Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: www.myspace.com/susangibson Susan Gibson [Click to enlarge]

Amarillo College alumni Susan Gibson will return to the wide open spaces she once called home Saturday. Gibson wrote one of the songs that helped the Dixie Chicks become famous.

"I love going back up there. Not to be cheesy, but that's where the wide open spaces are. Amarillo has the most beautiful sunsets," Gibson said.

Gibson will perform the song "Wide Open Spaces" with the Palo Duro Metro Chorus as they present "Under Panhandle Skies" at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. Then Gibson's band will play a set.

"I'm looking forward to the gig," she said.

Natalie Stephenson has been involved with the Palo Duro Metro Chorus for 32 years. She also looks forward to the performance.

"Susan's a delight to sing with," Stephenson said. "She's very down-to-earth, very gracious and so easy to get along with and to perform with. We get to be her backup on 'Wide Open Spaces,' and we're so excited."

Stephenson said the Palo Duro Metro Chorus does an annual show in the fall.

"We've been working for this ever since last spring," she said.

Other performers at the event will include Keith Reimer from McLean, a double quartet called B-8, a quartet called Star Struck and a gentlemen's quartet called Dynomite.

Tickets to the event are available from Panhandle Tickets and at United Supermarkets. They also may be obtained at Randy's Music Mart in Amarillo and the WT Event Center in Canyon. Ten percent of the net revenue from the performance will be donated to Hospice Care of the Southwest.

Gibson moved to Amarillo when she was in the eighth grade and attended Bonham Middle School. She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1990. She spent two years at West Texas A&M University and two semesters at AC. In the fall of 1993, Gibson packed her things and headed to forestry school in Montana.

During her time at AC, Gibson accidentally took a Greek class.

"I thought it was conversational Greek, but it wasn't. It was translating Bible Greek. It was very interesting," she said.

Eventually, Gibson was satisfied that she had signed up for the class. What she learned still is benefiting her today, she said.

Continued...

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