RODEO SOUNDS: GEORGE JONES KICKS OFF SIKESTON JAYCEE BOOTHEEL RODEO WEDNESDAY

In the early '90s, the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo managed to book Garth Brooks just before he became a superstar. This year, young Wade Hayes gets to be the rising talent in the rodeo's entertainment lineup. But it's good old George Jones who's drawing a crowd.

Ticket sales are a little ahead of last year's pace, especially's Wednesday's, according to Publicity Director Dennis Fraser.

Jones, the country legend whose band includes Cape Girardeau native Kent Goodson on keyboards, kicks off the entertainment Wednesday night at the rodeo grounds. He'll be followed on succeeding nights by the band Diamond Rio (Aug. 7), Canadian singer Terri Clark (Aug. 8), and Hayes (Aug. 9), who just released his second album.

Jones has been playing country music professionally since 1955. His well-known personal troubles with alcohol have always been grist for his singing mill, and that hasn't changed even though he quit drinking more than a decade ago.

"Most of your breakups today are still caused from people drinking," he has said. "Broken marriages and homes, that's what it's all about. Even though artists have quit recording them, those things still go on every day."

"I Lived to Tell it All" is both the title of his newest album and his autobiography. Song titles like "Hundred Proof Memories" and "I'll Give You Something to Drink About" tell you those demons still give Jones something to think about.

Diamond Rio now has a fourth album under its belt, aptly titled "IV." The first three albums spawned four No. 1 singles, including "Love a Little Stronger," "In a Week or Two," "Meet in the Middle" and "Norma Jean Riley."

Diamond Rio was named the Academy of County Music's Top Vocal Group in 1991 and 1992, and the County Music Association's Vocal Group of the Year from 1992-94.

Named Billboard Magazine's top New Female Country Artist in 1995, Terri Clark is one of the few female country singers who comes on stage in a pair of Wranglers, a T-shirt and a Stetson. As her hit recent "Emotional Girl" shows, what you see is what you get with Clark.

She wrote or co-wrote all but three of the songs on her newest album, "Just the Same."

Hayes was Billboard Magazine's Top New Male Country Artist of 1995, edging out the likes of Ty England, Ty Herndon, Paul Brandt and Trace Adkins on the strength of his hits "Old Enough to Know Better" and "I'm Still Dancin'." His second album, "On a Good Night," has produced a hit with the title track.

The rodeo starts at 7 p.m. each night, with the entertainment scheduled to begin halfway through each night's events.