Music stars with JSU connections to perform in Dec. 14 benefit concert at school

Four former Jacksonville State University students — all Alabama natives — who went on to achieve success in country music will perform Dec. 14 in a benefit concert at the school.

“ROC On” at 7 p.m. in the Ernest Stone Center’s Ward Theatre will feature Randy Owen, Jamey Johnson, Riley Green and Gordon Mote in a $500 a ticket fundraiser (general admission) for JSU scholarships and the Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts.

Owen, of Fort Payne, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame group Alabama, which released 21 gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from JSU in 1973 and currently serves on the university’s board of trustees.

Johnson, who was born in Enterprise and grew up in Montgomery, played mellophone in JSU’s famed Marching Southerners band in the 1990s before leaving school to join the Marines. He moved to Nashville where he was a successful songwriter before gravitating to performing. He has earned two Song of the Year awards from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, one of only two artists to do so; has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards; and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Green was born and still lives in Jacksonville and was a quarterback on JSU’s football team before turning to music. He was named New Male Arist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2019, after his debut album, “Different ‘Round Here,” reached No. 11 on the country chart and earned gold status.

Mote was born blind in Gadsden and grew up in Attalla, and was a child piano prodigy. He attended JSU on a full scholarship before transferring to Belmont University in Nashville, where he graduated with honors. He later was awarded an honorary doctorate by JSU. He became a leading studio musician in Nashville and has backed country and gospel music legends on stage; has been honored multiple times by the Academy of Country Music as Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year; and has released 15 gospel music albums that have earned multiple Grammy and Dove award nominations.

All four artists performed at a 2018 benefit concert at the university after a tornado pounded the campus and the city of Jacksonville earlier that year.

“We are proud to count such a successful group of country artists among JSU’s alumni,” said university President Don C. Killingsworth Jr. said in a news release. “It all started with Randy Owen, who has inspired generations of musicians across the world since his band, Alabama, redefined country music in the 1980s. The ROC will give us the opportunity to pay tribute to him while supporting the education and training of the next generation of artists.”

Tickets to the concert are available online at https://www.jsu.edu/rocon while supplies last. Call 256-782-5605 for information.

Sponsorships that include reserved seating, parking, a pre-concert cocktail hour, a post-concert meet and greet, and a signed commemorative poster are also available. Contact Joseph Munster at 256-782-8261 or jmunster@jsu.edu for information.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Music stars with Jacksonville State connections set for benefit show