The Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at The Star in Frisco opens the doors of Ford Center to two of the greatest icons of American music. James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt are performing the first announced concert at the venue. The two Rock n Roll Hall of Famers will take the stage on July 31, 2017 at 7:30pm.
Sweet Baby James and Bonnie Raitt…are you kidding me? Talk about starting off with a bang!
Fun fact: both J.T. and Bonnie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year: 2000.
James Taylor and His All-Star Band are the headliners; Bonnie Raitt and her band are the special guests to open the show. Having seen both of them perform live-in-concert numerous times over the past 30 years, I can’t tell you how exciting it will be to see them in the same place where I watch the Cowboys practice every day during football season.
The setting will be great because Ford Center is more intimate than the outdoor amphitheatres and basketball arenas which comprise these artists’ other tour stops. And it’s indoors in July…so there’s air conditioning. And The Star will have a few their new restaurants open so you can dine before the show, or stay overnight afterwards at the new Omni Hotel which is a 45-second walk from the concert.
In honor of James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt coming to our Cowboys’ home, we at 5PB have put together a list of our “5 Favorite James Taylor Songs”.
This was a long debate because there’s so much great material in his song catalog. He’s won 5 Grammy Awards for goodness sake! So let’s just say the list is a consensus, much of it based on personal experiences.
jamestaylor.com
Feel free to add your own J.T. favorites in our comments section.
5 Favorite James Taylor Songs:
1. Your Smiling Face: we dare you to listen to this song and not smile or sing along. “When you give me pretty little pout, it turns me inside out…there’s something about you baby, I don’t know”. C’mon, how can you not love this song!
2. The Secret of Life: when I worked at KVIL Radio in the 1990s, we played J.T. about 20 times per day (not an exaggeration). One day when visiting the radio station, James walked into our on-air studio when Jack Schell was doing his mid-day show. J.T. played this song live. Chill bumps ran up and down our spines. I’ll never forget it.
3. Fire and Rain: “Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun; Lord know when the cold wind blows it will turn your head around.” Enough said. This song is arguably James’ best work and a favorite for so many of his fans!
4. Handyman: “Hey girls, gather round…listen to what I’m puttin’ down”. You had us at “Hey Girls”.
5. Traffic Jam: This final song was a tough one because we had the same number of votes for How Sweet It Is and You’ve Got a Friend. But I’m breaking the tie and going with Traffic Jam because it’s on my iPod and I play it when stuck in traffic driving down I-35 or Central Expressway. “Da(ng) this traffic jam, how I hate to be late…it hurts my motor to go so slow.”
There were also lots of votes for Carolina in My Mind, Copperline, and Mexico. And the live concert version of Shower the People is outstanding.
As for Bonnie Raitt, if I had a dollar for every time we played something from her Nick of Time album when I worked at KVIL Radio, I’d own a private island and you would all be invited to fly-in on my private jet for a party.
Nick of Time won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1989. I’m hoping she’ll mix-in those hits (along with 1991’s Something to Talk About) with her more traditional blues and folk standards. She’s such a great musician as well as songwriter/singer. Man, I hope I can sneak into Ford Center early that afternoon for sound check!
We can’t wait to see J.T. and Bonnie on July 31st! Hope to see ya there!
If you’re interested in tickets, here’s the link to Ticketmaster.com.
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