ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — A popular bluegrass quartet at Disneyland was set to play its final show Monday even as fans sought to drum up support to keep the band at the “Happiest Place On Earth.”
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, who first played the theme park in 1988, were scheduled to perform their last gig at “The Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree” in Frontierland after playing to standing-room-only crowds over the weekend.
Musicians Kirk Wall, Dennis Fetchet, Rick Storey and Anders Swanson are the most recent incarnation of the Hillbillies, which have used at least four different teams over the band’s 25-year history at the theme park.
But while the group’s post-Disneyland stints have included a New Year’s Eve show at Knott’s Berry Farm under their new name, Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies, the band’s future prospects remain uncertain.
City of Orange resident Steven Iversen launched an online petition in November called “Save The Billys” asking Disneyland to reverse its decision. The petition claims the Billies are “the main reason many people continue to purchase annual passes and travel from around the country.”
As of Monday, more than 2,600 supporters had signed the document.
Iversen told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that while Disney blogs have been filled with hundreds of complaints about the cancellation, Disney officials have yet to provide any real explanation for the move.
