Craig Morgan surprises Opry veteran with mortgage-free home
Craig Morgan advertises a mortgage-free home for an Army veteran and his family at the Grand Ole Opry. Made possible by a non-profit organization.
Presented / Opry / Circle TV, Nashville Tennessean
Hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes will dot the skies over Bloomington as the Kiwanis Club of South Central Indiana hosts its 10th annual event. Indiana Balloon Fest at the Monroe County Fairgrounds.
The event kicks off Thursday and continues Friday and Saturday with live entertainment, food, drinks, as well as a “Kids Zone” and an “Adult Zone.”
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The Adult Zone will include zip lines, ax throwing and a mechanical bull.
The Kid Zone features bounce houses for children of all ages.
Both areas are included with admission.
Balloon Fest organizer Vanessa McCLary said the event is a fundraiser for Kiwanis.
“It’s a way to bring families out to have a good time and we raise money to help the kids,” McClary said.
He noted that the money will help organizations such as Riley Children’s Hospital, the Boys and Girls Club and preschool services for the visually impaired.
“We want people to know that when they buy tickets, they’re helping kids,” McClary noted.
One of the events that will help raise funds is a silent auction, which McClary said will begin Thursday.
The festival has always had live shows, but most of the bands have been local musicians.
On Friday at 6:30 p.m., IU Circle K will host a Kids Fun Run.
One year, the organization was able to book Lee Greenwood, who is best known for the song “God Bless the USA”
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Entertainment on Thursday and Friday will be local musicians and tribute bands, but this year’s lineup will be headlined by The Oak Ridge Boys and Craig Morgan, two national country music touring acts with a 10-hit streak.
This year, SCI Kiwanis partnered with RD Productions of Martinsville to help organize the concerts.
“I’m proud to be involved in this thing,” said RD Productions owner Rob Helms. “Because, this is like a real music festival to me.”
Craig Morgan
Morgan, a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2008, has toured the country for over 20 years.
His first top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, “Almost Gone” was released in 2002.
Since then, Morgan has released seven more top 10 songs, including “Redneck Yacht Club,” “International Harvester” and his No. 1 hit “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”
After so many years on the road, Morgan said touring is a normal part of his job.
“But at the same time, I feel extremely blessed and humbled by the fact that I can still go out there and do it,” Morgan noted.
Although he still plays to very large crowds, which can easily top 30,000, Morgan said some of his favorite gigs take place in more intimate venues.
“When we’re in these small settings, there’s an interaction that happens between us and the fans that I don’t think can happen at these bigger shows,” he added.
The country musician recently appeared on the CBS reality show “Beyond the edge,” a competition show with other celebrities that helped raise money for a charity of the participant’s choice.
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Morgan played for Operation Finally Home, an organization that provides mortgage-free housing for veterans, first responders and the families of those killed in action.
A veteran of the US military himself, Morgan sees giving back to America’s veterans as a duty, noting that less than 1% of the country serves in the military.
“And it’s the military that really gives us the freedoms that we celebrate in this country,” Morgan said.
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys has been touring for decades, with roots dating back to the 1940s.
The current quartet of William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, Richard Sterban and Joe Bonsall began touring together in the early 1970s.
Golden left the band in the late 1980s before returning in 1995.
The group is not only a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Over the band’s decades of making music, they have been honored with two Academy of Country Music Awards, four Country Music Association Awards and five Grammy Awards.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, the band posted 17 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, as well as an additional 17 top 10 hits.
“Lucky Moon,” the band’s most recent top 10 hit, was released in 1990.
“We’re looking forward to coming your way,” Sterban said of the upcoming Bloomington concert. “We plan to have a great time and will do everything we can to make it a great night.”
The group’s signature song, “Elvira” was not only a hit on the country charts, but also reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #8 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in 1981.
Sterban is the band’s bass singer and performs the line “oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-mow-mow” in “Elvira”.
He said having a song as popular as “Elvira” is special.
“Even now, even after all these years, we just put it on stage at a show, and people immediately get up and start dancing, start singing,” Sterban noted.
While the band is expected to play many of their hits, songs from the group’s most recent album will also be included in the set list.
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“Front Porch Singin,” Sterban noted, features inspirational songs recorded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, including some gospel songs people will recognize, as well as some new singles.
“(The album) is very healing in nature, it’s songs that give people hope,” Sterban added.
Saturday’s performance will be fun for the whole family, he said.
“It’s going to be a good night of good country music and good family entertainment,” Sterban said.
Balloon Fest concert schedule
Thursday
6.00pm: The Dynamics 7.30pm: Tony Walker and the Second Half Band 9.00pm: Soul Street
Friday
6:00 p.m.: Coner Berry Duo 7:00 p.m.: Cody Ikerd and the Sidewinders 8:30 p.m.: The Eagles Project (Eagles Tribute)
Saturday
17:00: Jake Dodds 18:00: Bigg Country 19:15: The Oak Ridge Boys 21:00: Craig Morgan
Ticket information
Tickets are $20 per carload on Thursday and Friday individually, with a $30 per carload option for both days combined.
For Saturday, tickets are $20 for the gold section and $50 for platinum, and children 6 and under are free.
“And you can come and go with your wristband, every day,” McClary said. “Especially on Saturday, they can come early in the morning, so they’ll have wristbands every day.”
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Pets, coolers, outside food and drinks will not be allowed in the venue.
Concertgoers must also bring their own chairs.
