If you go
› What: Heartland presents Charley Pride with Roots & Boots› Where: Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave.› When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18› Admission: $41.50, $51.50, $71.50 and $97 plus fees› For more information: 423-757-5580
In addition to Charley Pride, the Heartland show includes Sammy Kershaw, pictured, Collin Raye and James Otto.Charley Pride, a three-time Grammy Award winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, will return to the stage of Memorial Auditorium for the first time in 50 years when he headlines a concert of classic country hits on Saturday night, Nov. 18.
Joining Pride onstage will be Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and James Otto. The concert is sponsored by Heartland Network, Luken Communications' national country music and lifestyle channel, to mark its fifth anniversary. Heartland has partnered with Classic Country Q97.3 for this event.
Pride was the first black performer to appear on the Grand Ole Opry in 1967 and is one of three black singers to be inducted into the Opry. He had great musical success in the mid-1970s when he was the best-selling artist for RCA Records since Elvis Presley. He's notched more than 50 Top 10 hits, and is best-known for his crossover hit "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'."
"I'm excited to be working with Charley," said Kershaw in a phone interview. "When I was starting in this business, 'Is Anybody Going to San Antone' was the first song I ever sang in a nightclub, and the next was 'Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'," he recalls.
This show is based on the Roots & Boots tour that Kershaw began six years ago with Raye and Aaron Tippin. Kershaw, Raye and Otto will perform together before Pride closes the show.
"I came up with the idea of hitmakers from the '90s performing together. The three of us sat onstage together on stools. We'd each sing a hit, and do that for almost two hours," Kershaw describes.
"When I first thought about this, the suits in Nashville said it would never work. They said there was no way you could hold a few thousand people for 90 minutes with that - and we're going on seven years."
But Kershaw recognized something they didn't: the music of the '90s still had a fan base and it was growing.
"There was just something about the music of the '90s that people liked and brought their children to hear. Now those children are bringing their children to hear it," says the singer.
Kershaw doesn't have the radio airtime that he once did, but he has continued to tour and release at least one album a year. His latest, "Swamp Poppin'" was released last month.
"It's special music we had in Louisiana - we called it Louisiana rock and roll back then. It's a special project album I did with nine of the great swamp pop singers there. Pretty soon they won't be playing those places anymore. They are in their 70s. It started out to be a tribute album and ended up being a respect album. I respect all those guys."
Kershaw said he's also producing two albums that will be out next year. One is a gospel album of his favorites, the other is a country album.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
How you know them
Charley Pride› Hits: “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’,” “Wonder Could I Live There Anymore,” “I’m Just Me.”› Did you know: He was the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 1971; CMA Male Vocalist of the Year in 1971 and 1972Sammy Kershaw› Hits: “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer,” “Cadillac Style,” “Third Rate Romance,” “National Working Woman’s Holiday”› Did you know: His philosophy about the songs he cuts is: “If I haven’t lived it, I won’t cut it. I don’t want to sing fake music.”Collin Raye› Hits: “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” “My Kind of Girl,” “I Can Still Feel You”› Did you know: He charted twice on the Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs.James Otto› Hits: “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” “Groovy Little Summer Song,” “These Are the Good Ole Days”› Did you know: His brother-in-law is Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts. Otto co-wrote Jamey Johnson’s single “In Color” with Johnson and Lee Thomas Miller. It was nominated for a Grammy and won the 2008 Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year.