The Legendary Pacers are the headliner for this week’s Friday Night Live at Hickory Park. Music and activities will begin at 7 on the new Farmers & Merchants Stage. The Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event is free to the public and kid friendly.The Legendary Pacers started with Sonny Burgess on vocals and guitar, Kern K. Kennedy on piano, Johnny Ray Hubbard on slap bass, Russ Smith on drums, Joe Lewis on guitar and Jack Nance on trumpet. In early 1957 Lewis and Smith left the band, with Smith going to work with Jerry Lee Lewis and Joe Lewis to further his own career. In August of 1957 Nance joined Joe Lewis working with Conway Twitty, and Bobby Crafford joined the Pacers as drummer.The band was formed in 1955 at Newport. They had five singles on SUN Records — “Red Headed Woman,” “We Wanna Boogie,” “Thunderbird,” “Ain’t Got a Thing,” “Buckets Got a Hole In It” and “Sadie’s Back In Town.” They also had a hit in 1965 on Razorback Records with “The Short Squashed Texan.” They were pioneers of rock and roll and traveled with Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, Charlie Rich, Narvel Felts and others.
Current members of the band are:
• Bobby Crafford on drums who joined in 1957
• Fred Douglas on bass who joined in 1961
• Jim Aldridge on sax who joined in 1961
• Tony Kennedy on piano, who replaced his dad Kern, who passed away in 2018
• Earl Cole on guitar who joined in 2019.
• Crafford, Douglas, Aldridge and Kennedy do the vocals.
In 2016 The Pacers won the Governor’s award for folklore with the Arkansas Arts Council. That same year made the Pacers 61 years in the music business.
This week’s event is sponsored by Elmcroft of Mountain Home.
A number of food vendors will be on hand selling their specialties.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs when they come out to enjoy what has become a summer tradition.
The Arkansas Department of Health has reviewed and accepted the plan for implementation of the event. Those attending are advised to bring their own masks or face coverings for use when physical distancing is not possible. Physical distancing of 6 feet is still required from person to person or family group to family group. Any lines at food services and entrances will be clearly marked as a visual cue for physical distancing. Hand sanitizer will be available around the venue.
For more information about Friday Night Live, or being a vendor, call the chamber office at 870-425-5111, go to www.enjoymountainhome.com or Facebook.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI