'DON'T MISS: A real country music legend, Gene Watson is rated as one of the finest ballad singers in country music, up there alongside George Jones and Merle Haggard. His 40-year career has seen him have 70 chart entries, including 23 top 10s and six no 1 hits. Still going strong, he is revered by artists such as Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack and Alison Krauss.'

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Traditional old school American country from a legendary balladeer.

It is difficult to imagine the world of country music without the vast contribution that lone star hero Gene Watson has made to it. Long one of the standard bearers for honest, soulful ballads in the classic country tradition, his mid-Seventies chart debut Love in the Hot Afternoon ignited a firestorm of national hits including Any Which Way from the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood movie of the same title. With his heartfelt, pure tone singing and personal, expressive versions of toe-tapping honky-tonk, yearning hard-country and poignantly reflective 'love gone wrong' ballads, this is real country music rooted in the timeless values of Nashville's grand tradition.

'Gene Watson is one of my all time favourite ballad singers; it doesn't get any better than that.' George Jones

genewatsonmusic.com
gene-watson.com

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The Toy Hearts (support)

Birmingham (UK not Alabama) bluegrass family band The Toy Hearts draws from a deep well of traditional gospel, rootsy bluegrass and country to create a fresh, vibrant and contemporary 'high lonesome sound', a joyous thing filled with brio and musicality that belies its roots, with beautiful vocal harmonies and stunning guitar playing.

'Rootsy Bluegrass-flavoured music (with hints of western swing, jazz, country, blues and even boogie-rock) of the highest order.' Maverick Magazine

thetoyhearts.com

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Running times: 6pm Cafe Bar opens; 7pm Concert Hall doors open; 7.30pm The Toy Hearts; 8.15pm Interval; 8.35pm Gene Watson Band