HOPE, Ark. -- Singer-songwriter Uncle Kracker will perform a concert at this year's Hope Watermelon Festival.
"I have always loved Uncle Kracker and have always thought he would be a great fit for a Southwest Arkansas concert, especially the Watermelon Festival Concert," UAHT Foundation Executive Director Anna Powell said. "We are thrilled to have such a high profile entertainer coming to our festival. We hope that the Ark-La Tex-will come to experience the concert."
After vaulting to stardom as a chief collaborator in Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker Band, the Michigan singer, songwriter and performer, also known as Matthew Shafer, kicked off a solo career of his own. His 2000 major label debut, "Double Wide," went double-platinum and yielded the No. 1 hit "Follow Me."
Its 2002 follow-up "No Stranger To Shame" reached gold status and spawned genre-crossing hits such as "In A Little While" and the powerful cover of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away," which set a Billboard record for most weeks at No. 1 on any chart.
Uncle Kracker flew up the charts for five weeks at No. 1 with "When the Sun Goes Down," a duet with Kenny Chesney. And after a few summer tours with Chesney, Uncle Kracker reached Country Music's Top 10 with his double-platinum crossover hit "Smile."
Then, 2012 saw him fully embrace his country side with his critically acclaimed fifth outing, "Midnight Special," produced by Keith Stegall.
Uncle Kracker has played sold-out shows across the country and has appeared in shows like the American Country Music Awards and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
Anna Powell said the performance will be a great way to top off the 46th annual Watermelon Festival.
"The Watermelon Festival is a longtime tradition in our area celebrating the history of melon growers and their contributions to the Southwest Arkansas agricultural economy," she said. "Watermelons from Hope have made it all the way from hope to the Razorback Football Field, the Arkansas State Capitol and even the White House."
Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 19, with a one-day "early bird" discounted general admission ticket price of $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-10. Early bird tickets will be sold at the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or online at hempsteadhall.com.
After this one-day sale, advanced general admission tickets for the concert will be $20 for adults; day of show tickets will be $25. Children's tickets will be $10 on the day of the show. All reserved seating tickets are $40.
(Uncle Kracker will perform at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13 on the CMC Stage inside Hope Fair Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. For more information, call the Hope Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at 870-777-3640 or the UAHT Foundation at 870-722-8516.)