Local artists Rose O'Neal, Bigg Country ready to rock the Morgan County stage

MARTINSVILLE — Some national acts will make stops in Martinsville for the annual Morgan County Pre-Fair Concert, and a couple of local acts are ready to take the same stage.

Rose O'Neal and local band Bigg Country will be joined by superstars Trace Adkins, Lonestar, and Diamond Rio in the county concert taking place at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, 1749 Hospital Dr., Martinsville, on Saturday, June 18.

Related: RD Productions announces 2022 concert lineup in Morgan County.

This year's concert is "the biggest one we've ever done," according to concert organizer Rob Helms.

In recent years, Helms and his company RD Productions have brought a number of national acts to Morgan County.

These acts have included country artists Justin Moore, Charlie Daniels, Craig Morgan, Sara Evans and Joe Nichols.

Helms says the the concert will have food and alcohol vendors, ax throwing and a mechanical bull ride. Attendees must bring their own seating, with tents and umbrellas being prohibited. Attendees must also bring their own ponchos, in the event of inclement weather.

Bigg Country, of which Helms is a member, has been a staple of the pre-fair concert for seven years. Helms says the band always looks forward to this event.

Members of Bigg Country also include Aaron Lanane, Rich Morpurgo, KJ Denton, Austin Glenn, Mona Skirvin and Kirby Jarvis.

As the name implies, the band performs a lot of country music classics, but is also known to throw in a few rock songs.

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O'Neal, meanwhile, is a newcomer to the event. She's looking forward to performing for her community.

"I'm really excited about the community aspect of it because so many community members will be there and so many people that I know," O'Neal said. "I'm excited to sing for them all in one place."

O'Neal recently competed on American Idol, securing a golden ticket to perform in Hollywood. She hopes she can speak to the other acts at the concert and get some advice, saying it is always great to learn.

Trace Adkins, Lonestar and Diamond Rio

Helms announced this year's concert lineup several months ago during an event at Hubler Chevrolet in Camby, Ind.

"The show is longer, a little bit longer," Helms said back in October when he announced the acts. "It is going to start a bit sooner. These acts have so many hit records, Lonestar alone has nine number one hits."

Adkins previously performed in Morgan County during a rain-soaked concert back in 2020.

That concert was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and was moved from its originally planned site at the fairgrounds grandstand to the area that is traditionally used as the midway.

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During the October announcement, Helms told the Reporter-Times that the management team for Adkins wanted to return to Morgan County and offered "a great deal."

Adkins has sold more than 11 million albums throughout his career and has received three Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.

Lonestar has also received multiple ACM Awards and a Country Music Association (ACM) Award for Vocal Group of the Year.

Similarly, Diamond Rio has been awarded two ACMs and three CMAs during its decades-long career.

Diamond Rio has also received a Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album in 2011.

Tickets for the event are still available online and in some in-person locations, such as Mooresville Discount Mattress and the YMCA in Martinsville.

More: Check out some of our recent dining stories we've written at the Reporter-Times.

Those wishing to purchase tickets online can do so at WCBK.com.

Parking for the event opens at 2 p.m. Attendees with platinum-tier tickets can enter early starting at 3:30. Gold and silver-tier admission begins at 4.

For those with a dinner pass, Gather Around BBQ will serve food from 4 to 6 p.m.

Reporter-Times editor Lance Gideon contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Trace Adkins concert in Martinsville on June 18