Oprah Puts On Show For Texans

She two-stepped with Patrick Swayze, was serenaded by Clint Black and tried on a 13-carat diamond ring supplied by a genuine millionaire oilman.

Texas is an awfully big place to squeeze into one show, but Oprah Winfrey gave it a pretty good shot in her first episode taped in the city where she’s on trial, accused of defaming Texas beef.

“Guess you all heard I was in town,” Winfrey told an audience of about 300 Thursday during taping of a show to air nationally on Monday.

Despite the trial that brought her here, Winfrey showed no ill will toward Amarillo at her new studio away from home, the Amarillo Little Theater. In fact, she paid homage to the Lone Star State throughout the show and plans to do so again with another Texas-themed program.

The theater was packed, and fans stood outside hoping to squeeze in.

The entertainment came from three native Houstonians: Swayze, Black and his wife, actress Lisa Hartman.

Swayze presented Winfrey with a black cowboy hat, then gave her a crash course in the ol’ Texas two-step. Black crooned for her and the overwhelmingly female audience.

Winfrey, fighting a cattlemen’s $10.3 million-plus lawsuit accusing her of fanning fears that U.S. beef could spread mad cow disease to humans, made a few thinly veiled references to the trial.

A gag order prevents her from talking about the case, but she came close.

While steaks sizzled in the background during the taped introduction, Winfrey said: “Of course, you’re in Amarillo, so there’s beef, beef and more beef.”