The Directors for The Great Darke County Fair are pleased to announce that Josh Turner will headline the Sunday, August 17th concert during the 158th Great Darke Fair. Scotty McCreery will be the opening act beginning at 7:30 p.m.
One of country music’s most recognizable hit-makers earning numerous CMA, ACM and GRAMMY nominations since the release of his debut album, Long Black Train, Josh Turner has sold more than five million albums and garnered four No. 1 hits (including three multi-week chart-toppers): "Your Man," "Would You Go With Me," and "Why Don't We Just Dance" (a four- week No. 1 that was named the most-played song of the year in 2010 by MediaBase). His song, "All Over Me," from Haywire also reached the top spot on the charts, making him one of only seven country artists to have two No. 1 hits in 2010.
A Hannah, S.C. native, Turner has been songwriting and performing since he was a young child, and in support of music education, created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to assist students interested in pursuing a future in arts/music. As a high school student, he had very little access to music education, therefore realizes first-hand the importance of arts in the schools.
Turner released his fifth studio album, Punching Bag on June 12, 2012 which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. The debut single, “Time is Love” was #1 on the Best of 2012 Billboard Country Chart. The Associated Press says, “With Punching Bag, Turner once again proves he ranks among the most effective -- and most hard-core country -- performers of his generation.” For more information on Josh Turner, visit www.JoshTurner.com.
Five months after winning Season 10 of “American Idol,” McCreery released his debut album, Clear As Day, which became the best-selling solo album released by a country artist in 2011. Indeed, he became the youngest man in history to have his first album debut atop the all-genre Billboard Top 200 albums chart.
Clear As Day was certified platinum for sales of one million in just thirteen weeks, and the first two singles from that album were each certified gold. In 2012, his Christmas album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, was also certified gold. He was named Top New Artist by Billboard and won best new artist awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards, the American Country Awards, and the CMT Awards.
In two short years, Scotty McCreery became one of country’s hottest new stars, with album sales topping 1.6 million, including a platinum-selling debut album that made Billboard history and helped him win several new artist awards. During this whirlwind career explosion, he sang for President Barack Obama, performed the national anthem at the World Series, appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and NBC’s “TODAY Show,” and toured the country from coast to coast.
In 2011, America fell in love with McCreery, then a shy 17-year-old boy with a wide smile, preternaturally deep voice and a love of faith, family and his hometown of Garner, N.C.. But that boyish image is merely a fond memory now that he’s turning 20. While the core of who he is and what he stands for remains the same, his strong voice has deepened as he has grown into a seasoned, confident performer. His impressive evolution is immediately evident on his second studio album, See You Tonight, which artfully captures who he is now, both as an artist and as a man.
See You Tonight demonstrates the growth and evolution of McCreery on all levels of his craft with well-rounded songwriting, skilled musicianship and fully developed vocal delivery. For someone who joined the country music scene only two short years ago, McCreery has achieved the sound of an accomplished pro. “My first album was good,” McCreery shares, “but I definitely want to top it and set my bar even higher. That was a goal of mine going into this—to make it a better album—and I think we’ve done that.” For more information on Scotty McCreery, visit www.scottymccreery.com.
All seats are reserved. Track seats are $30.00 each and Grandstand seats are $27.00 each. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. local time via internet (www.darkecountyfair.com) and by phone; 800-736-3671/937-548-5044 using a debit or credit card. Beginning Monday, May 5, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. local time, tickets may also be purchased at the Fair Box Office located at 800 Sweitzer Street, Greenville OH. Persons 3 years of age and older are required to purchase a seat ticket. Persons under 3 years of age are admitted free providing they sit on the lap of a paying seat ticket holder.
Mark your calendars for this dynamic event.