Country stars Rodney Atkins and special guest Chris Young to appear at 2010 Clay County Fair

Spencer, Iowa – Country music’s quintessential down-home boy, Rodney Atkins, will perform his hit songs at the Clay County Fair. Atkins and special guest Chris Young will appear on Saturday, September 11th at 7:30 p.m. in front of the grandstands.

Tennessee-born Atkins grew up in a loving home, learning to play guitar in his spare time. He went to college at Tennessee Tech, where he worked various jobs in order to pay his education. During that time he also went into Nashville to play gigs and write songs.

Atkins first saw success on the country scene with the album Honesty. The hit-single from that album, “Honesty (Write Me a List)”, reached Number Four on the Billboard charts.

In 2006, Atkins became a force to be reckoned with when he swept the charts with the hit, “If You’re Going Through Hell”. Not only did the song become his first Number One hit, but it went on to be the Number One country song of the year of 2006 according to Billboard. The single’s follow up, “Watching You”, earned him a second consecutive Number One and in 2007 was also named Billboard’s Number One country song of the year. The album went to achieve platinum certification, in addition to adding two more Number One hits for a total of four consecutive Number Ones. “These Are My People” and “Cleaning This Gun”, rounded out the highly successful album.   

Atkins released the album It’s America in 2009. The debut single of the same name reached Number One on the Billboard charts and marked Atkins’ fifth Number One hit.

Most recently Atkins has released a single, “Farmer’s Daughter”, from the new album of the same name. 

Newcomer, Chris Young, will appear at the Clay County Fair with Atkins. Young first saw success on the music scene when he tried out, and later won, Nashville Star in 2006. After winning the show, he released his first single entitled “Drinkin’ Me Lonely”, the lead track to his first self-titled album. In 2008, Young reached the Top 40 country charts with his hit “Voices”.

One of Young’s biggest hits was released in 2009 entitled “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” and garnered him a Number One hit on the Billboard charts. In May of this year, Young reached Number One on the charts again with the hit, “The Man I Want To Be”, from the album of the same name.

Tickets for Rodney Atkins with special guest Chris Young, will be $31 stage front standing, $26 reserved grandstand seating and $21 reserved annex seating.

Grandstand mail-in and online ticket sales begin June 21, 2010. All mail-in and online ticket orders received between June 21 and July 3 will be filled in random order with the best available seating. Phone ticket orders will begin July 12, 2010. The Grandstand Box Office will begin window ticket sales on July 19, 2010. 

The 2010 Clay County Fair runs September 11-19. For more information visit www.claycountyfair.com or call 712-262-4740.