HOT COUNTRY GROUP LONESTAR TO HEADLINE SATURDAY NIGHT

The phone rang four times. Dean Sams was panting when he picked it up.

It was a Tuesday, and Lonestar, the band Sams created, was leaving for a few days on the road. There were dry cleaning and instruments to pick up, appointments to be made, equipment to pack.

And, of course, reporters to handle.

"Sorry I'm late. I just ran through the door," Sams said. "Now what do you want to know?"

After more than three years of touring, a number one country hit and another top ten single, Sams and the other four members of Lonestar are used to fielding questions.

All five are Texans -- thus the name -- transplanted to Nashville, Tenn. They will be at Riverfest in Cape Girardeau Saturday night, and fans can expect the group to stick around afterward for autographs and conversation. Lonestar has a debt to pay.

"In this day, when there's so many things people could spend their money on, they use their hard-earned dollars to buy our records," Sams said. "We are extremely grateful."

He put the band together in 1992. By 1994, after losing some musicians and gaining others, the group was composed of Sams on keyboards, bassist John Rich, acoustic guitarist and lead singer Richie McDonald, lead guitarist Michael Britt and drummer Keech Rainwater.

Times were tough in the beginning, Sams said. The group played more than 500 dates the first two years -- there weren't any "day jobs" to fall back on.

But then Lonestar used its unique sound, which Sams calls "Brooks & Dunn with an edge," to produce their self-titled album. Their first single, "Tequila Talkin'," went to number four on the Billboard country chart. Their second, "No News," held the number one spot for three weeks in a row.

Their current hit, "Running Away With My Heart," hit number 33 on the chart after being out only three weeks.

But Sams said nobody in Lonestar forgets those nights in the dives.

"We decided that if we ever made it big we would give back to the fans," he said. "A country music fan wants to get closer to the artist and really get to know them. We make ourselves available."

Success has changed their lives in some ways. They're home even less these days, living on the road 25 days a month.

"A few more people know you on the street," Sams said. "You have a few more friends than what you knew you had.

"We're really working to keep things going. If you let go of working hard, you will be passed up or forgotten about. Our goal isn't to have two songs that did well and then be gone."

He said Cape Girardeau fans can expect an energy-filled show they won't forget.

Lonestar has some unique traditions to uphold during their shows. One is that Sams tries to climb something sturdy and operate his keyboard by remote control.

"Tell your readers that the louder we are, the better we play," he said.