15 MINUTES OF FAME:

This month’s spotlight is on Jeremy Estes, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Owensboro’s RiverPark Center and long time cast member at Goldie’s Opry. Here are the results of our recent chat.

PHOTO CREDIT: MARK MCCOY

N4U: How long have you been at RiverPark Center (RPC) now?

TE: Almost 6 years.

Did you start out as, like a busboy, or have you always been in your current position?

When I graduated college I worked in Nashville for a couple years as an account executive for a logistics company serving commercial airlines. Then 9/11 happened, which was bad for the commercial airline industry. So, I was talking to Goldie one weekend, cause I was still performing there on weekends and she referred me to [RPC]. I submitted my resume and went through the process of interviews with board members and that sort of thing. Bob Darrow was the chair of our board, and I was in maybe my third interview in a room with, like, six or eight people, and Bob asked me an interview question I wasn’t anticipating and hadn’t prepared for: “Can you sing something for us?” The only thing that popped in my head was “Amazing Grace.” And so I sang it in front of these people and I was just sitting there thinking, “Either they’re gonna love it and think this is a person who can be comfortable in all situations, or they’ll say ‘this guy’s crazy.’” But it all worked out, and I think everything happens for a reason. I think Bob asked me that question for a reason and “Amazing Grace” popped in my head for a reason, because that’s what God had planned for me.

It’s always good to know you’re on the right path in life.

Yeah, I just feel like I’ve gotten that affirmation that I’m totally in the right place.

From airline logistics to marketing is quite a career jump, what does your current job entail and how is that different?

Well, a big part of my job now is public relations, being a spokesperson for [RPC]. That is a big part of my job, making sure that [RPC] is represented in a positive way, and that people know it’s for the entire community. That’s why we do events like Winter Wonderland and the Mystery Festival. Our Broadway Season…now that we’re doing Broadway West and building Broadway tours…a big part of my job is to connect with the cast members and make sure their needs are taken care of. And then there is the media aspect: taking care of TV, radio, and print ads. I think the best thing about working at Riverpark Center is although we all have specific job titles, nobody does exclusively what their job title is, so everyone helps each other out, which is good because we all have different perspectives and at the end of the day, we’re all consumers, so we all have an idea about what would make us want to buy something or go see something.

You mentioned your singing earlier. When did you get started singing? Did you take formal lessons?

No. I started singing when I was about three in church. I was just kinda born to sing, and my mom recognized that at a young age, and I was a twin, and she took my brother and I to talent competitions. I really started singing at the Opry in 1999 at a Friday open mic night contest and won, so an opportunity presented itself shortly thereafter. Goldie asked me if I’d be interested in joining the cast as a singer and, of course, I jumped at the opportunity and have done the show ever since.

Grapevine has it Goldie is retiring. Any plans to continue singing after that?

My wife and I are heavily involved at Owensboro Christian Church, which has a phenomenal music ministry. So we’re singing there all the time. And I’m gonna be able to lend myself more to that. God never closes one door without opening another.

One more question, and we’re done. This is a silly one. There is a scene in Spiderman where he has to save one of two falling people. If you had to save either A) a bag full of puppies, or B) a bag full of kittens which would it be?

The puppies.

What have you got against kittens?