MUSIC

Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo announces entertainment lineup

Willie Nelson, George Jones, Miranda Lambert and Sean Kingston among acts.

By Joe Gross
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Willie Nelson, classic rockers Styx, R&B singer Sean Kingston and country lifer George Jones are scheduled to perform at the 71st annual Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo. The rodeo takes place Feb. 29 to March 15 at the Travis County Expo Center.

Tickets for individual shows will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at all Texas Box Office outlets (go to Texasboxoffice.com for locations or to buy online).

For fans of classic country, the biggest name is Jones, who is scheduled to perform March 9. Considered by many to be the greatest country singer of all time, Jones still holds the record for most songs on the country charts with 167 as of 2005, as well as the most Top 40 hits (143).

The 76-year-old maintains a surprisingly rigorous touring schedule. According to his MySpace page, Jones has shows booked from February to October of this year.

The entertainment kicks off March 1 with the Randy Rogers Band, who have been playing their brand of Texas country since 2000.

Other high-profile young country acts include Grammy Award-winning Gretchen Wilson (March 3), whose "Redneck Woman" and "Here for the Party" made her a household name in households that watch a lot of CMT; Tracy Lawrence (March 5); and Miranda Lambert (March 8), whose 2007 album "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" ended up on a lot of year-end best-of lists.

In a more pop vein, this year's biggest name is R&B sensation Sean Kingston, who plays March 14. His singles "Beautiful Girls" and "Love Like This" (a duet with fellow rodeo performer Natasha Bedingfield) were two of last year's biggest.

Bedingfield plays March 10; her single "Unwritten" scored a Grammy nod for best female pop vocal performance in 2007 and is the theme for MTV's reality show "The Hills."

Austin icon Willie Nelson plays March 4. The notoriously prolific, constantly touring musician held himself to one album in 2007, the two-disc trio album "Last of the Breed," where he joined Merle Haggard and Ray Price.

Nelson's newest album, "Moment of Forever," is due in stores Jan. 29 and was produced by pop-country artist Kenny Chesney. The single "Gravedigger" was written by jam-rock superstar Dave Matthews.

Austinite Kevin Fowler closes out the rodeo March 15.

Fowler has proved a strong regional draw in Texas and played to a large and enthusiastic crowd at C3 Productions' Big State Festival in October in College Station.

jgross@statesman.com; 912-5926