WHAT IS THE LAST TOUR?

In 1999 the original 1959 Winter Dance Party was replicated by a bunch of dedicated fans led by Dennis Farland.  Featured artists in 1999 included John Mueller, Ernie Valens and Paul Kruse.  Guest artists included Niki Sullivan, an original Cricket.

In 2009, around the 50th Anniversary of the deaths of Rock 'n' Roll's favorite sons, a commemorative Tour will play at three of the original venues that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper played during that infamous January and February back in 1959.  The Milwaukee and Mankato performances will be on the exact 50th Anniversary of the original shows.

Two other venues will be played, one at Medina MN near to where the 1959 Tour played at St Paul and another at Waterloo IA where Buddy Holly had played in 1958 on the Summer Dance Party Tour.

Tommy Allsup was Buddy Holly's guitarist on the original Tour in 1959 and has had a long career in country and rock 'n' roll music ever since.  He is a Grammy Award winner and his guitar work was a feature on many on Holly's hit recordings.  Appearing on around 7,000 recordings, he has recorded and produced a great many artists over the years and is still in demand here in the USA and in Europe where he tours each year.  Tommy will be accompanied on The Last Tour by Chicago's Johnny Rogers, reckoned by many to be the finest Buddy Holly tribute artist around, 18 year old rock 'n' roll sensation Richie Lee from Des Moines IA and the renowned Shackshakers from Duluth MN.

SHOW DATES AND VENUES

Thu    JANUARY 22              Medina Entertainment Center
                                            500 Highway 55, Medina, MN 55340
                                            Tickets call (763) 478 6661
                                            Doors open 6.00 pm, show starts 7.00 pm
                                            Tickets $15.00 advance, $21.00 reserved, $20.00 at the door**
                                            Website  www.medinaentertainment.com

Fri    JANUARY 23                Eagles Ballroom, The Rave* 
                                            2401 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233
                                            Doors open 7.00 pm, show starts 8.00 pm
                                            Tickets $20.00 advance, $25.00 at the door**
                                            Tickets call (414) 342 7283
                                            Website  www.therave.com

Sat    JANUARY 24               Capitol Theatre* 
                                            330 West 3rd Street, Davenport, IA 52801
                                            Doors open 7.00 pm, show starts 8.00 pm
                                            Reserved seats $26.50, $19.50
                                            Tickets call (563) 326 8820
                                            Website  www.thecapdavenport.com

Sun    JANUARY 25              Kato Ballroom* 
                                            200 Chestnut Street, Mankato, MN 56001
                                            Doors open 6.00 pm, show starts 7.00 pm
                                            Tickets $15.00 advance, $18.00 reserved, $20.00 at the door
                                            Tickets call (507) 625 7553
                                            Website  www.katoballroom.com

Fri    JANUARY 30                Electric Park Ballroom
                                            Doors open 7.00 pm, show starts 8.00 pm
                                            $20.00 at the door**

                                           Advance ticket Sales end Thursday Jan 29, 2009 8:00 CST. Tickets will be available at the box                                            office after 6:00 PM Friday.
                                           
                                            Ticket Hotline (319) 233 3050
                                            310 Conger Street, Waterloo, IA 50703
                                            Website  www.nationalcattlecongress.com

*  denotes original venue in 1959

** Legal Mumbojumbo --> Additional booking / handling fees may apply at some venues, check with individual venue for more information

OUR ARTISTS

Read more about TOMMY ALLSUP at www.westmainproductions.com/tommyallsup.html

Read more about JOHNNY ROGERS at www.buddyandbeyond.com

Read more about RICHIE LEE at www.richieleeproductions.com

Read more about THE SHACKSHAKERS at www.shackshakers.com

As in 1999, all Tour profits will benefit the Winter Dance Party Musical Scholarships and Awards program.  Since 1999 nearly 50 High School students have graduated to universities and colleges to major or minor in music with the assistance of Winter Dance Party Musical Scholarships.

For further details contact any of the following:
Paul King,  email   paul@thelasttour.net       Jack Dreznes,  email     jack@thelasttour.net
Ian Higham,  email  ian@thelasttour.net         Dennis Farland,  email  dennis@thelasttour.net

Look out for updated tour information, show times, etc, on our website:-

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Winter Dance Party Musical Scholarships and Awards Program

In 1998, a group of dedicated Rock n’ Roll fans decided to commemorate the then forthcoming 40th anniversary of “The Day The Music Died” by raising sufficient money to establish musical scholarships and awards in memory of the four young men who were lost on February 3, 1959.  As an initial fundraiser, a touring tribute show played all eleven cities in the same order and on the same dates as the 1959 Winter Dance Party tour.  A non-profit corporation was established in the state of Iowa in 1999 to administer the scholarships and awards.  Since then, fundraising has continued with a further tour and other events, and many musical scholarships and awards have been presented in the home towns of the three Rock n’ Roll singers and their pilot.  Further musical scholarships are awarded annually in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, these being the three states visited by the 1959 Winter Dance Party tour. 

By mid 2008, nearly 50 High School students have graduated to universities and colleges to major or minor in music with the assistance of a Winter Dance Party Musical Scholarship. Download more information about the scholarship program here

Fundraising Tours

Read about the fundraising tours played by the Winter Dance Party Musical Scholarships and Awards organisation in 1999 and 2002 as well as this forthcoming Tour.

Buddy's Buddies

Each year a group of Rock 'n' Roll fans, known as Buddy's Buddies - all accomplished musicians - play free shows for kids at Schools in Clear Lake and other locations in Iowa as part of the annual Tribute events to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J P (The Big Bopper) Richardson. 

50 States in 50 days!

The Last Tour's good friend Kevin Montgomery (whose dad happened to be Buddy Holly's best friend) has made this videologue of his trek to do 50 tour dates in 50 days!

Latwest from Kevin's Journey:
>> Good day! Hope you are doing well. I'm home recuperating from the 50
>> States in 50 Days tour. The tour was alot of work, but well worth it.
>> One of the best things i've done in awhile.
>>    We made so many new friends along the way, and have some stories
>> to tell. Jill Jackson was a real asset on the tour......she sang
>> great, played great guitar, and drove even better.....a solid driver!
>>    I'm really excited that Jill will be joining me on the upcoming UK
>> tour........i was looking for a reason to get excited about it, and i
>> finally did last week when she confirmed that she could do the dates.
>>     It is true that the "Roadtrippers" won't be joining me on this
>> tour.......somethings are not meant to be......timing is everything

THE LAST TOUR and THE WINTER DANCE PARTY MUSICAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
are trading names of 1959-1999 40TH ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND TOUR, INC.
(An Iowa Nonprofit Corporation)