Willie Nelson & Sara Evans take the stage tonight at Ironstone Vineyards

By MARIJKE ROWLAND
mrowland@modbee.com

last updated: September 05, 2008 10:33:34 AM

Country comes calling to the penultimate show in the Ironstone Concert Series.

Willie Nelson & Family and country singer Sara Evans team up to bring 2008's first pure country show to the outdoor Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys tonight. Tickets remain available.

Nelson, a country music living legend whose career spans more than 2,000 songs, 300 albums and some 20 No. 1 hits, has transcended his genre and entered the ranks of iconic American performers. The multiple Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award winner also has appeared in 25 films, including the upcoming "Beer for My Horses" with Toby Keith, and written three books.

The Texas native's signature, off-the-beat singing style and soulful, acoustic guitar playing have earned him legions of fans across the globe. Hits like "Whiskey River," "On the Road Again," "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" and "Crazy" have become part of our musical vernacular, as have his interpretations of standards like "Georgia on My Mind," "All of Me" and "Stardust."

Evans, a Missouri native, came to Nashville in the early '90s as an anomaly in the genre. She was a traditionalist in a sea of pop-crossover artists.

In 1997, her debut album, "Three Chords and the Truth," was released and so impressed George Jones that he picked her to play a special show in Nashville.

She followed that up with Billboard Hot 100 charting albums "No Place That Far" and "Born to Fly." Both title tracks landed at No. 1 on the chart, along with subsequent hits like "Suds in the Bucket" and "A Real Fine Place to Start."

Evans was named the 2006 ACM Female Vocalist of the Year. Last fall, she released her first greatest-hits compilations.

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