Bret Michaels, Bill Engvall, The Oak Ridge Boys to perform at RiverPark

May 10—Bret Michaels, Bill Engvall and the Oak Ridge Boys will be making appearances at the RiverPark Center before the end of 2022.

The Oak Ridge Boys will be the first to take the stage at 7 p.m. Sept. 9.

Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, the country and gospel vocal quartet started out in the 1940s and began making regular appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in the fall of 1945 as "The Oak Ridge Quartet" and released their first album in 1958.

Since then, the group has sold more than 41 million records and have 12 gold, three platinum and one double platinum album and had many national number-one singles and over 30 top 10 hits, including their cover version of Dallas Frazier's country single "Elvira," which reached number five on the mainstream U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1981.

The group has also been the recipient of five Grammy Awards, nine Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards, a number of Country Music Association (CMA) Awards and Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and are members of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

The group members are Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban.

"When I think about my childhood music, I know I'm not the only one who immediately thinks about The Oak Ridge Boys," said Grae Greer, director of marketing and education at the RiverPark Center. "They are a classic for many folks and I wouldn't miss the chance to see them live! I'll be that person in the audience belting out 'Elvira.' "

Michaels will be ready to rock Owensboro at 7 p.m. Sept. 15.

Growing up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Michaels became known as the frontman of the '80s glam metal band Poison.

The group's debut album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In" in 1986, reached the top three and was certified three-times platinum, while their follow up record "Open Up and Say... Ahh!" brought the group to more international prominence, reaching the top 10 in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and the top 20 in the United Kingdom.

One of their most well-known songs is the 1988 power ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," which reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Michaels embarked on a solo career, releasing the hard rock soundtrack "A Letter from Death Row" for the 1998 movie of the same name that he co-directed with Marvin Baker. His most recent album, "True Grit," was released in 2015.

Additionally, Michaels has made a career as a reality television star on shows like "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, "Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It" and "Rock My RV with Bret Michaels."

"As someone who grew up watching 'Rock of Love,' I'm fangirling over here," Greer said. "I'm ready to hear 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' live."

Engvall will make his way downtown for two shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Nov. 18.

Born in Galveston, Texas, Engvall made his mark as part of the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" concert films with comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, with their soundtrack "Blue Collar Comedy Tour, One For The Road" being nominated for a Grammy Award.

Engvall's first album, "Here's Your Sign" in 1996, was certified platinum and held the number-one spot on the Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 weeks in a row.

Engvall has also made a career in television as a host for game shows such as "Lingo" on the Game Show Network (GSN), "Country Fried Videos" and "Mobile Home Disaster" on CMT and starred in and executive produced his own sitcom "The Bill Engvall Show" on TBS for three seasons.

"RiverPark Center has had a handful of comedians ... but nothing as grand as Bill Engvall," Greer said. "If you're a comedy fan, this is the show to see."

Greer said that she is happy with the venue's booking of diverse acts and offerings to the public such as these three upcoming shows.

"I love that RiverPark Center is expanding its programming," Greer said. "A few years ago, you'd get five to eight shows and events to choose from. Now, there's something for everyone to enjoy from Broadway, to concerts, to comedians and more."

For more information regarding pre-sale tickets, tickets and show information, visit riverparkcenter.org or facebook.com/RiverParkCenter.