Sara Evans combines some of her country hits with a bevy of Christmas Classics

By Lisa Millegan
lmillegan@modbee.com

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WHAT: Sara Evans
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Rogers Theater, Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St., Modesto
TICKETS: $39-$75
CALL: 338-2100
ONLINE: www.galloarts.org

You might think it would be difficult to maintain a country music career and manage a husband and seven children.

But singer Sara Evans takes it in stride. She got her big family last year when she married former University of Alabama football quarterback Jay Barker, joining her three children from a previous marriage to his four.

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"I grew up in a family with seven kids," Evans, 38, said in a phone interview. "I'm totally used to it. I learned from my mother how to shop and buy food for seven kids and prepare meals for a huge family."

Evans is coming to the Gallo Center for the Arts on Wednesday as part of her "Celebrate the Season" tour. Her kids Avery, 10; Olivia, 6; and Audrey, 5, will be with her and might even come on stage, depending on their mood. She said they usually watch every concert from the side of the stage. She also travels with a couple of sisters and a brother, and the children like seeing them.

"Family is everything to me," she said. "There is nothing more important than your family."

Evans made her country music debut in 1997 when she released her album "Three Chords and the Truth." Over the next 10 years, she released multiple

No. 1 hits, including "No Place That Far" (with Vince Gill), "Born to Fly," "Suds in the Bucket" and "A Real Fine Place to Start." She was the Country Music Association's female vocalist of the year in 2006.

Evans gained a wider audience that year when she competed on "Dancing with the Stars," but she dropped out in the middle of competition when she filed for divorce from her ex, Craig Schelske.

Evans said her show at the Gallo Center will be a half-and-half mix of her country hits and holiday songs, including those from her new four-song EP, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." The other songs on that album include "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and "New Again," which Evans co-wrote with Brad Paisley.

She will perform with her full band and will do costume changes to make the show more festive.

Evans has had a busy year in 2009, between getting used to her new family and working on various business projects.

She said her children are adapting well to their new family situation. They love their stepfather and are admiring of his football past. He's still a revered figure in Birmingham, Ala., where the family lives.

"In Birmingham, he's like Elvis," Evans said.

Evan's first book, the novel "Sweet By and By," comes out in January from the Christian publishing company Thomas Nelson. The book, which she co-wrote with Rachel Hauk, is about a young woman in the South starting a new marriage.

"It's loosely based on some events in my life," she said.

The book wasn't her idea and was the suggestion of the publisher. She wasn't sure about it at first, but decided to give it a try after the company pointed out that as a songwriter, she is already good at telling stories.

Evans is also working on a new album that will hopefully release its first single in February.

"It's going to be great," she said. "It's the same Sara Evans sound that I've always done but with new songs that are really cool."

For now, she's glad to be just enjoying the holidays. While this is her first holiday tour, Christmas always has been a favorite time. She loved celebrating the holidays as a child.

"Christmas was always a huge deal in my family even though we didn't have a lot of money and we didn't do a lot of gifts," said Evans, who grew up in Missouri. "We did a ton of socializing and cooking and church, decorating, the whole deal. It's totally nostalgic for me."

For more on Modesto area arts, visit www.twitter.com/lisamillegan.