Betty Robinson sees a future for the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

That’s why she worked to book the Easy Street Band there as a way to welcome the Wilson area quartet back to North Carolina after a recording trip in Nashville.

Robinson has been working as the band’s publicist and manager for more than a year now and sees their September 24 concert at the theater an opportunity for people to hear a band which she believes has potential for bigger things.

She is also a fan of the theater. “I love the Roanoke Rapids Theatre,” Robinson said in a telephone interview this morning. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Familiar with the theater, Robinson called the venue to find out how to lease it for the 7:30 p.m. show and a deal was struck.

While the band is thrilled to be performing at the theater, Robinson has discovered not everyone in Roanoke Rapids is thrilled the venue is having an act.

The opposition to this show, she believes, is because of the past and current problems with the theater. “My husband and I are doing this,” Robinson said. “Once Roanoke Rapids realizes it’s us doing it we think they’ll support it.”

Mark Grady, a film producer, professional speaker and friend of Robinson’s will be the master of ceremonies for the event. David Johnson, who performs locally at Timeless Tea, will be the opening act.

Robinson believes the theater will be the perfect place for the band to perform after returning from a Nashville trip where they are scheduled to meet music producer Fred Foster the week of September 12. “This theater is like the theaters you see in Branson. It’s beautiful, pretty, nice. I hated to see it sit there all lonesome.”

Tickets for the concert, which are available at Ticketmaster and at the door the night of the show, are selling well, Robinson said, mainly from the Wilson and Rocky Mount areas.

Robinson’s credentials came early, working with her mother, Eleanor Andrews, who worked with the Miss America program.

It was a way to help Robinson deal with the loss of her husband and son in 1971. “My mother decided I was going to quit moping around.”

So Robinson traveled with her mother on the Miss America circuit, meeting many celebrities.

That experience would lead Robinson to recruiting celebrities for events in the Wilson and Rocky Mount areas and the Rocky Mount television station WHIG. The Easy Street Band will appear on this station September 3 from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., telling their story and playing their music.

When she and her husband were having dinner someone gave her a demo of the band’s work, which she forwarded to Foster.

Robinson listened to the demo and was hooked. “Their harmonies, their pitch was perfect. It just sent a chill.”

Foster was also impressed, telling Robinson she just sent him the best band he’s heard in years.

The band has been playing packed shows in the Wilson area and Robinson was looking for a bigger audience.

She talked with Charles Davis, the manager of the theater. “He said they were not doing much because they were in litigation.”

Robinson will pay for the engineer and lighting. “I’m doing the production, the directing, everything.”

She believes the theater can succeed. “They really need to hold the bad news close to the chest. The theater is getting a bad rap. It needs to be pumped up instead of being torn down.”

Grady also likes the theater, Robinson said, and the pair believes the venue would be the perfect place from which to broadcast weekly events similar to the Grand Ole Opry. “From day one I thought what a wonder thing this is.”