Former The Voice competitor Cody Belew is heading home for his first concert in Beebe in several years.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, Belew will perform in the Beebe High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and tickets are $15. All proceeds will fund the school’s Project Graduation, an event for seniors the night of graduation.
Belew said the show will be his first in Beebe since he was in college.
“Project Graduation pretty much consumed my entire senior year of high school,” Belew said. “I decided to do the fundraiser because I remember what that night meant to me and how great it was to be locked in the high school all night playing games and winning prizes. I would like to think that by doing this show, I’m passing on that same memory to a new set of high school graduates.”
Belew plans to debut a few new original songs at the show and is working to schedule shows this summer and fall that may include more Arkansas stops.
After the concert was announced, Belew addressed concerns that his show might not be appropriate for families.
“I have received word that there is mild concern regarding the nature of my upcoming concert …,” Belew wrote on his Facebook page March 7. “Some have wondered whether or not it will be family oriented. Let me assure you that I will put on a show that is both family friendly and mind-blowing. … We’re raising money for a good cause, and we’ll be doing it in the spirit of community and togetherness!”
Belew, who is working on music for his forthcoming album, said he has been influenced by pop music from the ’80s and ’90s.
“Everything on this project is going to be danceable and fun,” Belew said.
His latest original, “Baby, Get Out,” a duet performed with Meghan Linsey of country duo Steel Magnolia, is available on iTunes.
Tickets for the Project Graduation show can be purchased at the Beebe High School 11th- and 12th-grade building, First Security Bank in Beebe, Simmons First Bank in Beebe and Sleep Centers of Arkansas in Searcy. For more information, contact the high school at (501) 882-5463.
Staff writer Emily Van Zandt can be reached at (501) 399-3688 or evanzandt@arkansasonline.com.