Tickets are now on sale for Arkansas’ own contestants on the NBC-TV program, “The Voice,” Cory Jackson (pictured above, right) and Marybeth Byrd (left), performing in concert on Friday, July 24, at the Salem Civic Center, located at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Salem Ark.
Jackson is an independent singer, songwriter, musician, and all-around entertainer that is making the quest to bridge the gap between today’s modern country and the classic sounds of the past with his compositions and performances, according to a release announcing the event. Jackson was born in Jonesboro and grew up in a small rural farm just outside of the town, attending Westside School. In his early teen years, he began living his big dream of performing for fans on a big stage. Jackson credits his grandfather for the encouragement to take his music a little more seriously when he was in high school and to play more and write songs.
Jackson is right at home in front of a crowd and has a natural ability for connecting with the audience, both young and old, the release noted. A wide spectrum of song choices fills his setlist including George Strait, Merle Haggard, Alabama, Brett Eldredge, Chris Young, and Keith Urban just to name a few, as well as some originals from Jackson.
Jackson has achieved many accomplishments from his back-to-back winnings of independent artist competitions in 2016 and 2017 that were sponsored by the world-renowned and legendary country radio station, WSM 650 AM in Nashville to the Arkansas Country Music Association awarding Jackson the “Country Artist of the Year” award and nominating him for Entertainer of the Year.
Jackson made his national debut on NBC’s “The Voice” in the fall of 2019 where he picked Blake Shelton as his coach and gained fans from all over the United States with his rendition of Glen Campbell’s “Galveston.”
Marybeth Byrd, the 18-year-old contestant from Armorel, Ark., made it to the top ten of “The Voice.”
Byrd picked John Legend and joined Team Legend, the release noted. Byrd credits Legend with helping her not only with her singing career but her confidence. “John Legend really brought out the best in his team,” Byrd said. “He taught us to be authentically ourselves.“
Byrd — who used singing as a tool to overcome her difficulties with stuttering as a child — says her experience on the show was unbelievable.
“It feels so breathtaking because never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be on such a big stage with such a huge platform with amazingly talented artists,” she said.
Byrd is a soul and pop singer but in one of The Voice performances, contestants were asked to dedicate a song to someone who had inspired them. Her performance of Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain” brought the audience and the coaches to tears. The song was dedicated to her grandfather who had inspired her and passed the day before the blind auditions. For her top ten performance, she did Selena Gomez’s “Lose You To Love Me.”
Tickets for the concert are $12 each and must be purchased in advance so seating can be planned to meet health department guidelines.
Tickets are available by clicking here, or they are available at the Fulton County Fair Office or call (870) 895-5565 to purchase by phone.
The Fulton County Fair Association has been approved to have the concert with reduced seating. All Arkansas Health Department COVID-19 guidelines will be in place and there will be semi-reserved seating. Families or groups who travel together and want to be seated together should order tickets as a group. Seating will be in sections so those groups and families can be seated together.
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