Tracy Byrd and Jay Allen team up for concert at this year's Muskingum County Fair
ZANESVILLE ? Country singer Tracy Byrd with special guest Jay Allen will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 18, at the Muskingum County Fair in the grandstand.
Byrd, 56, first hit the country charts in 1993 when his self-titled debut album went gold. His follow up album in 1994, "No Ordinary Man," went triple platinum. His third and fourth albums also went gold.
The native of Vidor, Texas, has had two number one hits on the country charts, "Holdin' Heaven" in 1993 and "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo" in 2002. Other notable top 10 hits include "Watermelon Crawl," "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," "The First Step," "The Keeper of the Stars," "Love Lessons," "Big Love," "Don't Take Her She's All I Got," "I'm From the Country" and "Drinkin' Bone."
"Keeper of the Stars" won the Academy of County Music Awards honor for Song of the Year in 1996.
Byrd is also known for charity work. He served as a national spokesperson for Special Olympics International for the Country Music Association and developed a crank bait fishing lure where 10 cents from each sale went to the Special Olympics. He also hosted "The Tracy Byrd Homecoming Weekend," later renamed "The Beaumont Boys Bash," a golfing, fishing and music event with proceeds benefitting a variety of charities. In 2003, he published "Eat Like a Byrd: The Tracy Byrd Cookbook" and released the accompanying line of spices, rubs and marinades with a portion of sales benefitting the Children's Miracle Network.
Allen, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, appeared on season 22 of "The Voice" in 2022. He was a member of Blake Shelton's team and lost in the knockout round. The same year he won favorite competition contestant from the Country Now Awards and was recognized as an artist to watch by Music Mayhem Magazine. His song "Sounds Good to Me" was named a Highway Find by Sirius XM Radio.
Allen first gained national attention in 2018 for his song "Blank Stares," written about his mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease. The song has raised more than $100 million to help fight the disease and Allen continues to serve as an advocate for the National Alzheimer's Association. He has received the group's Caregiver Award.
Grandstand seats are $20 and track seats are $30. Tickets are available online.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Tracy Byrd and Allen join forces for country music concert at the fair