Pitney to headline at 65th annual Decatur Barbecue

SUBMITTED Mo Pitney, an up-and-coming singer on the Nashville scene, takes center stage during the 65th Annual Decatur Barbecue at Veterans Park Aug. 4. Concert time is 7 p.m.
SUBMITTED Mo Pitney, an up-and-coming singer on the Nashville scene, takes center stage during the 65th Annual Decatur Barbecue at Veterans Park Aug. 4. Concert time is 7 p.m.

DECATUR -- Over the years, the Decatur Barbecue has drawn some of the best entertainers and new artists from Nashville to the city of Decatur. This year will be no different when Mo Pitney comes to northwest Arkansas for the 65th annual Decatur Barbecue Aug. 4 at Veterans Park in Decatur, beginning at 7 p.m.

Pitney's unique brand of traditional country music has been inspired by some of the greatest that Nashville has to offer, including two artists that one graced the stage at Old City Park. The Keith Whitley (the one artist that drew Pitney to the more traditional style of country music) performance during the 35th Annual Barbecue drew a whopping 14,000 fans to Decatur. In 1997 during the 44th Annual Barbecue, Daryle Singletary took the stage for an unforgettable performance.

Pitney was born in Cherry Valley, Ill., in 1993. He was destined for a future in music since his father was a part-time musician. At age 6, the first instrument he learned to play was drums. For the next six years, Pitney continued to master the drums until, at the age of 12, Pitney suffered a broken arm and was unable to play. Pitney's father remedied the situation by teaching his son to play guitar. A few weeks later, Pitney landed his first gig and, with the aid of a towel draped over the guitar (to protect the finish), he performed during an open-mike show. This was the beginning of a promising career in music for the young Pitney.

At age 15, Pitney formed a band and began playing bluegrass music. With Whitley, Singletary and other legendary country artists such as George Strait, Randy Travis, Ray Price and Buck Owens, Pitney began to embrace the more traditional style of country music. By the age of 20, Pitney made the move to Nashville in hopes of making a career.

Soon after his move to Music City, Pitney landed his first recording contract with Curb Records. In June 2014, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ol' Opry, one of country music's biggest venues for up-and-coming artists. By the time Pitney finished his performance, the audience was so captivated they gave him a standing ovation.

"I just love music," Pitney says, exhibiting atypical maturity for someone still in his early 20s. "It has never been about praise. Playing the Grand Ole Opry was an amazing experience, but I have just as much fun sitting on my bed playing along to an old record. It's always been that way" (mopitney.com).

In December 2014, Curb Records released Pitney's first single entitled "Country," the same song he premiered on the Opry. The following year, in 2015, Pitney released his second single, "Boy and Girl Thing." His music began climbing the country music charts.

Then his first album, "Behind the Guitar," was released Oct. 7, 2016, and became an overnight sensation reaching number 10 on Billboard's "Top Country Album" in its first week. One of the tracks on this album, "Everywhere," was released in 2017. Later that year, Pitney's album, "Behind the Guitar," was voted Favorite Country Album by AllMusic.

Opening for Mo Pitney this year will be The Stratosphere Brothers with JC Kaufman and Travis Duncan. They take the stage at 6 p.m.

The Decatur Barbecue concert featuring country music artist Mo Pitney begins at 7 p.m. on the stage at Veterans Park in Decatur. Come, experience the traditional country music with the man "Behind the Guitar."

For more information about the Mo Pitney concert, call 479-752-3912 or visit the city of Decatur website at www.decaturarkansas.com.

General News on 08/01/2018