GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Even before he was born, Walker Montgomery was destined to spend a life surrounded by music.
His father is legendary country crooner John Michael Montgomery. His uncle, …
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GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Even before he was born, Walker Montgomery was destined to spend a life surrounded by music.
His father is legendary country crooner John Michael Montgomery. His uncle, Eddie Montgomery, was half of the iconic country duo Montgomery Gentry.
And while Walker has continued the family’s musical tradition, he’s carved his own niche in the business.
The second-generation singer is part of a talent-filled concert lineup for this year’s fair. And in the process, he will join his father and uncle as performers inside the Cattleman’s Arena.
“A lot of things have changed since ’95 and the early 2000s when Eddie and Daddy were rocking,” Walker said. “I’m lucky because I have the basics of touring. But once you get into town, you’re still green like everyone else.
“We’ve been very blessed. We’ve been releasing songs and going out on the road, trying to make one fan at a time.”
Seven nights of shows start on opening day, March 31, with rapper Nelly. The weeklong lineup includes heavy metal bands like Quiet Riot and Warrant, ska-punk band Sublime with Rome and, of course, country acts that reflect the current sounds and favorites from the past.
“It’s a diverse lineup,” said fair executive director Tasha Hyder. “We realized not everyone in Clay County like country music. We wanted to give them what they wanted.”
And yet, Hyder found a way to keep much of the spotlight focused on country.
Walker Montgomery, Kameron Marlowe and Jameson Rodgers will hit the stage on April 5. Reserved and VIP tickets, which are available at claycountyfair.org, start at $25.
Music has always been an important part of the fair. In addition to Montgomery Gentry and John Michael Montgomery, past fair acts have included 38 Special, Green Cove Springs’ The Curt Towne Band, Colt Ford, John Anderson, Bellamy Brothers, Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio, Kellie Pickler, Wynonna Judd, Travis Tritt, Joe Diffie, Big & Rich, Marshall Tucker Band, Scotty McCreery and Vanilla Ice.
Walker Montgomery is eager to add his setlist to the fair’s legacy.
“Our show, we try to do a little something for everybody,” he said. “The love songs, which I really enjoy doing, we always throw in the fast-paced-tempo songs, and a lot of the songs I’ve put out so far, including my next single, is a mellow mid-tempo. We try to throw in something for everybody to see what they like and how they react to it.”
His show also will follow the release of his new extended play record Rust. One song on the EP, “She Don’t Know,” already has been streamed online more than 12.4 million times. His next single, “Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone” is expected to be one of the favorite songs from the EP at this year’s fair.
Other songs on Rust include “My Hometown Fault,” Out of Nowhere,” “Rust” and the bouncy “Bad Day to be a Beer.”
“I am beyond excited for everyone to hear this new music,” Walker said. “We have been working for almost two years now to get just the right songs together for this EP. I’m really excited to see how it does.”
Just like his father and uncle did here in the past.