Ramblin’ Rhodes: Berry, Bogguss bring on the holidays

It’s too bad Suzy Bogguss can’t arrive in Augusta one day early and share the Imperial Theater stage with John Berry since they each have some of the best and strongest voices in country music.

Berry is bringing back his Christmas show to the Imperial at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Tickets are $28, $32, $42 with a separate VIP meet and greet event at 5:30 p.m. costing an additional $25.

Bogguss the next night is returning with her Christmas show at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 17, as part of the Morris Museum of Art’s Budweiser True Music Southern Soul & Song Series. Tickets are $15, $24, $30, $45.

You can buy the tickets for each at the Imperial’s box office, by calling (706) 722-8341 or online at imperialtheatre.com.

It’s certainly worth your time and money to go both nights to hear Georgia-reared Berry (who was born in Aiken) and Illinois-reared Bogguss.

Both are known for their personable and entertaining concerts and each have had a long list of hit singles that you probably would recognize.

But wouldn’t you just love to hear Berry doing a duet of his powerful hit single “Standing On The Edge of Goodbye” with Bogguss?

Or hear Bogguss doing a duet of “Hopelessly Yours” with Berry just as she did on her 1992 Grammy-nominated duet hit single with Lee Greenwood?

Many reviews of Bogguss’ albums or stage performances use the adjectives “classy, sparkling” and “underrated.”

And those descriptions certainly have been used by this columnist since first crossing her path more than 30 years ago after her debut Capitol Records album “Somewhere Between.”

You may recall my writing about Bogguss, a former Girl Scout, driving across the United States in the early 1980s in a pickup truck with camper. She shared the trip only with her dog, Duchess, and cat, Chaucer, while booking herself along the way into nightclubs and restaurants.

During one interview, I told her that adventure reminded me of the autobiographical book “Travels With Charley” which John Steinbeck authored about his 1960 trans-U.S. trip with his poodle.

Steinbeck, writer of “The Grapes of Wrath,” knew he was dying and wanted to see America up close one more time. His journey of some 10,000 miles took him through New York, the Pacific Northwest, California, Texas, the Deep South and back to New York.

Bogguss later would tell me that she not only read the book multiple times after my recommendation but also has used it as a gift.

“I’ve given that book to so many people,” she said. “I grew up in Illinois, but I love the west and Midwest in the spring and summer.

Georgian Berry likewise loves his travels including this year making his 23rd annual “Christmas Songs & Stories” tour.

His hit singles besides “Standing On The Edge of Goodbye” have included “Your Love Amazes Me,” “I Think About It All The Time,” “If I Had Any Pride Left At All” and “Kiss Me in the Car.”

Between Dec. 11 and Dec. 22, Berry is taking only two nights off (Dec. 15 and Dec. 20) with stops in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

Although many of his hit singles will leave you with goosebumps, the show-stopping number on his Christmas tours comes when Berry takes center stage to sing “O Holy Night.”

That alone is worth the price of the ticket to his show.

Two more shows to keep in mind this month:

“Christmas With The Isaacs”: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 19, Hardin Auditorium, Evans, with the award-winning country-gospel group seen on the “Gaither Homecoming” TV specials; $44.95, (706) 726-0366; augustaamusements.com

“A Bing Crosby Christmas”: 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, Miller Theater; featuring Broadway veteran Jared Bradshaw and songs of The Andrews Sisters; $35-$60; buy at the box office, by calling (706) 842-4080 or online at millertheateraugusta.com

Reach out to Ramblin’ Rhodes at don.rhodes@morris.com.

Christmas With John Berry: 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 16, Imperial Theater, $28-$42; VIP meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. additional $25; (706) 722-8341, imperialtheatre.com

Suzy Bogguss Christmas show: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 17, Imperial Theater, Morris Museum of Art’s Budweiser True Music Southern Soul & Song Series; $15-$45; (706) 722-8341, imperialtheatre.com

If you go