JANUARY 22, 2014
Marshall Trimble celebrates 50 years of performing
PARADISE VALLEY – Marshall Trimble, who celebrates 50 years of performing on his acoustic guitar, will weave wonderful tales of Arizona history and folklore as a keynote speaker 8 a.m. Feb. 1 at Valley Presbyterian Church, 6947 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley. His talk is one of many presented by the church’s Encore University.
Trimble, 75, taught himself guitar at the age of 19 as a way to overcome shyness and attract girls. Over the past 50 years, he has performed all over the state and has hosted several radio shows, including “Trimble’s Tales” and the Emmy award-winning television show, “Arizona Backroads.” He also appeared on “CBS This Morning,” “Good Morning America,” KAET-TV and the Nashville Network.
“My first performance was in a saloon in Mesa called the Feed Bag. The first song was “Scotch and Soda,” recalled Trimble. “It was on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday for $25 a night. That $75 was more than I was making a week teaching school.”
Trimble has been the Arizona state historian since 1997 and has studied Arizona for years as director of Southwest Studies at Scottsdale Community College. He sings Western folk songs as a teaching tool.
The Mesa-born singer grew up in Ash Fork, Ariz. and has written 23 books including a humorous tale about Ash Folk characters titled “Never Give a Heifer a Bum Steer.”
“I tell tall tales and true tales,” he said. “Mostly I use humor to give people a tour of Arizona. Everyone who lives here is interested in knowing more about the state.”
Trimble is the latest speaker in the Encore University Saturday morning series that includes Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on March 1. Tickets are $20 ($10 for Encore members.)
For more information, visit www.encoreuniv.org or 480-991-6424. ext. 165.
