Country music hitmaker and piano-pounding powerhouse Phil Vassar will headline the concert at the 45th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 7, at 8:30 p.m. The show will be held on the CMC Stage inside Hope Fair Park. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Vassar’s reign of signature songs includes 10 No. 1 singles and 26 Top 40 hits, including Carlene, Just Another Day in Paradise, Six-Pack Summer, When I Love You, and many more. Vassar was racking up hits on the radio long before he even began his own recording career that has seen the release of six albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies, ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist, and sold-out shows across the country.
His songwriting career blossomed in the mid-’90s when he landed a publishing contract with EMI and penned hits for Collin Raye (Little Red Rodeo), Alan Jackson (Right on the Money), Tim McGraw (For a Little While), Jo Dee Messina (Bye Bye, Alright), and Blackhawk (Postmarked Birmingham). He signed a record deal of his own with Arista in 1998 and was named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999. Vassar continues to churn out incisive, soulful lyrics and infectious melodies that capture the heart and soul in the unique and special way that only he can.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 10, with a special one-day “early bird” discounted general admission ticket price of $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 4-10. Early bird tickets will be sold at the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or online at https://hempsteadhall.thundertix.com/events/186891.
After this one-day sale, advanced general admission tickets for the concert will be $15 for adults; day of show tickets will be $20. Children’s tickets will be $6 on the day of the show. All reserved tickets are $40.
For more information about the concert, contact the Hope Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at 870-777-3640 or the UAHT Foundation at 870-722-8516.
