Jody Evans headlining Cabotfest entertainment

— Arkansas' Jody Evans is the headliner Saturday night at Cabotfest, that city's annual downtown festival.

The music will start at 6 p.m., and Evans is one three acts on the bill with HWY 5 and Riverbilly going on before Evans' performance at 8.

Evans is an American country music performer who first gained national attention in 2005 as a contestant on the third season of Nashville Star, where he finished third out of more than 10,000 auditioners.

Evans was raised in Donaldson, where he later became a police officer in nearby Arkadelphia. His musical style is influenced by Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Marshall Crenshaw and Elvis Presley and is considered to be a style of Rockabilly. Arkansas' Dale Hawkins proclaimed Evans as the best songwriter he ever heard.

Prior to Nashville Star, Evans had written "Sittin' Pretty," and it was recorded by country music legend Dwight Yoakam.

Evans' electric style of music is such that the crowds seem to get up and dance when he is on stage performing. When he was informed that he had been chosen to participate on Nashville Star, members of his police department donated their vacation time so that he would be able to take off and attend. Following his finish Evans returned home and performed in concert for the local community, with all proceeds going to charity. He resigned his position as police officer to pursue his music career but later returned to law enforcement.

PERSONAL LIFE

Evans grew up in the community of Donaldson. He started his own band and dreamedof becoming a successful musician but he also aspired to be a police officer. His first duties in law enforcement were as a police dispatcher with the Arkadelphia Police Department, and he also worked part-time with the sheriff's office in Hot Spring County.

Evans is known by friends as being quite shy. Likable and quiet, Evans was never shy however when it came to breaking out a guitar and putting on a musical show for friends. Friends say his down home country attitude makes him an easy person to like, a feeling reflected in the reaction of fans during his Nashville Star run.

In a 2004 interview for Nashville Star, Evans said "I love to sing for people, more than anything in this world. And it seems like sometimes when I sing for people it makes people happy. And so anytime there's an opportunity to do that, I want to do it." RECENT PERFORMANCES

Evans was on the 2005 Nashville Star tour and he has also performed in the production Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at the Roxy, a theater in Clarksville, Tenn.

OTHER PERFORMERS HWY 5

The four-member Sherwood band is lead by Chris Stillman on lead vocals with Cason Barnhill on bass, Jackson Hagerman on lead guitar and Lance Berry on drums.

The music they play is a combination of rock and old school country. All four have been together since high school and promotional material describes the band as having "soaring harmonies, blazing guitars, thunderingdrums and three vocalists, numb the senses with topshelf musicianship and talent. Not to mention, their back roads country."

To sample HWY 5's music in advance check out the band's Myspace page at www.myspace.com/hwy5band.

RIVERBILLY

Little Rock's Riverbilly is composed of Travis Caudell, Steve Leopard, Brad Rickett and Rodney Needham.

Locally popular and wellknown for high-energy shows,Riverbilly is described as playing "radio-driven country rock with catchy hooks and choruses that create an immediate vibe and following that country music haswelcomed with open arms."

If you haven't heard Riverbilly before, you can give them a listen at www.myspace.com/ riverbilly.

Three Rivers, Pages 115 on 10/07/2007

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