PIKE COUNTY, Mo. – The Pike County, Missouri Fair is right around the corner and headlining this year’s week-long event is country music star Mark Wills!
Once again, this year’s concert will take place on the main stage Friday, July 28th. Joining Mark Wills on stage is Chad Brock and Dylan Gerard. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at pikecountyfair.org. Season tickets will also be available for purchase in the near future.
Mark Willis
It was “19(90) Somethin’” when Grand Ole Opry member Mark Wills went from singing at Atlanta’s infamous Buckboard to releasing his first of 19 Billboard-charting singles across seven albums. While climbing his musical ‘ladder,’ he has recorded Gold and Platinum albums and released some of the most enduring and recognizable Country Music hits of the last 25 Years.
“Wish You Were Here,” “Jacob’s Ladder” and “I Do (Cherish You)” cemented his country status in the late ’90s and at the ‘dawning of a new decade’ in the early ’00s. “Jacob’s Ladder” was released via Mercury Nashville in May 1996 as Wills’ debut single, and it became the singer’s first of eight Top 10 hits. His debut self-titled album followed “full of rambunctious good-time songs teeming with sly wit and bittersweet ballads — all in a baritone that throbs with emotion” per Entertainment Weekly. Released 20 years ago as part of Wills’ Greatest Hits collection, the feel-good track stretched the singer both musically and vocally. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart Top 5 hits “Places I’ve Never Been,” “I Do (Cherish You),” “Don’t Laugh at Me,” and No. 1 single “Wish You Were Here” hit the airwaves between 1997-1999. Fittingly, Wills’ early chart success earned him an Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist in 1998. One of his biggest hits to date is the RIAA Gold-certified “19 Somethin’” – a six-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
He also has taken more than a dozen trips to entertain U.S. troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Korea, and Italy. Wills continues to hit the road with his high-energy show full of hits that were the soundtrack to so many people’s lives.
Chad Brock
Contemporary country singer/songwriter Chad Brock was born and raised in Ocala, FL. Despite performing in the church choir throughout his youth, his initial love was athletics, and he was a highly touted high-school football player. After joining the school chorus, however, Brock also emerged as a star soloist, and became so enamored of music that he turned down a collegiate athletic scholarship to pursue a career as a performer.
Relocating to Nashville to work as a songwriter in 1998, Brock signed with Warner Bros. and issued his self-titled debut later that year. The second single, “Ordinary Life,” was a breakout hit, climbing into the country Top Five, and “Lightning Does the Work” was also moderately popular. Brock’s follow-up was 2000’s “Yes!”, and the title track — a story song about meeting and romancing his wife — became his first country chart-topper, debuting at #1 on the Billboard chart.
Today, Chad is in the studio working on a new album and is the host of the new TV show, “The Chad Brock Show.” The Chad Brock Show will be airing on TCN (The Country Network) in 2023.
Dylan Gerard
Originally from the small town of Macclenny, Florida, Dylan Gerard pays tribute to classic retro sounds while keeping his finger on the pulse of modern country music. He brings a great soulful voice, influenced by Otis Redding and Bonnie Raitt, to a rugged country-rock feel influenced by Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash as well as rock bands like The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Kelly Clarkson commented on Dylan’s distinctive voice when she was a guest coach on NBC’s The Voice. Kelly told Dylan that the great tone in his voice would be a unique yet fitting trait in country music.
Dylan is thankful for the many relationships he built while on Season 13 of NBC’s The Voice, as well as the advice he received from both Kelly Clarkson and his coach, Adam Levine. He will always remember his blind audition on the show when his nerves were instantly calmed after two coaches turned their chairs. In addition to his time on The Voice, Dylan has many other memories that influenced and motivated his music career. One meaningful memory that Dylan has is singing to his sister while she was in a coma. He was moved by the healing power that music had in his sister’s medical recovery, and this incident propelled him to pursue his career in music.
Dylan’s career has allowed him to open for country stars such as Hank Williams Jr., Clint Black, Trace Adkins, and Dan + Shay at festivals such as The Suwannee River Jam and Party in the Pines. Between shows, Dylan enjoys spending time at home in Florida. He loves the quietness of his rural town and loves the opportunity to return to his family and roots. The nostalgia felt while back home plays a large role in influencing Dylan’s writing style.
In 2018, Dylan Signed to SSM Nashville. He has since been working with SSM on many aspects of his career such as crafting his music through songwriting and production. Dylan is excited for his hard work to be displayed in his newest single, “Please Don’t Let Me”. This newest tune tells the story of a doomed relationship with a woman he can’t get enough of but knows he should leave behind. Gerard’s soulful voice and amazing melodies will make listeners feel the challenges of love. Follow Dylan on Instagram @DylanGerard and on Spotify for more music.