Lynyrd Skynyrd to headline Sikeston rodeo

SIKESTON, Mo. -- One of the biggest names in music will help kick off the 58th annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo in August.

The southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 music groups of all time, is scheduled for Aug. 11, the first night of this year's event.

Other performers include: Tracy Lawrence, Aug. 12; Jamey Johnson, Aug. 13; and James Otto, Aug. 14. They were announced in a noon news conference today, held in conjunction with the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce's monthly luncheon.

"I think we've got some high-caliber acts this year, two of which are multi-platinum selling artists," said Craig Templeton, chair of this year's entertainment committee. "I think this year's entertainment will generate fans of all ages."

Cal Crader, an entertainment committee member and general co-chairman of this year's rodeo, agreed.

"We hope that Skynyrd reaches out to a new audience," he said. "And with Tracy Lawrence, we'll go after some fans that we haven't in awhile."

Lynyrd Skynyrd is made up of eight individuals and driven by core members Gary Rossington and Rickey Medlocke, who play guitar, Johnny Van Zant, vocals, and longtime drummer Michael Cartellone. The group's latest album, "God & Guns," was released in September.

Although the project was interrupted by two deaths, a company press release said the album "very much lives up to the legacy begun some 35 years ago in Jacksonville, Fla."

Skynyrd's hit songs include "Sweet Home Alabama," "Free Bird," "Simple Man" and "Gimme Three Steps." The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it has won several awards for its albums and singles.

Lawrence will make his second stop at the rodeo, following a near-sellout crowd in 1994, said Crader.

Winner of the 2008 ACM for "Vocal Event of the Year," and the 2007 CMA "Vocal Event of the Year," Lawrence has sold more than 7 million records. He has 17 No. 1 hits including "You Find Out Who Your Friends Are," "Alibis," "Time Marches On," and "Texas Tornado." His most recent No. 1, "Til I was a Daddy Too" was on his "For The Love" album was released in 2007.

A multi-platinum album selling artist, Lawrence is a songwriter, having co-written four of his No. 1 hits. He's also been nominated for 11 awards from the ACM and CMA, and was named the 1992 Billboard magazine "Top New Male Vocalist."

Before he hit the country music stage, Jamey Johnson was behind the scenes, as co-writer of the CMA and ACM 2007 Song of the Year "Give It Away" recorded by George Strait. His songs have also been recorded by Trace Adkins, George Jones and Joe Nichols.

However, in April 2007, Johnson hit the recording studio and later emerged with "The Lonesome Song," dubbed by his music company as "a collection of extraordinary compositions that is equally noteworthy for its lyrical craftsmanship and its strikingly original sound."

A hit single from the album, "In Color" received a 2008 Grammy nomination, as well as a 2008 nomination for best male country vocal performance. It was named on the iTunes list as No. 8 overall best song of 2008 and No. 1 county song of 2008. The album was nominated for a 2008 Grammy for best country album and was No. 1 on the iTunes best albums of 2008 list and No. 1 on the best country albums of 2008.

James Otto is perhaps most known for his big voice -- in fact, John Rich of the duo Big & Rich often introduces Otto as "The Biggest Voice in Country Music."

His first album, "Days of Our Lives" was released in 2004. In 2008, he released "Sunset Man," which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, scored three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and remained in the Top 5 Country Albums chart for six weeks after its release.

The album's first single, "Just Got Started Lovin' You," was Billboard's No. 1 Hot Country Song of 2008. The track was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Otto was nominated in the Top New Male Vocalist category at the ACM Awards and in the New Artist of the Year category at CMA Awards.

A third album is slated for release this year. His most recent single, "Groovy Little Summer Song" is now a top play on radio stations, said Templeton.

Tickets for this year's event, which went on sale at noon, are $25 for box seats and $18 for bleachers -- the same cost as the 2009 rodeo. There will be a $2 handling fee on all orders, which will be available at the rodeo box office and again online.

"Our online ticket sales were such a hit last year that we're going to do it again and hope it expands," said Templeton. They are available at www.sikestonrodeo.com, at the box office, or by calling 1-800-455-BULL or 471-7196.

Crader urged the online sales, since it eases the process for all involved. He also encouraged people wanting to attend performances, especially Lynyrd Skynyrd's, to act quickly.

"We think there is going to be a high demand for the ticket and we anticipate (Wednesday night) will sell out weeks in advance," he said.