THE DALLES — A crowd several hundred strong cheered the last promotion of musical organizer Randy Haines, who ended his 40-year career on Aug. 10 at the final Neon Nights.
For the community that knows Randy Haines Twidwell as DJ and radio personality, Randy Haines, it was a bid farewell. “It was a wonderful night,” Twidwell said in a later interview. He’s organized Neon Nights for some three decades now.
Twidwell is retiring from public appearance following diagnoses of Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and proceeds from Neon Nights — more than $11,000 at last count — will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association for those with similar diagnoses.
Twidwell went from pumping gas to radio personality in the early 1980s, after a chance encounter at the gas station where he worked landed him an interview with KACI owners Burns and Joanne Nugent. That turned into a career in DJ services and concert promotion, which took him through every radio station in The Dalles, Hood River and Goldendale, as previously reported in Columbia Gorge News.
He’s given the soundtrack to more than 600 weddings and parties around the Gorge. Then, about 30 years ago, he organized the very first Neon Nights with his wife, Tracy Twidwell.
Performers at the last ever Neon Nights Aug. 10.Â
Flora Gibson photo
“I sat down with my wife, good friends Shannon Milburn, Lamont Jones, Steve Hinatsu and a few other friends, and we decided to do it,” Twidwell told Columbia Gorge News in 2023. “We couldn’t afford A-list artists, but we didn’t want to do anything mediocre, either.” The group would bring rock and country performers of national fame to The Dalles. They weren’t in it for money — they just wanted to fill a community need for great music.
The greatest part of organizing the concerts was looking at all the possible bands, Twidwell said. Then came the excitement of anticipation, once the musicians were hired. “And to see the smiling faces at the shows, and the families who are kicking back in the grass enjoying the show, that’s where we get mostly our reward,” he added.
After his diagnosis, Twidwell decided to end his career on a good note and retired from the airwaves last December. “It was a nice long run, and it’s time to let somebody else take over all the entertainment,” he said.
Donations can still be made to the Alzheimer’s Assocation through www.neonnightsconcert.com. “Purple Haines” drinks are still for sale Route 30 Bottles and Brews, located 317 E. Second St., The Dalles. Proceeds from the drinks also go to the fundraiser, said Tracy Twidwell.
“One of our winners of the special Randy hats from Bobbi Felt's Gorge Gear has donated the hat back to raise more funds for the newly-formed local Dementia Services of Wasco County,” another beneficiary of the fundraising, she added.
No one who needs Alzheimer’s services or a support network should be afraid to reach out to the Mid-Columbia Senior Center, Randy Twidwell said. “I can’t imagine fighting Alzheimer’s on my own, without my wife and those resources that are available for us,” he noted.
Neon Nights concerts are over, although the Neon Nights car show and Dufur Threshing Bee continue. Twidwell said he looks forward to enjoying all the musical shows produced in the Gorge in future.
For younger musicians following in his footsteps, Twidwell’s advice was “be patient and not to start too big. Work within your boundaries and build on what you’ve started.”
Performers at the last ever Neon Nights Aug. 10.Â
Flora Gibson photo
And get monetary support up front if you can, he added. It’s not fun at all, impatiently waiting for a concert to end so the organizers can see if they broke even. Having organized $50,000 and $60,000 shows, Twidwell can speak from experience about the anxieties of organizing such events.
Twidwell also thanked the radio stations and newspapers of The Dalles for their support and promotion over the years.
“Our sponsors have been fabulous over the years, and we couldn’t do these shows without those sponsors,” he said. “And they know who they are, and we thank them.”
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