For the love of Branson: Song of Hope

I first became involved in Branson politics in the year 2016. Being a history major, I always had a love of civics, but it wasn’t until I began running for local office that I was able to find my true platform. Of course, the live music shows and theatres were a natural constituency for me, having grown up on a stage with my grandpa Mel Tillis. However, it wasn’t until my first run that I discovered a growing disconnect between some in the Branson establishment and the belief in the future of our live music shows.

So, I took the time to truly delve into the issue. It’s self-evident that Branson didn’t have the big names we once had, but were the other things they were saying true? Was Branson’s position as a live music mecca a thing of the past? And more importantly, was the key demographic that our tourism base was built upon slowly dying off?

Well, my answer to those questions was a resounding no. But we didn’t just stop at providing an answer, we built an entire movement around defending Branson’s most important industry against those surface level talking points. So, let’s examine those contentions here.

I would challenge anyone who believes Branson’s entertainment industry is dying to say that after taking in the breathtaking production value of the Haygoods, the awe inspiring musicals at Sight & Sound or the wholesome sensory overload that is a stage filled with the Hughes Family. And as far as the other contention that “the old people are dying,” that certainly doesn’t account for the maturing of the Baby Boomer Generation. Currently in the United States we have about 59 million senior citizens and in 10 years we will have 77 million. In other words, we actually have more old people than ever and like always, they have the majority of the disposable income and can travel year-round.

But, regardless of the demographic and economic realities of the situation, Branson’s brand had always been our live music shows. It’s the unique signifier for our market and what sets us apart from the rest of the tourist attractions across the country. Therefore, we believed this industry needed an advocacy organization.

After the conclusion of my first campaign, we established the Song of Hope Assembly (later Historical Society) as an economic and political movement aimed at preserving the history of Branson’s live music show industry while assisting its advancement into the future. The idea is that we would endorse candidates for public office that believe in our mission statement as well as embark upon civic projects to honor the legacy of our entertainment sector.

We would bestow a Song of Hope Award every year to an individual or family who has spent their careers advocating for the industry as well. Previous winners include Mike Patrick, the Hughes Family, Doug Gabriel, Jim Barber, the Bretts and Clay Cooper. We also created a museum full of artifacts and memorabilia from the Branson Boom and beyond.

Have we changed everyone’s mind? To that I would say no. But with a myriad of mayoral proclamations, civic art projects, and a decade of advocacy; we’ve shown both the tourists and locals that Branson still cares about its entertainment history. And at the end of the day, faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us. And I heard that in a song.