DECATUR — At a time when country

music is most in need of vision

and focus, John Conlee pos

sesses both wrapped within

the framework of one of the

most distinctive and recogniz

able voices in the modern day

music industry.

In the face of passing fame

and passing time, as careers

have come and gone at whirl

wind speed from the national

spotlight, John Conlee has

remained firmly rooted in the

heart of country music buyers

like a fine, well rooted oak

tree. Release of his latest proj

ect, "Classics" - featuring 19

of his greatest hits plus three

new songs - has been

embraced by yet another new

generation of music lovers for

whom traditional country

music never goes out of style.

The new album features dig

itally remastered versions of

his biggest hits. Songs such as

his signature, "Rose Colored

Glasses," "Lady Lay Down,"

"Backside Of Thirty,"

"Common Man," "I'm Only In

It For The Love," "Friday

Night Blues" and "I Don't

Remember Loving You," like

fine wine, all have only gotten

better with age. Not to mention

the technology that captures

every fiber of John's well

woven rich tapestry of a voice.

"Some things never go out

of style, and a good country

voice, I'm glad to say, is one of

them," noted Conlee in a

recent interview. "I think we

can look at George Jones and

see what a timeless voice

sounds like." Like George,

John has been blessed with a

voice that doesn't quite sound

like anyone else - it's been

something that has helped him

endure a lot of passing fads in

the music business.

Conlee is the featured per

former at the Decatur Barbecue.

Community, Pages 8 on 08/05/2009