Record crowd attends Town Center concert

Jun. 8—LONDON — A standing room only crowd — many of whom brought their own chairs for sitting — converged on Town Center Park for the opening of the Town Center 2023 Summer Concert Series.

Corbin-based band County Wide opened the show to hundreds of fans who filled most of the front section of the park as they performed both cover and original songs. County Wide has accumulated a large following and have played at various venues across the southeast.

Headlining the first show of the season was country music star, Sammy Kershaw, who performed his hit songs. Opening with "She Don't Know She's Beautiful," Kershaw rocked the crowd with songs that go to the heart of country music's story. His years in the business created friendships with fellow country greats such as the late George Jones, to whom Kershaw dedicated a song.

At 64 years old, Kershaw still exhibits the same enthusiasm in performing that marked his rise to fame in the 1990s. He did say that some health issues had affected his voice, which was somewhat raspy during Friday's performance.

"I've had some problems for the past six weeks and had to cancel a show," he told the crowd. "I'm supposed to do a show tomorrow night in South Carolina. But I'm here and I'm going to give it all I got!"

Throwing in Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Three Steps," Kershaw brought cheers from the crowd that was lined back to Main Street and along the blocked streets bordering Town Center Park. From "Love of My Life" and "Third Rate Romance," Kershaw continued to wow the crowd with his performance, often engaging them in singing sections of songs.

Winding down the show, Kershaw also performed another popular crowd favorite, "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer."

The Town Center Summer Concert Series takes place in June, July and August and is sponsored by the City of London Tourism Commission.