Players

Gary Conway has an extraordinary creative background from the fine arts to the arts of

viticulture and winemaking, it was in television where Gary first became recognized worldwide,

initially starring in the TV series "Burke's Law," then "Land of the Giants," the world’s most

successful TV series. Besides starring in series and a multitude of episodic television shows and

TV movies for the three networks, he starred in many motion pictures. He is also a prominent

screenwriter with such credits as “Over the Top,” and the “American Ninja” series. He

currently directed and starred in the acclaimed film “Woman’s Story.”

Sonny Curtis My hero then was Sonny Curtis ... I admired him so much, I wanted to

change my name to Sonny. I even tried to stand like him.”--Waylon Jennings From his West

Texas beginnings as the lead guitarist in Buddy Holly’s pre-Crickets band to a prolific songwriting

career, Sonny Curtis is a rare talent who transcended musical genres long before the term
“crossover” was coined. He has penned over 500 songs, recorded by legendary artists across

the music spectrum, including Holly, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Hank Williams, Jr., Bing

Crosby, The Everly Brothers, and wrote their big hit "Walk Right Back", Nanci Griffith, Roy

Orbison, The Stray Cats, and The Clash. Might mention that he wrote the huge hit "I Fought the

Law", and Keith Whitley's record "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," which was voted Country Music

Assoc. single of the year in 1989.

Ann Dandridge With over 30 years in Public Relations consulting, Ann has helped many

celebrities become the stars they are today. Ann worked with one of her clients, Earl Mills for

ten years to get his book optioned, which finally became the HBO Movie "Introducing Dorothy

Dandridge" starring Halle Berry, Dorothy is Ann's cousin, She has worked with the likes of Eric

Root, author of Lana Turner's Biography, Motown legend Martha Reeves of Martha Reeves and

The Vandellas, Dr. Jerry Buss, owner of the LA Lakers, Ron Rice, founder of Hawaiian Tropic

Suntan Lotion, Elaine Young, Beverly Hills Realtor to the Stars, Mayor Harold Washington, 1st

Black Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Armand Hammer, CEO of Occidental Petroleum and others.

Joel Diamond Billboard Magazine described Diamond as, "one of Contemporary Music's Best

Record Producers sitting behind the board." A 30-year industry veteran, multi-platinum producer/

songwriter Joel Diamond has produced and/or co-written over 36 gold and platinum recordings,

plus movie soundtracks and television themes, and has been a recording artist himself on five

different labels. His career has included everything from record production and song writing

to heading up the music publishing companies for both Mercury (at which time his second in

command was Tommy Mottola) and CBS/Sony Records, serving in executive and creative

capacities. During his career, he has also worked closely with such music icons as: James

Taylor,Laura Nyro, Harry Nilson, Van Morrison, The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Barry

Manilow, David Bowie, Dr. Hook, among others.

Rich Ferguson is a magician, entertainer and poker columnist. He is current spokesman

for a Dream For Kids, a local, San Luis Obispo California charity. Rich's humorous and original

magic has enchanted audiences all over the world. Rich combines magic, hypnosis and mentalism

to create a style of magic that is highly intriguing and sets him apart from the rest as a world-class

magician. His slogan is "Where Magic & Mentalism Join Hands." He performs for high profile events,

award shows, magic clubs, theatres and his hands are used as extras in movies for cheats, gambling,

hustles, pick pockets and various manipulations

Max Gail His acting debut came in 1970 in San Francisco, California, playing the Chief in the

original stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He is best known for his

television role as Det. Stan "Wojo" Wojeciehowicz from the sitcom Barney Miller (1975). Gail's

best known feature film role is in D.C. Cab (1983) as Harold, Gail runs Full Circle, a production

company which has done documentaries on such subjects as Agent Orange, Native Americans,

and nuclear issues.

Dan Jones was recently Chairman of the Ponca Nation. He was a Field Producer on the

Emmy nominated documentary 500 Nations, working with Kevin Costner. Dan worked for Disney

Imagineering on the Disney America Project, and performed with Sammy Davis Jr. and Wayne

Newton at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jones' television productions

include producing The World of American Indian Dance, which premiered on NBC in 2003. In

2001 Jones was the co-host and co-producer of the First Americans in the Arts awards ceremony

webcast, with broadcast partner Yahoo.com. In 1993 he received the Muse Award from the

Association of American Museums for a work produced by the new Smithsonian National Museum

of the American Indian. Jones is a traditional straight dancer and resides in his hometown of Ponca

City, Oklahoma.

Ken Kragen has managed some of the world's most important entertainers, including Kenny

Rogers, Lionel Richie, Trisha Yearwood, Olivia Newton John, The Bee Gees, Burt Reynolds,

The Smothers Brothers and many others. He was the creator and organizer of "We Are the

World", "Hands Across America", and Cisco System's "NetAid". Kragen has produced a variety

of film and television projects, ranging from the ground-breaking "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"

on CBS to Kenny Rogers' "Gambler" movies, and numerous series, mini-series and films. He

produced the "12 Dogs of Christmas" live action, full length feature film based on his daughter's,

Emma's, best-selling children's book. 12DogsofChristmas.com To date this project has sold

500,000 books and 700,000 DVDs. He and his friend Quincy Jones produced a portion of the

1992 Presidential Inauguration. He has written the best selling book "Life is a Contact Sport"

which is filled with unique and well tested career advice.

Michael Lewis has played with Frankie Valli, DeBarge, Sherman Hemsley (George

Jefferson), and was keyboard player for the great Quicksilver Messenger Service for years. Michael

was Liberace's Music Director and arranger, and produced three of Liberace's albums. He did the

music for Barbara Walter's TV Specials, soundtrack for the TV show "In Search Of", narraed by

Mr. Spock and Leonard Nimoy. Besides running his own music company, he has been music

director and playing with Dave Somerville for many years, and will join him at the Festival on stage.