Red Deer’s Memorial Centre celebrates 75 years with Johnny Cash tribute

Red Deer’s Memorial Centre celebrates 75 years with Johnny Cash tribute

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, October 20, 2026

What better way to celebrate Red Deer Deer Memorial Centre’s 75th anniversary than with the rumble of a rich baritone, reminiscent of the late Johnny Cash, who once appeared on stage at the city’s treasured arts venue.

The Memorial Centre’s Years of Legends – Gala & Fundraiser, on Nov. 14, features Folsom Prison Revisited, a tribute performance that explores the history of Cash’s legendary 1968 prison concert.

Robin Armitage recalled how exciting it was to see Cash — along with his wife June Carter Cash, Carl Perkins, and The Statler Brothers — in concert at Red Deer Memorial Centre when she was a young teenager.

For Armitage, the remarkable country music lineup was even more unforgettable because of how she landed Cash’s autograph. Since her school drama classes were held at the Memorial Centre, she knew how to find the performers’ green room. She was also familiar with a wonky drink machine backstage, and happened to find one of the musicians attempting to get a soda.

“One of the Statler Brothers was trying to get a pop out of the pop machine, and the pop machine never worked unless you kicked it in just the right spot,” recalled Armitage, who showed the singer right where he needed to kick.

When he asked her to help him out with that, she happily obliged.

“So I kicked it and it made a big noise, the pop banged down, and Johnny Cash came out of the green room saying, ‘What’s going on out here?’”

“The Statler Brother said, ‘You won’t believe this. This little gal got me a pop. She kicked the machine.’

“(Cash) said, ‘Well, will you get me one?’

“I said, ‘Sure, if you give me your autograph.’

“He said, ‘I will, and if you get one for me, I’ll get you my wife’s autograph too.’”

Armitage said June was so beautiful, she was awestruck.

It was just one of the memorable concerts Armitage attended at the Memorial Centre with her mother and sister, and another special moment was when Armitage helped George Jones and Tammy Wynette with their baby during an autograph session outside their tour bus, parked at the centre.

“(Wynette) was having trouble balancing the baby and doing autographs. So I said, ‘I can hold your baby,’ and she gave me a kind of funny look. She looked at my mom. My mom said, ‘She babysits all the time,’ and so she handed me the baby and they started doing autographs.”

Through the years, the Memorial Centre has been essential to the arts community for concerts, plays, comedians, local theatre productions, and special events.

Talk of pursuing a memorial community hall in Red Deer started after the First World War, and was revived after the Second World War, but funding was always lacking.

Eventually, Red Deer School Division and the Memorial Centre Committee jointly proposed to convert one of the old drill halls at the former Second World War A-20 army camp into an auditorium and gymnasium.

Central Alberta Theatre leased the centre’s auditorium from the city starting in 1994. An addition was added, and the gymnasium was converted into Festival Hall by Red Deer Heritage Society.

The anniversary gala’s fundraising campaign will focus on raising money for state-of-the-art, energy efficient LED stage lighting at the Memorial Centre.

The goal is to raise $75,000, with the balance of the $250,000-project to come from leveraging community support with businesses as well as municipal, provincial and federal government grant funding.

Gala guests will dine on a 1951-inspired supper in Festival Hall where they will learn about the venue’s history and can participate in fundraising activities, before taking their seats in the Memorial Centre for Folsom Prison Revisited.

Tickets are available at www.showpass.com/folsomprisonrevisited. For information on the Adopt a Light – 75th Anniversary Season Sponsorship campaign contact Wanda Bornn at
treasurer@centralalbertatheatre.ca, or call 780-446-8382.

50/50 raffle tickets in support of the campaign are available at rafflebox.ca/raffle/75rdmc/. The draw will be held on Nov. 13.

Donations can also be made at www.canadahelps.org.