Sonny Burgess to Headline Library Cash Tribute

            The Garland County Library will host The Johnny Jamboree, a tribute to the late Kingsland, Arkansas native Johnny Cash, on Saturday, February 11^th.  Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers will headline the event to a sell-out crowd. Other festivities will include a “Johnny Cash Birthday Bash” and a performance by Adayas, a local band.

            “Great music is a part of our heritage as Arkansans,” said Karen Covey, who is organizing the event for the library.  “Of all the great musicians who’ve come from Arkansas, the one who’s probably had the most impact and touched the most people is Johnny Cash.  This is our tribute to the Man in Black.”

            Rockabilly Hall of Fame member and Arkansas native Sonny Burgess, along with his band the Legendary Pacers, will perform at 3 pm in the Gordonelle Williams Hall. 

            Burgess formed his band in 1955 in Newport, Arkansas. They had five singles on Sun Records, the same label for which Cash recorded, including “Red Headed Woman” backed with “We Wanna Boogie,” which is considered by some critics one of the “wildest” rock and roll records ever. Sonny and the Pacers have played to sold out clubs, festivals, and colleges all over the US and Canada.

            “We’ve had Sonny and the Pacers at the library several times and they just keep getting better,” Covey said.  “They traveled and performed with Johnny Cash and they’ve promised to share some stories as well as music.”

            Adayas, a local band whose music blends old and new styles for an original sound, will perform at 12:30 pm.  “Our sound is a mix blues and rock riffs with catchy vocal melodies and rhythmic bass lines,” Tony Webb, who plays bass and guitar, said.  “We hope people will come to see us for our original songs, but until they get to know them, they’ll definitely enjoy some covers we do by everyone from the Doors to Roger Miller, and of course, Johnny Cash.”

            Adayas, which also includes Tim Webb on vocals and guitar, Charlie Hunt on bass and guitar, and Eric Powell on drums, takes its name from the Caddo Indian word for “band” or “us.”

            The Johnny Jamboree festivities will commence at 11 am with a “Johnny Cash Birthday Bash.” 

            “Johnny Cash’s birthday is February 26^th, so we’ll be celebrating a little early,” Covey said.  “But we plan to have a fun party, listening to his music, sharing stories, having refreshments, giving away some great prizes.  If anyone has any Johnny Cash memorabilia they’d like to show off, we might have a show and tell, too.”

            For more information call the library at 623-4161 or 922-4483.