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Music Takes Center Stage

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 27, 2008

Updated: 02/19/2008 02:33 pm

BOBBY VINTON

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Thursday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Blue Velvet," "Roses Are Red," "Mr. Lonely"

BIOGRAPHY: Billboard magazine called Vinton the "all-time most successful love singer of the Rock Era" and noted that for 10 years he had more No. 1 hits than Frank Sinatra.

Vinton started his music career at 16, when he formed his first band in Canonburg, Pa. He studied music at Duquesne University and became proficient in piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, the oboe and drums. He graduated with a degree in musical composition and recently received an honorary doctoral degree in music from his alma mater.

Vinton has sold more than 75 million records during his 40-year career and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He starred with John Wayne in two movies, "Big Jake" and "The Train Robbers."

JOSH TURNER

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

RESERVED SEATING: $15 and $20

HIT SONGS: "Your Man," "Would You Go With Me"

BIOGRAPHY: Turner has been nominated for two Grammys, and his second album, "Your Man," which pays tribute to his influences such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride, has sold more than 2 million copies.

Born and raised in Hannah, S.C., Turner was first exposed to music at his church, but his introduction to country music was through his mother, who acquainted him with Southern gospel quartets, country legends such as Cash and bluegrass musicians.

Turner describes his singing style as South Carolina Low Country, based on the region around Charleston, Hilton Head and Beaufort.

Turner has received nominations from the CMT Music Awards and from the Academy of Country Music as one of the top new artists when he debuted in 2003.

CHARLEY PRIDE

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Friday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Kiss An Angel Good Morning," "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone," "Someone Loves You Honey"

BIOGRAPHY: Pride's career spans 50 years, and he was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Born to poor sharecroppers in Mississippi, Pride was one of 11 children and considered a career in professional baseball before becoming a singer and songwriter.

He played with the Negro American League's Memphis Red Sox in the 1950s and sang and played guitar on the team bus between games.

Pride signed to the RCA label years later and his first single, "The Snakes Crawl at Night," hit the airwaves in 1966. Pride has since had 36 No. 1 singles, 31 gold and four platinum albums.

Pride released his autobiography, "Pride: The Charley Pride Story," in 1994.

MIRANDA LAMBERT

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. Friday

RESERVED SEATING TICKETS: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "Easy From Now On," "Getting Ready"

BIOGRAPHY: This small-town girl from Texas was a finalist during the 2003 reality television show "Nashville Star" and said she was relieved she didn't win the singing competition.

"I was hoping not to win," Lambert said. "The winner had to go in right after the contest and make a record in a couple of weeks. I wasn't ready."

Instead, Lambert was signed to the Columbia Nashville record label and was given enough time to craft her first album, "Kerosene," which became a platinum-seller in 2005. Her sophomore effort, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," was released recently and shows her expanding her emotional range.

"I'm more mature," Lambert said. "I learned a lot about people and who to trust, but I'm also a 23-year-old girl and I go through things that other girls go through. That's the vulnerable side of the record."

An edgier side is evident in the album's title track, which was formerly called "Favorite Ex-Girlfriend." The early version was "kind of a sweet song," Lambert said. "And I said, 'You know, I hate this; it's not me. I don't do sweet songs.' " She changed the word "favorite" to "crazy" and an anthem was born.

Lambert has been nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist Award. Her first album debuted at No. 1 on the country charts and earned her a Grammy nomination.

JEFF and SHERI EASTER

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

RESERVED SEATING TICKETS: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Livin' In the Rain," "Over and Over," "Old Chunk of Coal"

BIOGRAPHY: Gospel music runs through the veins of Jeff and Sheri Easter. Jeff Easter's father is one of the Easter Brothers, and Sheri Easter's mother is a member of The Lewis Family. Both grew up surrounded by the gospel songs of their families.

The couple met in 1984, when both were performing in Arkansas. The two were married 10 months later. They traveled and performed as part of The Lewis Family for several years, but in 1988 they decided it was time to strike out on their own. Their children, Madison and Morgan, often perform with them.

"When we perform, we want people to leave a little different than when they came in," Sheri Easter said. "We want them to have a great time smiling, laughing, crying and healing. We want them to know that God loves them."

Their latest album, "Life is Great and Gettin' Better," stays true to their style, which combines bluegrass, blues and progressive country.

The Easters have been nominated for several Dove Awards and won three. They also have received a Grammy nomination, and Sheri Easter has been named the Singing News Favorite Alto 10 times, and the Singing News Female Vocalist four times.

THE ISAACS

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "From the Depths of My Heart," "Stand Still," "Thank You"

BIOGRAPHY: The family group known as The Isaacs, based out of LaFollette, Tenn., is comprised of vocalist Lily Isaacs; vocalist, songwriter and upright bass player Ben Isaacs; vocalist, songwriter and mandolin player Sonya Isaacs; vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Rebecca Isaacs Bowman; and vocalist, guitarist, banjo and fiddle player John Bowman.

The group blends bluegrass harmonies and instruments with modern Southern gospel lyrics. They will perform with Jeff and Sheri Easter on Saturday on the main stage. The Isaacs perform frequently at the Grand Ole Opry and have toured the U.S. annually. They have been asked to perform the national anthem at events such as a Cincinnati Bengals football game, several Nashville Predators hockey games and political rallies.

Sonya Isaacs has sung backing vocals on many popular country artists' albums including Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Ralph Stanley, Brad Paisley, Kirk Talley and Cynthia Clawson.

MERCYME

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "I Can Only Imagine," "The Change Inside of Me," "There's a Reason"

BIOGRAPHY: The Christian band followed up its gold 2001 debut album, "Almost There," with its sophomore effort, "Spoken For," in October. To think that this group of guys was just hoping their first album would allow them to continue their musical ministry while supporting their families.

Instead, MercyMe has been honored by the Christian music industry with three Dove Awards, recorded with popular singer Amy Grant and had its first certified hit single with "I Can Only Imagine" from its debut disc.

Band members consider their sophomore effort, "Spoken For," a fresh blend of rock-infused worship that shows the group's growth spiritually and as songwriters.

MercyMe formed eight years ago when lead singer Bart Millard and guitarist Mike Scheuchzer met in a Florida youth ministry. Drummer Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and keyboardist Jim Bryson joined shortly after.

Although their debut was a compilation of songs written during a seven-year span, "Spoken For" is a more cohesive album, allowing MercyMe to deliver a timely message that reflects where they are. "Spoken For," like their previous hit album "Almost There," addresses the band's faith, and one new song, "There's a Reason," offers hope in a post-Sept. 11 era, band members said.

CHRIS CAGLE

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Sunday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Laredo," "My Love Goes On and On," "Chicks Dig It"

BIOGRAPHY: After fame found him after his first two albums went gold and produced four Top 10 hits, Chris Cagle was living a hard-charging life in the fast lane.

Before his frenetic touring and recording schedule spun out of control, doctors told him he needed to step on the brakes and advised him he needed to take an extended period off to rest his vocal chords.

"Losing your vocal chords is a potentially career-ending condition, and I had to face the fact that there were things I was doing that was contributing to it," Cagle said. "I had to decide things like whether I wanted to sing more than I wanted a cigarette."

Unable to sing, uninspired when it came to writing, Cagle volunteered at a horse farm and took a hard look at himself, his life and his career. He rededicated himself to his career, developed a healthy outlook on life and reined in his bad habits. The result is his third album, "Anywhere But Here," that announces not only Cagle's return but his growing maturity as a vocalist and songwriter.

Cagle began recording his new album's first single, "Miss Me Baby," when he had an epiphany.

"I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, we really do have something,' " he said. "It was like the first time I heard 'Laredo' after we mixed it, and I thought, 'I've got a shot.' "

Cagle grew up in Houston and listened to music to escape the realities of a difficult childhood. At 19, he left Texas to pursue music full time and arrived in Nashville in 1994. After waiting tables and tending bar, Cagle got several breaks when he met music industry veterans impressed with his voice and his songwriting.

ALAN JACKSON

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

RESERVED SEATING: $40

HIT SONGS: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," "Right On the Money," "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"

BIOGRAPHY: Alan Jackson was the most popular country male singer in the 1990s after Garth Brooks. An heir to the traditionalist movement of the '80s, Jackson's approach was rooted in classic honky-tonk yet remained comfortably within the contemporary mainstream.

Jackson's hallmark was his consistency - he wrote many of his own hits, and his way with a hook was part of the reason he didn't really hit a commercial dry spell, even into the new millennium.

He projected a modest, wholesome, down-to-earth image that made him one of the best-liked stars of his era even apart from his music. The total package resulted in an astounding 20 No. 1 singles and 20 more top 10 hits in the first 12 years of his career.

Jackson was born in the small town of Newnan, Ga., and grew up singing gospel music, in church and at home with his family. As a teenager he performed locally as part of a country duo. He left school to work and married his high school sweetheart, Denise, who worked as a flight attendant.

During the early '80s, Jackson held down a series of odd jobs - car salesman, construction worker, forklift operator - while playing the local club circuit with his band, Dixie Steel.

He caught his big break when his wife found country-pop star Glen Campbell waiting for a flight and gave him a copy of her husband's demo tape. Campbell in turn gave her contact information for his music publishing company. The Jacksons moved to Nashville shortly after.

Campbell's company suggested that Jackson take a year and hone his songwriting, and he worked more odd jobs before signing on as a staff writer. By night, he performed in Nashville clubs and recorded an updated demo with songwriter/producer Keith Stegall. In 1989, Jackson became the first artist signed to the Arista label's new country division.

His debut album, "Here in the Real World," was released in 1990 and became a platinum-selling hit on the strength of four top five hits. Jackson paired with bluegrass singer and fiddle player Alison Krauss for his 2007 album "Like Red on a Rose."

MICKEY GILLEY

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. Monday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)," "True Love Ways," "You Don't Know Me"

BIOGRAPHY: Mickey Gilley has accomplished what most artists only dream of: a long and fulfilling career marked by loyal fans and financial success. One of the secrets behind Gilley's longevity is his ability to balance the heart of an entertainer with the brains of a businessman.

Gilley's first musical influence as a boy growing up in Ferriday, La., was his piano-pounding cousin Jerry Lee Lewis. He grew up close to Lewis and another famous cousin, Jimmy Swaggart, even as he sneaked up to the windows of clubs to absorb the haunting sound of Louisiana rhythm and blues.

When he was 17, shortly before his cousin scored his first big hit, Gilley moved to Houston to work in construction. Gilley went to see Lewis in concert and took him to the airport after the show.

"He pulled out a wad of $100 bills, and it made me decide right then that I was in the wrong business," Gilley said. "The problem was, I was trying to be a Jerry Lee clone."

Then a man named Jim Ed Norman - who was the president of Warner Bros. in Nashville - entered Gilley's life. Norman got Gilley out of the shadow of Lewis by giving him songs that appealed to a bigger audience.

A string of 39 top 10 country hits followed, 17 of those songs reaching No. 1 on the charts. In 1976, Gilley swept the Academy of Country Music Awards when he hauled in trophies for Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Album of the Year.

Gilley lives in Pasadena, Texas, and when he's not performing, he plays golf, walks and pilots airplanes.

TRAVIS TRITT

Monday Performance Canceled

BIOGRAPHY: Travis Tritt has sold more than 25 million albums, earned two Grammy awards and three CMA awards during his 18-year career. But the country singer is doing something different these days with his latest album, "The Storm."

GLEN CAMPBELL

Tuesday Performance Canceled

BIOGRAPHY: Becoming a bona fide living legend isn't as easy as Glen Campbell makes it look. He did it by becoming one the most sought-after guitar players in the world and recording songs that have stood the test of time.

Of course, to be a "living" legend, Campbell also had to survive the harsh reality of a celebrity lifestyle.

Campbell's career spans 40 years and features a hit variety show, the "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," as well as his life being the subject of several documentaries that have aired on cable channels A&E, VH-1 and CMT.

He has inspired many of today's most renowned pickers including Alan Jackson and Steve Wariner, and his success as a crossover artist paved the way for others such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

Campbell was born to a family of sharecroppers in Billstown, Ark., and his father recognized his son's talent when he was 5 and bought him a $5 guitar. The child prodigy had mastered the instrument by the time he was 10. At 16, Campbell left school to pursue music full time. He started in a three-piece combo and was soon touring.

By the time he was 24, he arrived in Los Angeles and quickly became a sought-after studio guitarist, his talents evident on hits made famous by Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley and the Righteous Brothers.

Campbell's first single, "Turn Around and Look at Me," cracked the charts and garnered the attention of Capitol Records. A string of hit albums and songs soon followed. Campbell has released more than 70 albums and sold more than 45 million records. Of his 75 trips to the charts, 27 landed in the Top 10.

His career took a hit due to alcohol problems, three divorces and a much-publicized, tempestuous relationship with Tanya Tucker in 1980. But he left his wild ways behind, and Campbell is a Christian enjoying a happy marriage.

He lives in Phoenix with his wife, Kim, and their three children, ages 15, 17 and 19. Campbell is in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose his tour dates and appearances, and he gets to spend quality time with his family.

BLAKE SHELTON

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Goodbye Time," "Austin," "The Baby"

BIOGRAPHY: Blake Shelton said that "hard times, broken-heart drinking songs" are still where he's the most comfortable vocally, but with his latest album, "Pure BS," he sought to expand his range.

Tradition-minded but produced with a contemporary edge, "Pure BS" showcases Shelton as a powerful and expressive vocalist while also showing off his songwriting skills.

In addition to his longtime collaborator Bobby Braddock, Shelton worked with producers Brent Rowan and Paul Worley on his new CD, which has already spawned the hits "Don't Make Me" and "The More I Drink."

Shelton said his producers looked for songs that "pushed me to sing better and to see how far my range could go, to try new things and see what's still inside me that I haven't tapped into yet."

After a time of personal and professional changes - which included an amicable divorce from his wife and a move back to his home state of Oklahoma - Shelton took his newfound sense of freedom and poured his experiences into the new album.

CRYSTAL GAYLE

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. March 5

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "You and I," "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye"

BIOGRAPHY: A worldwide music star, Crystal Gayle has won audiences with her recordings, concerts and television performances for 30 years. Her chart-crossing smash, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and was recognized as one of the 10 most often-performed country songs of the 20th century.

Singing came as naturally as breathing to Gayle, born Brenda Gail Webb in Paintsville, Ky. Raised in a the small town of Wabash, Ind., Gayle said her mother told her that she could sing before she could walk.

Gayle's sister, Loretta Lynn, helped her with her career development and negotiated Gayle's first record deal. Lynn also came up with Gayle's stage name.

"When I started recording, Brenda Lee was on the same label, and they didn't want two Brendas," Gayle said. "So Loretta thought of 'Crystal.' She saw it on a Southern hamburger chain, although she also said it was because I was bright and shiny. I didn't care what they called me if I was going to get a record. They could have called me John."

Gayle's career built slowly with a smattering of top 10 songs, and by 1976 she had her first No. 1 hit with "I'll Get Over You." He signature song, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," won Gayle numerous accolades, including a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance. The song also brought her widespread attention when it rose to No. 1 on pop charts worldwide.

TOM JONES

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. March 5

RESERVED SEATING: $15 and $20

HIT SONGS: "It's Not Unusual," "She's a Lady," "Green Green Grass of Home"

BIOGRAPHY: In his native Wales, he is known as "Jones the Voice." Today, he is one of the enduring personalities in the music entertainment business. Tom Jones' unique vocal power, ability and charisma have made him one of the most respected, admired and loved performers in modern popular music.

Jones' weighty voice is a baritone to tenor range. He is a natural, a Welshman, a worker, and artist.

He has sustained his popularity for more than 40 years, and his recordings have spanned the spectrum, from pop, rock and country to classic standards, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, through contemporary dance and urban soul.

Born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, South Wales, to a coal miner father and a homemaker mother, Jones began singing at an early age. He sang at church and at home, asking his mother to "pull the drapes and announce me" when he performed in the sitting room.

He moved to London when he was 24 and landed a record contract with Decca records. His signature song, "It's Not Unusual," was the second single Decca released and became an international hit. A year later, Jones opened for the Rolling Stones in London. Jones then reeled off smash singles such as "What's New Pussycat," "Help Yourself" and "Never Fall in Love Again."

In 2006, Jones was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and given the title Sir Thomas Woodward for his accomplishments.

He tours consistently throughout the year but finds time to spend with Melinda, his wife of 49 years, in their home in Los Angeles.

"I really have to hold myself back not to sing, so I can't see me retiring," Jones said. "I can't see it at all. I might slow down in years to come, perhaps not work quite as much, but I hope I'll always be able to go out and do shows as long as I live."

THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. March 6

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

DISCOGRAPHY: "Live at the Purple Onion," "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," "Sibling Rivalry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers"

BIOGRAPHY: Time has been an essential ingredient in the Smothers Brothers' success. They have been considered ahead of their time; masters of timing and practitioners of timeless comedy.

The comedy and music duo are celebrating their 50th anniversary as show business professionals, and they have been saluted as time-honored legends whose lengthy career has surpassed all other comedy teams.

Tom and Dick Smothers' first professional appearance as a duo was at the Purple Onion in San Francisco in 1959. Their first national television appearance was on "The Jack Paar Show" in 1961. They have been singing together as high school and college students since 1954.

More than four decades of audiences have seen the Smothers Brothers in their own primetime comedy series that started in the 1960s, as well as in guest appearances on other television programs, headliners in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe, 12 top-selling albums and coast-to-coast concerts.

THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. March 6

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "Long-Haired Country Boy," "Orange Blossom Special"

BIOGRAPHY: Like the state of Texas, Charlie Daniels is partly Western and partly Southern. His signature bull rider hat and belt buckle, his lifestyle on the Twin Pines Ranch, his love of horses, cowboy lore and the heroes of championship rodeo and Western movies identify him as a Westerner.

The son of a lumberjack and a Southerner by birth, his music, which fuses rock, country, bluegrass, blues and gospel, is quintessentially Southern.

Born in 1936 in Wilmington, N.C., he was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands and the rhythm and blues of country music. He graduated from high school in 1955 and soon enlisted in the rock 'n' roll revolution ignited by Elvis Presley. Already skilled in guitar, fiddle and mandolin, Daniels formed a rock band and hit the road.

He became a session guitarist in Nashville in 1969 and played on three Bob Dylan albums. He became a star on his own with hits such as "Uneasy Rider" and "The South's Gonna Do It" and signed a $3 million contract with Epic Records in 1976, which was the largest given to a Nashville act at that time.

In the summer of 1979, Daniels recorded his signature song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," which became a platinum-selling single, topped both country and pop charts, won a Grammy award and became an international phenomenon.

After being showered with accolades and garnering numerous awards, Daniels said he will continue to play the type of music that nourished him in his youth.

GENE WATSON

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. March 7

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Love in the Hot Afternoon," "Fourteen Carat Mind," "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You"

BIOGRAPHY: This masterful country stylist has been thrilling audiences for more than 30 years. Gene Watson has tallied 73 songs on the charts, 23 of them hitting the Top 10, and five No. 1 records.

At an age when most people are contemplating retirement, Watson has crafted his latest record, "In a Perfect World," which his producers call "a towering reminder of what great country music is supposed to sound like."

Guest stars on the album include Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack and Mark Chesnutt, among many more. Watson reinvents standards such as Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again," Ray Price's "Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me" and Buck Owens' "Together Again."

Born to poor parents who moved from state to state to find employment, Watson said his father customized an old school bus for living quarters - and transportation - that would take him and his six other siblings around the Midwest.

He began his career at the Grand Ol' Opry, where he gained a following among audiences and his fellow performers. He first made a dent in the country charts in 1975 with the single "Bad Water." Its follow-up was one of Watson's most well-known songs, "Love in the Hot Afternoon," which kicked off a string of hits through the 1980s.

Like so many others, the temptations of fame nearly consumed him and threatened to take away his greatest asset: his voice.

"I used to drink. I used to smoke like a freight train," Watson said. "I gave up all that. You know, I got so tired of drinking. I just one night quit. Most people didn't know I drank that much. But most people never saw me sober. I have been on top. And I've been just as low as you can go."

TRACE ADKINS

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. March 7

RESERVED SEATING: $15 and $20

HIT SONGS: "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," "Ladies Love Country Boys"

BIOGRAPHY: Eleven years into his recording career, Trace Adkins has entered elite territory. The man long known for his imposing physical stature, world-class baritone and bedrock authenticity has continually cranked out best-selling albums since 1996.

His 2005 chart-topper, "Songs About Me," went double-platinum, and its 2006 follow-up, "Dangerous Man," was certified gold.

Before his breakthrough, Adkins had stints in a gospel group and worked as a pipe-fitter on an off-shore oil rig. He moved to Nashville in 1992 after making a name for himself in the honky tonks of Texas and Louisiana. His break came three years later when a Capitol Records executive spotted Adkins playing in a working man's bar outside Nashville. Adkins was signed on the spot.

As the hits came, Adkins remained one of country's most down-to-earth standard-bearers with his knack for putting believability into songs dealing with love, loss, sex and blue-collar realities.

He is not shy about aspiring for greatness, to attain the stature of country icons.

"As a country music fan, I enjoy watching the shows that talk about country music history," Adkins said. "There's always that elder statesman that they go to. It used to be Waylon Jennings would do that stuff, or George Jones, Merle Haggard, those guys that people go to when they want that bit of wisdom that comes from experience and achievement. Some day, I want to be that guy."

BILLY RAY CYRUS

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. March 8

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "Achy Breaky Heart," "Could've Been Me," "Busy Man"

BIOGRAPHY: Billy Ray Cyrus hit the big time with 1992's "Achy Breaky Heart," and although he was labeled a one-hit wonder, the Kentucky native has sustained a multiplatinum recording career and stars with his daughter, Miley Cyrus, in the Disney Channel's hit show "Hannah Montana."

The grandson of a Pentecostal preacher, Cyrus' roots lie in his faith and in his church, where he grew up surrounded by gospel music. When "Achy Breaky Heart" skyrocketed him to fame, Cyrus said he lived the wild lifestyle that the fame afforded him.

"I have to say my world was spinning out of control," Cyrus said.

He rededicated himself to his faith and his family.

He released his most spiritual album, "The Other Side," in 2003 and followed up its success with "Home At Last," which reached No. 3 on the country charts in 2007.

Cyrus is known for appearances on television, competing in the hit show "Dancing With the Stars" last year and starring in his own reality show called "Billy Ray Cyrus: Home At Last" on the Country Music Television channel.

NEAL MCCOY

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. March 8

RESERVED SEATING: $10 and $15

HIT SONGS: "No Doubt About It," "Wink," "You Gotta Love That"

BIOGRAPHY: The pride of Longview, Texas, the Nashville songwriter, record label executive and country music star has gained a reputation of becoming an unpredictable entertainer.

During live shows, he can veer from one of his own million-selling hits into Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" or the Village People's "YMCA." It is said his own band doesn't know where McCoy's going.

But McCoy does.

He has three platinum albums and one gold album on his wall and was also the head of 903 Music. The label's first release was McCoy's 2005 album "That's Life," a collection of honky-tonk anthems, tender ballads and good old American music.

McCoy's career began on a lark, when he decided to try his luck in a singing contest he read about in a Dallas newspaper. His performance earned him the top prize and led to a seven-year stint as an opening act for country music legend Charley Pride.

Recording success wasn't too far behind. McCoy's catalog soon filled with five No. 1 singles and other chart hits. He has also been an indefatigable USO headliner, with treks each year to Iraq, Afghanistan and any place else where American troops need a taste of home.

SUGARLAND

ONSTAGE: 3:30 p.m. March 9

RESERVED SEATING: $30 and $35

HIT SONGS: "Settlin'," "Baby Girl," "Want To"

BIOGRAPHY: Sugarland had the most idyllic of beginnings: an early morning round of coffee at an Atlanta shop where band members Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush sat down and penned a list of their dreams on a napkin.

The list went in this order: balance being in a band and having a family; get a Grammy nomination; sell 1 million records.

Their 2005 debut album, "Twice the Speed of Life," sold nearly 3 million copies, and the band was nominated for a slew of awards, winning two and getting that coveted Grammy nomination.

"Once we hit the million mark, that was a head-scratcher for me," Bush said. "Anything past that, I never imagined."

Audiences connected with Sugarland's honest approach to life, love and everything in between.

Sugarland's debut became a fixture on the country charts for 98 weeks. Their follow-up record, "Enjoy the Ride," was released in November and includes the chart-topping "Want To."

JASON ALDEAN

ONSTAGE: 7:30 p.m. March 9

RESERVED SEATING: $15 and $20

HIT SONGS: "Why," "Amarillo Sky," "Hicktown"

BIOGRAPHY: Georgia native Jason Aldean said he was listening to country music before he could talk. He was going to country concerts by the time he was in grade school. He was playing guitar before he reached his teens and was performing music professionally when he was in junior high school.

He, like so many others, moved to Nashville to chase his dreams of country music stardom. It didn't come easy. Aldean was ready to throw in the towel in 2003 when he had been dropped from a record company's roster and his songwriting contract was expiring. Aldean had a new baby, a mortgage and two car payments to make, and nothing looked promising on the musical horizon.

Just when it appeared he could no longer make it in Nashville, Aldean drew the attention of independent label Broken Bow Records, which went on to release Aldean's hit albums, "Jason Aldean" and "Relentless."

"I went through a time when I was depressed and didn't know what to do," he said. "I was just kind of at that point where I felt like I was beating a dead horse. Luckily for me, things worked out."

Armed with a honky-tonk tenor and a proficiency on the guitar, Aldean leans on the background of his musical family and aspires to the level of his heroes, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, The Gatlin Brothers and Alabama.

Although he doesn't rope and ride, he describes himself as a "hat act" - albeit one with pierced ears.

"I used to get some flack for that in the redneck clubs," Aldean said. "I'd gone to a private school in Macon where you had to have your hair cut short and all that. So the day after I graduated, I went and got an ear pierced. Then one day I decided to even things out and got the other one done. My dad really freaked out. Then I came home with a tattoo and he really just had to bite his tongue."

Aldean is promoting his second album, which was released last year.

Ray Reyes

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