Country artists line up for concert

FORT SILL, Okla.-- An impressive lineup of talent is set for the Army Concert featuring Trace Adkins, with guests the Josh Abbott Band and Bri Bagwell.

The concert is July 5 on the Fort Sill Polo Field. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Bri Bagwell and the Josh Abbott Band, both Texas-based bands, will open the Independence Day weekend concert, headlined by Adkins and presented by Fort Sill Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

Trace Adkins

Adkins, whose powerful baritone has put him at the top of country music charts with hits such as "You're Gonna Miss This," and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." Adkins recently released his 11th studio album "Love Will ..." which features collaborations with two-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat, the esteemed Harlem Gospel Choir and rock/country veterans Exile.

The Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry is a television personality, actor and author.

This is Adkins' third concert at Fort Sill, and he is a long-time supporter of the military, recently recording several public service announcements with his new song, "Tough People Do."

He is also a spokesman for the Wounded Warriors Project and a past honoree at its Courage Awards and Benefit Dinner, where he was recognized for his efforts to help raise awareness for men and women who have been wounded in service.

He's performed on seven United Service Organization tours; most recently in December in Okinawa and at U.S. bases in Japan.

Adkins made his debut in 1995 with the album "Dreamin' Out Loud."

He recently won on the reality show "Celebrity Apprentice."

Adkins has released nine studio albums and 30 singles on the country charts.

His songs include; "Every Light in the House," "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," "I Left Something Turned on at Home," "Rough and Ready," "Ladies Love Country Boys," "Marry for Money," "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow," and "Ala-Freakin-Bama," among others.

Adkins has racked up more than 30 hits on the singles charts, four Grammy nominations and five Academy of Country Music and Country Music Television awards in his 17 years as a country artist.

Josh Abbott Band

The Josh Abbott Band is an American Texas Country, Red Dirt band composed of Josh Abbott, Austin Davis, Preston Wait, Edward Villanueva, James Hertless and Caleb Keeter.

They started touring in 2008. They released their first album, "Scapegoat," in 2009. A second album, "She's Like Texas," followed in 2010. This album made the Top Country Albums charts. It includes the single "Oh Tonight," which debuted at No. 59 and peaked at No. 42 on the Country Songs chart in early 2011.

Michael Berick of Allmusic rated the album four stars out of five, comparing it to Steve Earle and said Abbott's songwriting showed maturity.

They recorded their first sellout crowd at "Billy Bob's Texas," in Fort Worth, Feb. 10, 2010, which sold 6,000 tickets.

The band's third CD, "Small Town Family Dream," was released April 24, 2012, and reached No. 5 on the charts. Singles from the CD include "Touch," which hit No. 41 on the charts, "I'll Sing About Mine"and "She Will Be Free."

Bri Bagwell

She fell in love with music at an early age, and started playing in a band with her older brothers while a teenager growing up in New Mexico.

A couple weeks after turning 18, she moved to Austin, to study at the University of Texas and begin her music career.

Late nights, rowdy Texas crowds and being alone on stage with just a guitar shaped her onstage charismatic charm. She learned to gain a crowd's attention with her beautiful voice, singing songs she wrote herself.

She earned a degree in marketing from UT. She then pulled together outstanding musicians, and now tours with a full band.

Her first CD, "Banned from Santa Fe," released June 2011, sold through the several printings, and is gaining traction very quickly among music fans.

Bagwell was the only female artist on the Texas Music Chart for a few weeks with her single, also titled "Banned from Santa Fe" and her song "Whiskey" became her first top 15 hit and has passed 30,000 YouTube views.

The concert

According to Brenda Spencer-Ragland, FMWR director, the concert is FMWR's way of ensuring high-class talent is made available locally so residents in the area don't have to travel to see big-name entertainment.

"Usually shows of this caliber are only available in Dallas or Oklahoma City but we bring the talent close to home for the community and to show our appreciation to the Soldiers and their families for the sacrifices they make each and every day," she said.

The concert not only offers the community quality entertainment close to home, it is also the biggest fundraiser of the year for Family and MWR and the money helps to generate quality of life programs for Soldiers and families.

"The concert is not supplemented by Department of the Army dollars," said Spencer-Ragland. "The concert ticket price allows us to reinvest in our facilities and maintain our programs. This is pure business. We bring quality entertainment to the area at a reasonable price. We chose the long holiday weekend to ensure that the community has a safe, close-to-home entertainment option to enjoy over the holiday weekend."

Tickets

"We are incorporating some ways for our Soldiers and families to have an opportunity to win free tickets to the show," said Andrew Duffy, sponsorship coordinator with FMWR. "A couple ticket drawing boxes are located on Coca-Cola displays at the Main Exchange and the commissary."

According to Duffy, the commissary display spells out the name "Trace Adkins" with soda cases.

At the Class 6 Shop at the Sheridan Road Express, there is a Coors Light product display made into a tank.

"These displays serve several purposes," he said. "Not only is it a fundamental way for Family and MWR to tie in our concert sponsors by adding promotional value for them, but it certainly promotes the show in high traffic facilities. Most importantly, these drawing boxes are providing our Soldiers and families with a great opportunity to win free tickets to a top-quality concert."

Tickets for the Trace Adkins concert are on sale now at both Adventure Travel Offices, in the Welcome Center at 4700 Mow-Way Road and in Central Mall, and at EZ Go stores in Lawton.

Tickets are also available online at www.sillmwr.com. Advance tickets cost $30. Tickets at the gate will cost $35.

The concert is co-produced by Fort Sill's Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the U.S. Army FMWR Command, Army Entertainment Division and is part of the Army Concert Tour. The concert is sponsored locally by Coors Light, Billingsley Family of Dealerships, Coca-Cola, USA Discounters, USAA, REMAX Pam and Barry's Team, Freedom Furniture and Electronics, Fort Sill Federal Credit Union, Corvias Military Living, EZ Go, People's Cab Company, KSWO 7 News, K-LAW 101 and the Lawton-Constitution.

For more information, call the Adventure Travel office at 580-250-4040.