The music group Mother’s Choice were the featured band at Apple Annie’s Courtyard at Church Street Station on Church Street in downtown Orlando. Sam and Susan Barnes, Ron Cole, and Charlie Lesink were very kind, singing the 8 ½ minute long American Pie every time our kids requested it, which was every time we were there! They played a mix of folk and blue grass music to the delight of all who visited.
This is the front cover of their record album, autographed by all the members of the band and features caricatures of each. Clockwise Charlie Lesink, Ron Cole, Sam Barnes, Susan Barnes. Peruse images, audio and links under Attachments below.
The Fall 1977 edition of Church Street Station’s Good Times Gazette has feature stories on each entertainment venue and the entertainers. This portion of page 3 in the Gazette, features Apple Annie’s Courtyard and Mother’s Choice – a folk, bluegrass band with members Sam Barnes, Susan Barnes, Charley Lesink, Ronnie Cole, and Jeff Pattishall.
The band was included on a live album recorded at Church Street Station called “Sights and Sounds of Church Street Station.” Several songs are included on the album, but one – a localized parody of “Charlie on the M.T.A.” appealed to everyone who had visited the Magic Kingdom and traveled on the monorail.
Our family frequented Church Street Station when our two children were very little (8 months and older) starting in 1982. The kids love American Pie by Don McLean and once they knew that Mother’s Choice sang that song, they requested it every time we visited Church Street Station. My husband and I figured Sam Barnes thought we were using the kids as pawns to request the song for us, but that was not the case. Our son, Christopher and daughter Ashley, loved the song and knew most of the words by heart!
The Barnes still reside in the Orlando area and their two daughters are also musically inclined!
What was left of Apple Annie’s after they removed the fire and water fountain is included in this Church Street Station marketing video currently posted on YouTube.com.
Peruse the documents, audio file and images below under Attachments and enjoy the humor of “Charlie on the M.T.A.”!
The group was included on a live album recorded at Church Street Station called “Sights and Sounds of Church Street Station.” Several songs performed by Mother’s Choice are included on the album, but a parody of “Charlie on the M.T.A.” was a favorite of everyone who had ever visited the Magic Kingdom and traveled on the monorail. It tells the tale of Charlie who, lacking a ticket for the Monorail was destined to keep riding forever round the Magic Kingdom.
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Mother's Choice - Apple Annie's at Church Street Station
The music group Mother's Choice were the featured band at Apple Annie's Courtyard. Sam and Susan Barnes and Charlie Lesink were very...
Mother's Choice - Apple Annie's at Church Street Station
The music group Mother's Choice were the featured band at Apple Annie's Courtyard. Sam and Susan Barnes and Charlie Lesink were very...
Apple Annie's Courtyard and Mother's Choice - Good Times Gazette Fall 1977
The Fall 1977 edition of Church Street Station's Good Times Gazette has feature stories on each entertainment venue and the entertainers. This...
Mother's Choice - Record Album - front cover
Mother's Choice was the house band at Apple Annie's Courtyard at Church Street Station. They played a mix of folk and blue...
Mother's Choice - Record Album - back cover
Mother's Choice was the house band at Apple Annie's Courtyard at Church Street Station. They played a mix of folk and blue...
This take off on the once popular Kingston Trio song "Charlie on the M.T.A." is performed by the Apple Annie's Courtyard band "Mother's Choice." The song places Charlie on the monorail at Disney instead. It was record live on the "Sights and Sounds of Church Street Station" album that followed two visitors experiencing the entertainment at Rosie O'Grady's Good Time Emporium and Apple Annie's Courtyard.
Is there anywhere to buy an album or cd of Mothers Choice. heard them at Church Street in the 70’s bought an album there.
Hello Rusty! Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and leaving a comment on the post for Mother’s Choice. They were the best folk group ever! I never owned one of their albums, but Discogs.com as several for sale. I do not know anything about the site, so “Buyer Beware!” Thanks again for visiting. We hope you find more posts that bring back wonderful memories of Orlando.
Hi Sarah, This is Chuck Jordan – I Worked with your mom and dad at Florida Festival. Somehow my copy of their album has disappeared after numerous moves over the years. If you have a wave file of the album you could mail me that would be wonderful. Im now living just about an hour away from Maggie Valley NC.
Thanks – Take care Love to all Chuck
Hi! This Is Sam and Susan Barnes’s daughter. I have a copy of their album if you would like it. My email is XXXXXXXXXXXXX and I’m happy to send you a thumb drive with their entire album on it.
Sara I was a huge fan of Mother’s choice and I spent countless nights enjoying them way back when. I somehow had them on my mind tonight and tried to search for them. I sadly discovered that your Dad Sam passed away. I am so sorry. I would love to be able to listen to their music once again.
Hello Gail!
Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing thoughts about Mother’s Choice. I bought one of their old albums on Ebay some time back. There appears to be one for sale there now at a premium but it appears to be autographed by the members of the band, so that’s pretty cool! We hope you find other posts about Church Street Station that bring back happy memories from back in the day. So sad those Good Times are gone at Church Street Station.
Thank you for visiting our posts on Orlando Memory related to Church Street Station, Apple Annie’s and our favorite band – Mother’s Choice! I’m sure my daughter Ashley has told you how much fun we had and how kind your folks were every time we visited CSS. I often wondered if, when they saw us coming in, they pulled out American Pie automatically! Needless to say, we would love a copy of their album. I so wish your folks were performing somewhere in Orlando, so we could go see them. They were an amazingly talented group of musicians!