The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Kathy Mattea performs Sunday. photo provided

Country and folk performer Kathy Mattea will take the stage at the Sisters High School auditorium on Sunday, April 18, to close out this year's Sisters Starry Nights Concert Series.

The concert series raises funds for financially strapped school programs through the Sisters Schools Foundation.

"Kathy has long been on our wish list for Starry Nights," said event co-chair Jeri Fouts. "We've invited her over the years and she has always been so gracious, but it just never worked out with her schedule. When we got in touch with Kathy this time, it all came together very easily. We're thrilled that Kathy, her band and crew can drive up to Sisters on their bus and have a chance to relax here in Central Oregon for a few days during their tour. Our audience is in for a great night!"

Doors to the lobby will open at 5:30 p.m., where the concession area will offer light dinner selections. The theater will open at 6:30 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m.

Since her breakthrough 1986 album "Walk the Way the Wind Blows," Mattea has established herself as one of the most respected and innovative performers in Nashville, known for her rich, warm vocals and ability to move easily among musical genres.

Her country hits include such classics as "Love at the Five and Dime," the number one single "Goin' Gone" and the award-winning "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses."

She has earned an ACM and two CMA Awards as Female Vocalist of the Year, and a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the ballad "Where've You Been," co-written by her husband Jon Vezner.

Throughout the '90s, Mattea's successes continued, charting still more singles and releasing three gold albums.

Her recent work features strong Celtic and folk influences, giving Mattea a one-of-a-kind sound that sets her apart from her country music peers.

"I wanted to experiment with some of the sounds I had been exposed to during my trips to Scotland," Mattea said. "Adding unexpected elements, like traditional Celtic instruments or more ethnic drumming to our shows has allowed us more diversity...a kind of cultural and musical soup."

Four Sisters Middle School students will join Mattea on stage. Eighth graders Katherine Duarte, Shasta Hyland, Claire Mutchler and Brandi Palmer will sing the song "They Are the Roses" with Mattea under the direction of music teacher Tara Clarke.

Mattea's tour band is led by guitarist Bill Cooley, who returns to Starry Nights after performing here with Hal Ketchum in 2002. The band also features Jim Brock on drums, Rick Blackwell on bass, Randy Leago on keyboards and woodwinds and Eamonn O'Rourke on fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

In its first six years, Starry Nights has raised more than $330,000 in net proceeds for the schools, with the 2004 series expected to bring in an additional $100,000.

For more information, contact the Sisters School District at 549-8521.