At his solo acoustic performance in July of 2003, Radney Foster stood up there all by himself and had a lawn of over 1300 people in the palm of his hand. Because he only does a few of those solo acoustic concerts each year, fans had flown into DFW and rented cars to drive to Sherman that night. So who better to help celebrate this 10 year old brainstorm than Radney?
Foster’s career has always pushed boundaries. When his 2002 cd “Another Way to Go” was released, he said, “If I'm talking to a rock critic, they¹ll say, 'This record moves back to your country direction.' And then if I talk to a country critic, they say, 'This is still moving more in that alternative rock direction.'”
Foster has long walked a fine line. By marrying smart lyrics with undeniably memorable melodies, he’s been able to garner both critical raves and commercial success. One look at the folks who have covered his songs, from the Dixie Chicks and Tanya Tucker to Hootie and the Blowfish—and you realize this guy is not easily categorized. As one half of the duo Foster and Lloyd, Radney recorded three groundbreaking albums for RCA, becoming one of the first acts to be played simultaneously on Country and College radio. The duo broke through in the late 80’s, a rare time in Nashville’s history when Country radio welcomed other innovative acts like Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam. Foster and Lloyd’s "Crazy Over You," went straight to number one, making them the first duo in history to top the charts with their debut single.
Of late, Foster has been busy in tv as he hosts CMT’s Crossroads where country music artists are paired with musicians from other genres. Each episode features a different set of stars playing together, swapping stories and sharing their common love of music. This season Foster has hosted pairings such as; Elvis Costello/Lucinda Williams, Wynona/Heart, Kenney Chesney/John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson/Sheryl Crow.
The concert in Sherman on Saturday, August 21, will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hot Summer Nights – the series of free, live music concerts conducted on the Municipal Lawn during June and July. In the past ten years, many artists have climbed the steps onto the gazebo stage and made music – oftentimes they made magic - Billy Joe Shaver, Sara Hickman, Trout Fishing in America, Jack Ingram, both Charlie and Bruce Robison, Brave Combo, the Gourds, Doyle Bramhall, Bugs Henderson, Slaid Cleaves, Larry Joe Taylor, Steve Fromholz, Max Stalling, Sisters Morales, Todd Snider, and Ray Wylie Hubbard to name a few.
This concert is part of the 2004 Hot Summer Nights series, made possible by sponsors Ramey Chevrolet-Cadillac, Nat McClure State Farm Insurance, Texoma Regional Blood Center, American Bank of Texas and Dickey’s BBQ. Without sponsors, Hot Summer Nights would cease to exist.
Tickets are on sale now, all seats are reserved, $20 and $16. Tickets available at the Tourism/Chamber office, Ramey Chevrolet, Texoma Regional Blood Center, both McClure State Farm Insurance Agencies (Sherman and Denison), and Dude’s Music. Charge tickets by phone at 903.893.1184 or 888.893.1188.