40th Annual Graceville Harvest Festival entertainment lineup released

The 40th Annual Graceville Harvest Festival is set to be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 with the committee recently announcing its 2023 Entertainment Lineup! With the always no entrance fee to the festival, this year’s lineup will have the crowds out.

Local-favorite Gospel group The Thompsons will kick off the entertainment this year starting at 9:30 AM. The Thompsons consist of two brothers and their families. Today, the group travels just as two families playing their own instruments. Tim Thompson plays lead guitar, acoustic guitar and banjo. Kirk Thompson plays bass guitar. AJ Thompson, Kirk and Shirley's son, plays drums. All of the group members sing at some point in a concert to make up a wide variety of sounds from a country flavor to a contemporary Christian praise and worship sound. Kirk's wife, Shirley, runs sound for the group from the audience for a best blend and volume. And local resident Gary Golden also plays with the group on piano and doing some vocals. The group’s latest album has a variety of sound from Praise and Worship songs many recognize to old hymns from the church hymnal many remember.

At 10:30 AM Bluegrass group Goat Hill String Band will take the stage. The Goat Hill String Band is a group of four men: Aaron Peters, Fred Clements, Patrick Reed, and Kelly Fowler. The group plays a mix of classic pop and rock covers from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and 10's, performed with acoustic string instruments along with the occasional traditional bluegrass tune. Mandolin player and vocalist Fred Clements spent the 90’s playing in rock bands around Chicago at venues such as the House of Blues, Elbow Room, and the Cabaret Metro. Double Bass/Electric Bass/Acoustic Bass Guitar/Acoustic Guitar, Kelly Fowler began playing in 1970. Since the 70’s, Kelly has played with numerous bands in various genres, always retaining a passion for, and remaining active in, Traditional Bluegrass music. Fiddle player/lead vocalist, Aaron Peters, is a seasoned bluegrass musician who learned his craft in Alabama’s Wiregrass region. During his 30+ years of playing music, he has shared his talents with numerous musical groups, spanning genres including bluegrass, country, gospel, and rock. A 5-time Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention contest champ- ion, Aaron was well-known in bluegrass circles in the Wiregrass before moving to Montgomery in 2006. Banjo/guitar player/lead vocalist, Patrick Reed, was born and raised in North Alabama where he was bap- tized into Bluegrass music at a young age. He studied Entertainment Media Production at the University of North Alabama and produces his own works as well.

The next act to follow is County and Acoustic Soft Rock singer Brett Stafford Smith at 11:30 AM. Brett Stafford Smith was born in the “Peanut Capital of the World” Dothan, Alabama. Brett spent his teenage years playing in multiple bands and playing anywhere he could. Brett’s passion for music paid off when he earned a musical scholarship to play in a jazz band at a local college meanwhile he also continued writing and recording as well as performing in local bars and clubs. After graduating, Brett started to bring his songwriting to the forefront and spent a few years playing across the southeast before moving to Nashville. Brett says “I wanted music in my life everyday and not just the weekends so I had to make the move to Music City.”

Festival favorite Jerome Jackson as Elvis will follow at 12:30 PM. Jerome was born in Dothan, Alabama on March 5th. At the age of 8, Jerome discovered Elvis’ voice while living in Columbus. Something about the “voice” struck a chord before he ever knew what he looked like or what it was all about. In his later years he became a famous radio DJ and in 2007 Jerome decided to get back to Elvis. After a few contests and a bunch of shows later, Jerome went full steam ahead to make a living doing what he does best, Elvis! He has won several awards including 2018 Fan Favorite at Elvis Extravaganza in Tampa, Florida and 1st place in Ted McMullen’s 13th Annual Elvis Tribute Artist Competition in Live Oak, Florida, among many others. In 2020 he was inducted into the International ETA Hall of Fame – Legends category.

Finishing out the entertainment will be country-recording artist Shane Owens at 1:30 PM. A staunch country traditionalist, Shane Owens is a singer with a rich, full-bodied voice and songs that evoke stalwarts like George Strait and Randy Travis, carrying the flag for classic Nashville sounds in a time of change. Owens grew up in rural Alabama and at six he started singing in the choir at church, where his talent made him a standout. As Owens gained confidence, he entered the Jimmy Dean Country Showdown competition, winning the Alabama regional title in 1995 and 1996, as well as going on to the semi-finals of the national contest. Forming his own band, Owens landed a job opening for country stars Confederate Railroad, and it wasn't long before he was regularly touring the South and Southwest, headlining clubs and opening for the likes of George Jones, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Jr., and Pam Tillis. He struck a deal with fledgling label Rust Records, and his full-length debut, Let's Get It On, appeared in 2005. One track from the album, "Bottom of the Fifth," was faring well on the country charts in Texas when Rust abruptly went out of business less than four months after the album dropped. In 2009, Owens recorded a second album with James Stroud producing the sessions, but bad luck struck again, and the label that had planned to release it went bust before it could reach stores. Many of the tunes from the unreleased LP would finally surface in 2016 on the album Where I'm Comin' From, which was produced by Stroud and Ed Seay. One of Owens' heroes, Randy Travis, gave the project his seal of approval, serving as executive producer and making a cameo appearance in the video for the song "Country Never Goes Out of Style." The song became a favorite on satellite radio, and another track from the album, "All the Beer in Alabama," became a minor hit. Rolling Stone named Owens one of "Ten New Country Artists You Need to Know" in November 2016, and in 2017, Owens made his first appearance on the Grand Ol' Opry. June 2018 saw the release of a six-song EP, It's a Southern Thing, which included the singles "Lie" and "Love to Try Them On."

With the Graceville Harvest Festival featuring live entertainment, arts, crafts, activities for kids, food vendors, and one of the area's biggest car shows with over 200 antique and classic cars on display, this is an event to not miss! This year's Festival will also include to kick things off the 2nd Annual Harvest Hustle and the Harvest Festival Parade in downtown Graceville at 9:00 AM.

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