Christie Lenee -- Stage 11 at Winfield
(Honorary Kansan)
Christie isn't from Kansas and has never lived in Kansas. But last year after winning the International Fingerstyle Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, she graced Stage 11 for a late-night afterhours show and amazed everyone there. For 90 minutes!
This year she went even further, playing full 90-120 minute sets deep into the night on both Thursday and Saturday. As if that wasn't enough, she brought a world-class fiddle player the first night, and added a master of the Native American flute to their mix on the second night. The blend was pure magic!
Stage 11 is the songwriters stage at Winfield, and is produced and operated by a core group of great folks from the Kansas City Songwriters Circle, including Jim Herrman, David Hakan, Bob Morrison, and Dave Lizor. It is a magnet for creative artists and is aptly referred to as "Stage 11: Songwriter Heaven." Originating just 5 years ago, it has rapidly grown to become the talk of the festival and a centerpiece of the Winfield experience.
Based on the close ties that Stage 11 has with all things Kansas, and the fact that Christie is a friend of Stage 11 who has gone completely above and beyond in her support of it, I nominate Christie Lenee as an Honorary Kansan. If anybody disagrees, they are welcome to challenge Christie to a duel on the guitar. If that's not good enough, they're welcome to take their concerns to Bridget Everett in the Complaints Department. ;)
I also propose the following general rule: if anybody else wants to become an honorary Kansan, all they have to do is donate their time and talents to our state in the same sort of amazing, overflowing way that Christie has.
Now that the rationale for naming Christie Lenee as an Honorary Kansan is out of the way, allow me the pleasure of completely blowing your mind with some of her videos :)
Live on the Songwriters Stage last year at Winfield:
"Stay"
"Song for Michael Pukac"
"Free World Citizen"
Cover of "Landslide" with Tommy Emmanuel
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