue.

Vicki Wehmeyer was born and raised in Brenham. She has been a musician all of her life. She started playing piano at the age of four years and started singing publicly at age eight. She is a church organist, choir director, wedding singer, and an entertainer at many other celebrations. She has her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education. She is a retired teacher of 30 years for Brenham ISD. She also taught at Blinn College for eight years. She now has a private studio where she teaches voice and piano lessons. In the early 1990s she sang with Willie Nelson’s company and later cut some records with Tommie Hill (Hall of Fame Musician in the Rock-a-Billy genre) in Nashville. She is very excited to be singing at the La Grange Opry.

Paul Schlesinger is a fiddle player and vocalist from Taylor who specializes in traditional Texas swing, country, and country-gospel music. He has been named one of the top five western swing male vocalists of the year by the Academy of Western Artists, one of the highest levels of recognition for country and cowboy entertainers.

His recording of “You Were Meant to Ruin My Dreams” was named the Western Swing Song of the Year by the Academy in 2017. His most recent award recognition occurred in July 2021 when he was inducted in the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame in Lawton, Okla.

Paul got his start in 1993 when he received his first fiddle lesson at age 23 from Perk Williams, the fiddler and vocalist for Jimmy Heap and the Melody Masters, a band from Taylor who in 1954 had the first national hit recording of “Release Me.” He currently works as a solo artist or appears with several different groups, including the Alibis of Austin; Bobby Dean and the Timeless Country Band from China Springs; the Merles from Austin; Ed Kopecky and the Fun Time Czech Band from Taylor; and the 3C Cowboy Fellowship Band from Salado. He also performs twice a month at the Bastrop Farmer’s Market with Tim Hill as the “Town and Country Boys.”

Paul continues to be active in the area, and currently writes for the Giddings Times & News. He and the Alibis were invited to play on the opening night of last year’s Fayette County Fair, where he also performed the National Anthem during the opening ceremonies. All three of Paul’s CDs are available as digital downloads through services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Sister Sue, Kathy Danielson and her sister Janet Havel, grew up performing throughout South Alabama with their family band, The Heltons. Over the years, they’ve shared their signature sound in venues across Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, and Florida, taking the stage alongside country legends like Loretta Lynn, Lorrie Morgan, Billy Joe Royal, and more. Kathy, the eldest, began performing professionally at just 13 years old, singing and playing rhythm guitar and drums. Janet, always close behind, charmed audiences early on with her smooth, soulful ballads - often stealing the spotlight.

Now based in Texas, the two have joined forces as Sister Sue, a classic country duo known for heartfelt harmonies, musical chemistry, and a deep love for the traditional sound. You can catch them performing at Oprys, festivals, and private parties throughout Central Texas. Every now and then, they’ll surprise you with a show-stealing twist… donning big wigs, bold outfits, and belly-laugh humor as their hilarious alter egos, Lynn and Lucy, better known as The Leadbottom Sisters. Whether sincere or silly, these sisters always leave the audience smiling and clapping along.