Marcia Thomas/Contributing Writer
This young man with a horn is known far and wide now as “Rockin’ Riley.”
Only 13 years old, Riley first started on the keyboard when he was only six years old and entertained at Jefferson’s community theatre productions from that point on. He has not only conquered the keyboard, but has progressed to the guitar, harmonica and now the trumpet.
A student at a private school in Longview, young Riley lives in Hallsville and is active in sports as well as music classes at the school and has appeared in several musicals with the Longview Children’s Theatre. He sings and talks to the audience as he plays his various instruments and spends all his extra time with school work, music lessons, and traveling to many nursing homes and other functions in the area. He is accompanied by his granny, Dian, who chauffeurs him to the locations and sees that he presents a good hour of entertainment. Ms. Dian, now a widow, has been a stage actor for many years with the Players and has been a member of the board for over 20 of those years.
Riley is collecting tips for his talent with a special decorated jar made for the keyboard top and is saving the majority of the funds for a college education in a few more years. His interest in musical instruments never ceases apparently because he recently requested the use of a violin with which to learn on his own.
The next appearance for Rockin’ Riley will be at the theatre’s annual fund-raiser, Barbie Bakes A Cake, to be held on Sunday, Feb 18 at Tony’s Restaurant in downtown Jefferson. It is designed this year for young cooks ages 6 to 16 to compete in a “chocolate cook-off” where each entry should remind you of Barbie or Ken.
Entry blanks are available on the theatre website www,JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com or call 903-665-8243.