Category: 2017 Festival

Margaret Kerry

Margaret Kerry is probably best known for a beguiling character that was only 3 1/2 inches tall.  Kerry was the model for Disney’s enchanting fairy Tinker Bell. Chosen for both her dancing and pantomime abilities, Kerry started in show business when she was only 4 in Midsummer Night’s Dream playing, in an interesting twist of fate, a little fairy.  Kerry later worked as a dancer and actor in three of the Our Gang comedy shorts and played the role of Eddie Cantor’s teenage daughter in the film If You Knew Susie.  Besides Kerry’s work in movies and television, she appeared on The Andy Griffith Show, she is also known for her work as a voiceover performer with a wide range of character voices.  Kerry also worked in radio as a producer, writer and host of “What’s Up Weekly” on KKLA-FM Los Angeles.  Tinker Bell Talks is the official Margaret Kerry web site and has more pictures and information on Margaret’s fascinating life. 

Margaret Kelly

 

Alison Arngrim

Alison-ArngrimNew York Times Best Selling author of “Confessions of A Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated”, Alison Arngrim is best known to viewers world-wide for her portrayal of the incredibly nasty “Nellie Oleson” on the much loved, long running hit television series “Little House On The Prairie,” and continues to amuse audiences through her many film, television, stage and multi-media appearances.

Her one woman show “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch”, which started at Club Fez in New York in 2002, has now become a world-wide phenomenon, having been performed to packed houses in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle, and in France, where Alison performs entirely in French to standing room only crowds in her all French version titled: “Confessions d’une Garce de La Prairie” and “La Malle aux Tresors de Nellie Oleson.”

As a stand-up comedian, Alison has headlined at nightclubs such as the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store and the Improv in Los Angeles; as well as the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York and assorted comedy venues all across the United States and Canada.

Alison has mocked her status as an “ex-child star” on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, during their month long parody, “Hollywood Survivor” and continues to be a frequent interview subject on everything from “A&E”, “E! Entertainment”, “TV Land” and “VH-1”, to CNN and the Travel Channel.   The TV Land network honored her undying image as TV’s worst bitch, by declaring her the winner of their 2006 award for, “Character Most Desperately In Need Of A Time Out”.

In her spare time, she takes tourists on the rollicking comedy outing, “Nasty Nellie’s Tour of Hollywood”, (featured at Dearly Departed Tours), where she simultaneously enlightens and amuses passengers with behind the scenes tales from both Hollywood history and her own life.

Never one to forget her “Prairie” roots, Alison enjoys making appearances several times a year at various “Little House on the Prairie” historical sites for educational events and gatherings of fans. She has been a frequent visitor to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in the real life Walnut Grove, Minnesota as well as Green Bay, Wisconsin’s Heritage Hills, Mumford’s Genesee Country Village, Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri and many, many others.

She currently serves as California Chair, National Spokesperson and Founding Board Member on the National Advisory Board of The National Association to Protect Children, or PROTECT.org, fighting to give children a legal and political voice in the war against child abuse.   As an activist for the improvement of child protection laws, she has spoken before the California Senate and worked on legislative and political campaigns in several states, including Virginia and New York, in addition to PROTECT’s work on federal legislation in Washington, D.C.

Alison currently lives somewhere in the wilds of Tujunga with her husband of over twenty years, musician Bob Schoonover, (from the rock and roll band “Catahoula”) and their evil cat, Clarice. She takes pride in the fact that so many people enjoyed hating her as a girl and is more than happy to give them the opportunity to do so in the future.

Lulu Roman

Lulu Roman

Donna & Lulu
Donna Douglas and Lulu Roman

LuLu Roman has enjoyed many successes in her life, but also more than her share of disappointments and hardships.  She is best known for her side splitting humor and jovial disposition, but a lesser known story lies behind those sparkling radiant eyes which have often been filled with tears, both of pain and of joy.

LuLu is best known as the most requested female cast member on the long running hit television Show “Hee Haw.”  The show ran from 1969-1993, and is now in reruns on the RFD-TV network.  LuLu is also known for her accomplished and celebrated songwriting and singing all over the world.

A native of Dallas, TX, LuLu was born in a home for unwed mothers, and placed in an orphan’s home shortly after birth. She was born with a thyroid dysfunction, and it would be in the orphan’s home that she first endured the pain of being unaccepted because of her weight.  Her weight made her the brunt of much name-calling and teasing, and also prevented her from being adopted into a loving home.  It was then she learned to use her sense of humor as a defense mechanism.

LuLu’s sense of humor later evolved into a highly successful career as an actress and comedienne with a lead role on “Hee Haw.”   However, success and wealth proved poisonous to the young actress.  LuLu’s search for acceptance and happiness eventually lead her to a drug addiction, which sent her down a spiral that nearly destroyed her life and career in 1971.

In 1973, a chance meeting with an old friend lead her to discover a new found faith in the Lord, and changed her life forever.  It was in this revelation that she discovered she had a hidden talent in her voice.  LuLu then began singing Gospel music, and eventually introduced it to “Hee Haw.”

LuLu’s new found career as a vocalist proved to be very successful.  She is the recipient of a Dove award, and has been nominated many times.  She is also a member of the Country Gospel Music and Christian Music halls of fame.  LuLu has also been honored with the JD Sumner Living Legend Award and named Favorite Crossover Artist by the Country Gospel Music Association.  The TV Land network also awarded LuLu with their prestigious Entertainer’s Award.

To date, LuLu has recorded 21 albums and is still singing in churches, seminars, fairs, performing arts centers, and anywhere she is welcomed to share her life story and music.

Her latest gospel project “Seven Times” has garnered an international hit song (“Do You Know How To Fly”), and is still being shared across the globe. It also features one of the last songs her precious friend Dottie Rambo wrote for her, “Move Upon Us.” 

LuLu has just completed a new project entitled “At Last.”  The album features 12 of her favorite standards and classics, such as “I Will Always Love You,” “Summertime,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Til I Can Make It On My Own, ” and the title song.  LuLu’s dear friends Dolly Parton, T. Graham Brown, Linda Davis, and Georgette Jones also joined her on the album.

In addition to “Hee Haw,” LuLu has also been a guest star on such television programs as “The Love Boat” and “Touched By An Angel.”  She is also an accomplished author, with her autobiography and her cookbook “Kitchen Komforts.”

Although she has been performing for over 40 years, she has no plans to rest or retire.  LuLu continues to travel sharing her testimony, her humor, and her music.  

Jonathan Sandys

Jonathan SandysJonathan Sandys is the great-grandson of Britain’s wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, and is an internationally recognized author and public speaker. Since 2005, Jonathan has been communicating the morals, values and leadership skills of his great-grandfather and those of that “Greatest Generation” in a vibrant and interactive way to both young and old alike. Though born ten years after his illustrious relative’s passing, Jonathan very much credits his legacy as a major positive influence in his life. As a result, Jonathan found the never, never, never, never give in attitude of Churchill, was what made it possible for him to rise above the challenges of dyslexia and social isolation and become very successful. Jonathan’s life mission is to use both the experiences of his great-grandfather and his own to encourage and inspire people of all ages and walks of life to “Never Surrender!”

His first book, God & Churchill: How the Great Leader’s Sense of Divine Destiny Changed His Troubled World and Offers Hope for Ours, was released by Tyndale Momentum in the U.S. October 1, 2015.

“I have known four generations of the Churchill family. The noblest remaining of that family is Jonathan Sandys. He has both the vision and the voice to carry forth the legacy of his great-grandfather and is well worthy to offer this account of Churchill’s life and faith. God and Churchill has earned a place next to the greatest of books ever written on the master statesman.” (James C. Humes, Author and former presidential speech writer)