A pair of country music soloists and a contemporary Christian band will grace the main stage during the 72nd Gasconade County Fair from July 24-27 at Owensville’s Memorial Park.

Headlining the main stage entertainment for 2019 on Saturday, July 27 at 8:30 p.m., will be Russell Dickerson (right, left).

One of country music’s most talked about new talents, His smash single “Yours” has racked up over 33 million streams to date on Spotify, where he’s been on the Hot Country, Country Gold Playlists and more for over a year, and exploded since being serviced to country radio in April.

“I go out there, and I’m just me,” Dickerson, who recently tore up arenas with Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini on the Home Team Tour, says. Watch the massive-voiced singer up there, whipping the crowd into hysterics and performing with that time-honored killer instinct. He’s “running around and singing to people and messing with them and loving on them. It’s about interacting the whole time. I want people screaming their faces off. It’s all for the crowd.”

Even as a Union City, Tennessee-raised, obsessive teenage music fan, one who’d regularly wait in wraparound lines to see his favorite artists perform in Nashville (“I just got hooked on that energy”) and held up Garth Brooks and Keith Urban DVD’s as his personal Gospel, Dickerson, says being “that dude on stage was always the dream. We would scream every word of every song, and all I could think about was ‘I want to be that guy!’” Now, thanks to “Yours” and hook-heavy rockers like “Blue Tacoma” and “MGNO,” he’s steadily built a serious fan base of his own.

   Strident, proud and fiercely determined in his artistry, Dickerson is that rare breed of artist who both writes with patient, staid intention and performs like a kid living out his wildest fantasy. “I’ve always envisioned myself playing stadiums. Honestly, as big as it will go, man,” says the singer/songwriter who saw “Yours” explode on satellite radio and streaming services alike after Dickerson released his Billboard charting EP. The song’s success led his manager at Dennis Entertainment to introduce him to the newly formed Triple Tigers, a joint venture with Sony Music, in October 2016 where he became the flagship artist.

Entertaining fair goers on Friday, July 26 will be one of country music’s most recognizable hit makers in MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner (top right).

From his 2003 Platinum-selling debut Long Black Train to his 2017 Billboard No. 1 release, Deep South, Turner has scored multiple GRAMMY®, CMA and ACM Awards nominations and received six Inspirational Country Music Awards. As one of the youngest members inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, Turner has sold more than 8 million units, topped more than 1.5 billion in global streaming and populated radio with such memorable hits as “Hometown Girl,” “Would You Go With Me,” “Your Man,” “Time Is Love,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance” and “Long Black Train.”

Leading off the main stage entertainment lineup on Thursday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m., will be the contemporary Christian music band I Am They (bottom).

Making its national debut in January 2015 with their self-titled album on Essential Records. The band’s five-piece, pop-acoustic-worship sound is anchored by three-part vocal harmonies. The group, made up of Abbie Parker (vocals/harmonium), Jon McConnell (vocals/guitar/keys), Matt Hein (vocals/guitar/mandolin), Justin Shinn (keys/banjo) and Sara Palmer (drums) represent I Am They – inspired by John 17. “In that chapter,” shares Sara Palmer, “Jesus is praying for his disciples and refers to them as ‘they.’ He’s praying and saying things like, ‘Sanctify them. Make them holy. They are not of the world because I am not of the world.’ He’s really interceding for his disciples.