St. Albert celebrates inaugural country music festival

The inaugural Celebrating Country kicks off Saturday, July 29 with a salute to iconic country recording artists whose presence have cast a long shadow in the last five decades.

The outdoor concert, hosted at the St. Albert Kinsmen Fair Grounds, brings together 11 tribute artists from across North America who use their voices to honour country celebrities.

The gold-top afternoon concert features Stompin’ Tom Connors (Elmer Lammadee), Roy Orbison (Al Leblanc), Garth Brooks (Steve Hillis), and The Judds (Darla Cooper and Candy Little).

Tribute artist Judy Rowe also works double duty stirring memories of Linda Ronstadt and Patsy Cline.

The evening concert portion resurrects the legends: Willie Nelson (Michael Moore), Waylon Jennings (Robert Rowan), Dolly Parton (Wendy Engler), Johnny Cash (Philip Bower) and Kenny Rogers (Marty Edward).

Celebrating Country is the brainchild of Trudy Taphorn, producer of the highly successful Blue Suede Shoes Music Festival, and Mike Schell from the Okanagan’s Shellshock Entertainment.

“I wanted something really Canadian,” said Taphorn. “But because we put it together in a relatively short time, it was who was available. I went for the big names and I didn’t always get who I wanted. But we have a fairly strong lineup for a first time.”

Although Taphorn has built an expanding reputation across North America for her Elvis homage, she’s a country girl at heart.

She grew up in the small town of Leroy, Saskatchewan (population 425) sharing her dreams with the family horses and listening to dad’s country collection.

“My favourite was Johnny Cash. I loved his voice, his humbleness, his roots. He never forgot where he came from. And his insistence in playing at a man’s prison when his manager kept telling him not to – but he was his own person and he did it anyway,” Taphorn said.

Today she owns an acreage, trains horses with her daughter and on the side takes popular commercial music to a new level of appreciation.

Over the years Allan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn as well as Dean Brody, Chris Stapleton and Dirks Bentley have become some of her favourite listens.

Part of the reason Taphorn is testing the waters with this concert is the realization that 90 per cent of people may never see a live performance of their musical champions. Creating a concert with first-class tribute artists is the next best thing.

“Tribute artists are passionate about the artists they portray. Their hearts are in the music and they feel blessed and proud that they have been given this gift.”

From her past experience at Blue Suede Shoes Festival, Taphorn recognizes there is an inherent power in tribute artists to evoke long buried memories of happy times.

“I’ve seen it bring back memories. I’ve seen it bring back tears of joy. People love to relive their memories. They may have forgotten those days, but the songs bring the past into the future.”

Country music narrates the blue-collar experience whether it’s sad and melancholy or determined and humorous.

“We want everyone to come to the concert and remember their roots. This is going to be a laid-back concert for all ages. You can take your four-year-old or your 90-year-old grandma.”