Celebration Honors Gene Autry And John Wayne Centennials

MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 3 AND 4, AT 7:30 PM

Media sponsor: Autry National Center; Univision 34/Telefutura 46 is the exclusive Spanish-language media sponsor; WaMu generously sponsors the July 3 performance; Lexus generously sponsors the July 4 performance

In a red, white and blue salute to the West, this year's Hollywood Bowl July 4th Fireworks Spectacular features America's greatest singing cowboys, Riders In The Sky, along with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, playing tribute to the centennial of Western screen legends Gene Autry. Conductor Edwin Outwater leads the Philharmonic and the performance includes a montage of film clips showcasing highlights from the actors' illustrious careers. The Bowl's brilliant fireworks show wraps up the patriotic performances on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 2, 3 and 4, at 7:30 p.m.

In the spirit of the Western theme, the evening also honors quintessential Hollywood cowboy John Wayne; both Autry and Wayne would have been celebrating their 100th birthdays this year. The performance begins with the Philharmonic tribute to Wayne and features a montage of clips from some of the actor's most-beloved films - How the West Was Won, Hatari ("Baby Elephant Walk") and The Cowboys. Riders In The Sky takes over the second half of the performance dedicated to Autry and featuring a clip of the actor/singer singing "Don't Blame the Hand That's Feeding You" from Bells of Capistrano.

The July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl is widely regarded as one of the region's top Independence Day fireworks shows and has become a Southern California family tradition.

EDWIN OUTWATER is the newly-appointed music director of the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony in Ontario, Canada, and begins his tenure in September 2007. He recently concluded his tenure as resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, during which he worked closely with Michael Tilson Thomas, accompanied the orchestra on tour and conducted numerous concerts each season. He made his subscription debut in 2002, with Kurt Masur conducting Britten's War Requiem, and has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie, and many others. His consistently innovative programs featured the works of composers such as John Adams, Thomas Adès, Chen Yi, Gabriela Lena Frank, HK Gruber, Lou Harrison, Robin Holloway, Nathaniel Stookey and Tan Dun. Before joining the San Francisco Symphony, Outwater served as resident conductor and associate guest conductor of the Florida Philharmonic. Outwater's work in music education and community outreach has been widely acclaimed and he has won several awards for his efforts. The Santa Monica, California native attended Harvard University, graduating cum laude in 1993, with a degree in English literature. Outwater received his master's degree in conducting from UC Santa Barbara, where he studied with Heiichiro Ohyama, and Paul Polivinick. He also studied music theory and composition with John Stewart, Joel Feigin and Leonard Stein

With 28-plus years and more than 5,200 performances and counting under their collective cowboy belts, RIDERS IN THE SKY, the multi Grammy-winning Western music group whose music is firmly grounded in the rich American music traditions of such legendary cowboy singers as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers - and whose fun-filled performances have enchanted audiences of all ages - are themselves the stuff of legend. The Riders - Ranger Doug (Idol of American Youth), Woody Paul (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers) and Too Slim ("a Righteous Tater") and Joey (the CowPolka King) - have single-handedly revived and revitalized an entire music genre since they formed in 1977. With their recent induction into the prestigious Walk of Western Stars in Newhall, California, they have only added more luster to an extraordinary career that long ago placed them rightfully alongside the all-time greats as the world's premiere Western recording and touring band. Recently, they wrote the theme for a new Internet cartoon by renowned Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones, and had their own animated characters make a guest appearance in an episode of "Duck Dodgers," the Warner Bros. cartoon series on the Cartoon Network starring Daffy Duck in space, for which they recorded and sang the "Ballad of Duck Dodgers." Their animated characters also appear in episodes of "Stanley" on the Disney network this year - and the DVD versions - and perform three songs in a few episodes as well. As real-life characters, the Riders continue to record seasonal episodes of Riders Radio Theatre, a radio program that's been broadcast by more than 170 public and commercial stations since 1989. In 1982, Riders In The Sky became the first exclusively Western music artist to join the Grand Ole Opry.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 39th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2007, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the third year in a row at the 18th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

MONDAY, JULY 2 AT 7:30 PM

TUESDAY, JULY 3 AT 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 AT 7:30 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

JULY 4TH FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

EDWIN OUTWATER, conductor

RIDERS IN THE SKY, special guests

Media sponsor: Autry National Center; Univision 34/Telefutura 46 is the exclusive Spanish-language media sponsor; WaMu generously sponsors the July 3 performance; Lexus generously sponsors the July 4 performance

Tickets ($9 - $111; ½ price for age 12 and under) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday - Saturday, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.), or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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