COUNTRY STAR KEN MELLONS PLAYS BALL WITH MUSIC FANS

SIKESTON -- Other entertainers at the Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo did their shows and left, but country star Ken Mellons literally got down and dirty with his fans.

He played a softball game in Saturday afternoon's intense heat to benefit the Kenny Rogers United Cerebral Palsy Center.

Mellons later donned a black hat, shirt, jeans and boots and headed for Kmart to sign autographs for nearly two hours. About 400 fans crowded into the store for a glimpse of the star, who later posed for pictures with Kmart employees back in the lounge.

Some might say Mellons simply is paying his dues as a new star. After all, he hasn't been part of the big-time music scene for long.

Mellons says it isn't just schmoozing.

"The good Lord has blessed me, and I'm getting to do something for a living I've wanted to do all my life," he said. "Anything I can do to raise money for good causes, I'm willing to do."

Even if there was a little divine guidance involved in Mellons' career, it followed a lot of hard work. At age 30, he's just breaking into the music scene with hits like "Jukebox Junkie" and "Lookin' in the Same Direction."

Before that, he sold shoes, installed carpet and sacked groceries. Mellons' motto is that persistence pays.

Apparently a good relationship with his fans pays, too. Mellons is known for getting off the stage and out into the crowd. Jaycee Rodeo Entertainment Chairman Jeff Sutton found that out at a showcase for new musicians in Nashville, Tenn., Mellons' hometown.

Sutton was seated next to the performer's parents. By the middle of the show, Mellons was on top of Sutton's table with a guitar in his hand.

Sutton knew he had his Saturday-night act.

"I'm a spontaneous kind of guy, and I put on a high-energy show," Mellons said. "To be honest, I'm not crazy about doing shows where the crowd is far away from me.

"I don't just stand up and sing. I try to entertain people."

Lucky for him, Mellons is used to outdoor performances like the rodeo. He said intense heat, bitter cold and rain don't get to him.

Tomorrow, Mellons will perform in Oklahoma -- he didn't mention the name of a town -- and then it's back to the studio for work on his album. A new single will be out in three weeks.

A country-western entertainer visits Kmart just about every year during rodeo week. Manager Steve Maxcy said the record company that stocks Kmart stores helps book performers like Mellons.

"Sikeston is a good town for artists just starting out," he said. "They know they will be treated right."