Country Music's Kellie Pickler Visits Canton Ohio Stark County Community High School For Concert

All Rights Reserved: Country Music City Promotions

It was a damp mild evening Friday April 25th at Glenoak High School in Canton,Ohio. American Alum, Dancing With The Stars season 16 winner, country's female artist Kellie Pickler rolled into the Stark County community to give a concert at the high schools theater. Fans and admirers of all ages gathered at the school for an evening they would never forget. Pickler was tickled to be a part of the community as she herself is simply a small town girl, who hails from the tiny town of Albemarle, North Carolina who resides just outside of music city in Nashville these days with husband and songwriter Kyle Jacobs. Kellie Pickler's opening act rising artist and local Nashville resident Russell Dickerson performed a 45 minute set that would include songs from his debut album, with an EP coming later this year. Russell's charm and stage presence had the crowd interaction going on songs "That's My Girl" and  "Something Good" including Garth Brooks "I Got Friends In Low Places". Dickerson's musicality and guitar skills were breathless, full of energy and plain enjoyable.Russell has traveled across the country opening for some of country's hottest stars from Montgomery Gentry, Darius Rucker and Billy Currington. This won't be the last we see or hear from Russell Dickerson, his future is bright. It was 9 o' clock when Kellie was introduced, appearing in her black stiletto heels, skin tight leggings, black top, orange leather jacket and bling hugging her in all the right places. Pickler's likeliness approach is nothing more than endearing from a cheering crowd of male and female fans. Starting the hour and a half set with "Bonnie and Clyde" from her newly released album The Woman I Am. Pickler roams the stage with ease approaching fans from near and far of the stage using the entire crowd pleasing them with her earliest hits  "Best Days of Your Life", "I Wonder" and "Don't You Know Your Beautiful". It was her performance of "Selma Drye" that would resonate with the audience telling her story of her great grandmother Selma Drye who didn't own a car, washed her clothes by hand and hung them out to dry. "She didn't have a penny to her name, well she had money, she wasn't rich, she made due with what she had", Pickler explains before performing the song. "Ring For Sale" was yet another song written from personal experience and thanked her friend Pam back in Albemarle for the inspiration. At one point during the show Kellie was stopped by a high school junior who asked her to prom, her sweet demeanor was apologetic and thanked him for the offer who will be in Alabama, she thought. "Hard to keep these dates straight, I'm everywhere these days", she said during the impromptu Q and A with the audience, that is the woman she is. Pickler is as unpredictable and spontaneous as she comes. What is apparent are her country roots performing "Stop Cheating On Me" and "Where's Tammy Wynette" from her critically acclaimed third album 100 Proof. It was her performance of "Someone Somewhere Tonight" that didn't leave a dry eye in the house, the poignant song has been covered by Kenny Rogers and Pam Tillis. Pickler's band made an impact on the crowd with their high energy music skills, Dave Baker on steel guitar, Jay Gorman on bass, Kyle Sellers on piano, Gregg Lohman on drums and one fella who I can't for the life of me remember. I sure do apologize for my short term memory loss. The highly talented band of musicians rocked the crowd. Kellie's most recent single "Little Bit Gypsy" she explained came from the inspiration of her husband who calls her, her little gypsy.Others performed  "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You", "Tough", "No Cure For Crazy" and encore performance of her very first hit single "Red High Heels". Kellie Pickler may be a house hold name and very popular among country music fans, it is though Kellie as just the small town girl she is and when given opportunities to perform in a small town jumps at the opportunity. It is not an every day occurence for a big country artist to come to a town such as Canton, a high school for that matter. Canton,Ohio loved her and we may just see more of her in the future.