GENTRY -- The 105th annual July 4 freedom festival in Gentry City Park is just under a month away, and plans are underway to make this year's event a special one. The event begins at noon and runs through the huge firework display at dusk on Independence Day.
Entertainment for this year's celebration includes River's Edge Band, Back Road Story, Mark Shields & Good Company and Amity Hearts.
The featured entertainer, performing at 7:30 p.m. and leading up to the fireworks display will be Nashville recording artist John King.
ABOUT JOHN KING
King comes from a little mountain town in Georgia but is now in the spotlight, opening for award-winning artists, writing Number 1 songs and touring more than 150 dates per year. King grew up working with his hands, building work ethic as he built structures.
"Those jobs made me who I am," said King. "I started off working rock construction, putting in fireplaces and walkways at about 14 or 15. Although it was tough, it built muscle and character."
Citing his parents as the main reason he got into music, John credits them for their influence.
"They are the only reason why music was introduced at an early age."
King's musical tastes were formed early on by the Southern rock sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and The Black Crowes. As country music took a huge leap forward in the 1990s, John found himself in awe of one of country music's greatest entertainers, Garth Brooks.
When it comes to the fans, the bar is set high according to King.
"I love the way Garth treats his fans like royalty. I wanna be like that ... If you've made a long career in country music, it's because your fans love you," King said. "Entertaining a crowd, meeting the fans, hearing their stories, seeing them have the time of their lives, that is what God put me here to do, that's my passion."
King took a serious interest in guitar when he realized he could figure out how to play his favorite songs, but he then went on to modify them.
"That's when I realized that I could write my own music," he said. "I started by playing familiar melodies and turning them into funny songs with lyrics about my friends."
Once he settled into the position of lead singer, King's voice began to change the sound of the band.
"Our early bands were rock bands but my voice was country. I grew up country, I talked country, and I wrote country songs."
After graduating from high school, John decided to arm himself with a music degree and went to study at the University of Georgia. It was during his time at UGA that the formation of John's musical footprint would really take shape. John's music career was in full developmental swing during his time at Georgia.
"My time at UGA helped me tremendously," King said. "It made me realize I could make a career out of doing what I love."
His dedication and tenacity paid off in opening slots for nationally-recognized, award-winning artists, a feat that is virtually unheard of for a young, unsigned artist. This tenacity caught the attention of world-renowned booking agent Kevin Neal in 2013.
King's debut radio single, "Tonight, Tonight," earned him his first Top 40 hit and was heard by millions of NFL fans and used to highlight CBS network's Thursday night football throughout the 2014 season.
In addition to his rising success as an artist, King is also earning national recognition as a songwriter. In early 2016, King experienced his first No. 1 with a song called "We Went" recorded by artist Randy Houser. King co-wrote the song with friends Matt Rogers and Justin Wilson and received a 2016 ASCAP Songwriter Award for the song's success. King also had a hand in writing Craig Morgan's current single, "I'll Be Home Soon."
In late 2016, King signed his first management deal with Narvel Blackstock and Starstruck Entertainment. Narvel has been instrumental in the rise of superstars like Reba, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. In late 2017, King released the single, "I Still Pick Up," from his latest project. The song debuted Top 5 on the Apple Music Hot Chart and has already gained over one million streams in a short time. The music video recently debuted on CMT and was voted Top 10 on the countdown.
Based on John King's biography at www.johnkingcountry.com.
Editorial on 06/06/2018