Staunton's 4th of July concert ... COLLIN RAYE

If you don't know country music, you may not know Collin Raye. If you do know country music, you know exactly who Collin Raye is ... and we in Staunton will be honored to have him perform 4th of July night at a concert that is free of charge to the community.

Centered at the Gazebo in Gypsy Hill Park, it is sure to be a wonderful concert from a man who has had many hits over the years including his first # 1 hit, "Love, Me," a tender ballad that brought tears to many eyes.

His bio begins:

Ask about Collin Raye and his music and those who represent him will tell you about his five Platinum Albums, fifteen #1 hits and twenty-four top 10's. And they'll also let you know that he is one of the best vocalists and live entertainers around and cite his five nominations as Country Music's Male Vocalist of the year. In the past few years, Collin, while still retaining his love of country music, has added new genres to his recordings and shows. Few artists are lucky enough to have a career that keeps going in new directions. But Collin Raye is one of the lucky few to sustain not only a full and viable career, but also one who keeps garnering new fans and audiences with each new project.

What started with a simple desire to entertain has turned into something that is almost a holy calling for Collin Raye. The man with the most muscular tenor in country music still puts on shows that are electrifying in their intensity. His commitment to music is life long. Collin his been singing professionally since he was a teenager. He has never held any other job. But as he keeps up a full concert and recording schedule, Collin has found that there is something deeper and more profound about what he does than merely entertaining people.

"In the beginning, I wanted hits and all that," he reflects. "But what drives me now is what this music means to people. Songs have landed on me that made me realize there's more to this than I thought. It's about entertaining people one minute and inspiring them the next. That's what gets me on that tour bus every week. That's what keeps me interested in making records."

Collin shot to fame in 1991 with "Love, Me". Listeners were so touched that they used its lyrics at funerals and memorial services. Most recently, Collin sang it to "Mother of the Year" Brenda Moore as a tribute to her late son, as was seen by a nationwide audience on ABC's "The Regis and Kelly" Show. Meeting Collin was a dream come true for her. She had actually put the lyrics to "Love Me" on her son's tombstone and said that Collin's music had gotten her family through the tough times after their loss.

Read the rest of his bio on his official website. It will be quite an event in Staunton under the stars in Gypsy Hill Park. The concert begins at 8:00 ... firewords will be shortly after 10 pm.