Joe “Dixie” Fuller remembers New Years Eve 1989. Or maybe it was 1990. He’s not sure. The year isn’t important.
At the time, Mr. Fuller, now entertainment director for Friends of the Festival, was road-managing Billy Burnette, who temporarily replaced Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac from the late 1980s to mid-1990s.
The night’s show, at Aspen Lodge, in Colorado, featured Burnette, Mick Fleetwood, Don Henley and Dave Mason.
But first, there was this girl.
“This girl was going to open for us, and everybody’s going, ‘I’ve never heard of Sheryl Crow,'” he said.
Nine Grammy Awards later, Ms. Crow is the opening act at the 2010 Riverbend Festival. Her appearance on the Coca-Cola Stage will kick off a summer tour that will take her across the United States and Canada, including appearances at Milwaukee’s Summerfest and a show at famed venue Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., ending at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
In May, she joined artists including Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum at the Ryman for “Music City Keep on Playin’ — A Benefit for Flood Relief.”
“She wiped the floor up with us,” Mr. Fuller said of that Aspen night long ago. “The crowd was so exhausted by the time she got offstage, she rocked them so hard, Mick Fleetwood looked at me and said, ‘Let me explain something to you, mate. We’ll never let her open for us again.’ The crowd was worn out. It was funny as heck.”
Ms. Crow’s debut album, “Tuesday Night Music Club,” featured the songs “Strong Enough” and “All I Wanna Do,” the latter of which is considered her breakthrough work. “All I Wanna Do” won Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1995 Grammys.
After the release of “Tuesday Night Music Club,” Ms. Crow continued to rock the 1990s, releasing a self-titled album in 1996 and two albums in 1998 and 1999: “The Globe Sessions” and “Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live in Central Park.” “The Globe Sessions” won Best Rock Album at the 1998 Grammys and featured the single “My Favorite Mistake.”
As her star rose, Mr. Fuller remembered that little show in Aspen and kept his eye on the singer.
“Ever since then, I’ve been pursuing a Sheryl Crow show, and ever since I’ve been booking entertainment at Riverbend, from 2001 until now, I’ve been trying to get Sheryl Crow to come play.”
Ms. Crow spent the early part of the millennium releasing two more albums — “C’mon, C’mon” and “The Very Best of Sheryl Crow” and speaking out against war efforts.
She’s covered dynamic, recognizable tunes including “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” “I Shall Believe” and The Beatles’ “Mother Nature’s Son,” for the soundtrack to the Sean Penn film “I Am Sam.” She also crossed over into country in 2002, recording “Picture” with Kid Rock.
Mr. Fuller praised Ms. Crow’s ability to cross musical genres and her widespread popularity.
“She appeals to a country audience, she appeals to a rock audience, and she appeals to a pop, modern rock audience. She’s been in the news a lot. She’s a very recognizable face, she’s been on television.
“She’s a household name. People will go ‘ooh, Sheryl Crow, oh wow. “All I Wanna Do.” What a cool song. What a great cool song that was. Heck, yeah, I’ll go watch her sing just because of that song.'”
Ms. Crow was the subject of much media attention during her relationship and subsequent breakup with cyclist Lance Armstrong. She was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in 2006 and recently told Glamour Magazine that she’s passed her “four-year anniversary of being done with cancer.”
Tonight’s Schedule
Coke Stage
9:30-11:00 p.m.: Sheryl Crow
Bud Light Stage
5:00-7:30 p.m.: Milele Roots
7:45-9:00 p.m.: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Unum Stage
6:30-7:45 p.m.: Gabriel Newell
8:00-9:15 p.m.: Hillman-Pederson
9:30-11:00 p.m.: Crazy Face
Tennessee Lottery Stage
5:30-6:30 p.m.: Too Far Gone South
6:45-7:45 p.m.: Jimmy Tawater
Tennessee Valley Credit Union Stage :
6:15-7:30: Elijah James
7:45-9:00: Spatial Effects
9:15-10:30: Taj Weekes & Adowa