A?shlee Hewitt, the Minnesota native who finished in the top five in NBC's recently completed season of "Nasvhille Star," will perform Aug. 26 in Grand Forks as part of a tour of area towns and festivals
Aug. 22-29.
Her guest during the shows, it was announced Thursday, will be singer Justin Gaston, another "Nashville Star" finalist.
Hewitt's Grand Forks show will be at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in Empire Arts Center. Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased in the Chester Fritz box office or by calling (701) 777-4090.
Hewitt, who was in Los Angeles on Thursday for business meetings with country singer and "Nashville Star" host Billy Ray Cyrus, has gotten lots of calls requesting area appearances since she left "Nashville Star," Hewitt's mother, Kelli Hewitt of Lancaster, Minn., said Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
After Los Angeles, where she met Cyrus' famous daughter, singer and actress Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana"), Ashlee Hewitt will travel to Nashville for more business meetings, her mother said. In LA, she also was a guest on the country music radio show "After MidNite," hosted by Blair Garner, a nationally syndicated production that airs on almost 250 affiliate stations.
Hewitt was eliminated July 21 from "Nashville Star" but not before being praised for her talent by the three celebrity judges and Billy Ray Cyrus.
"You're going to be a big star, young lady," Cyrus told her on stage that night. Hewitt was Cyrus' guest Aug. 9 on stage at WeFest, the huge country music festival at Detroit Lakes, Minn., that was headlined by Kenny Chesney and many of the biggest names in country music. Together, Hewitt and Cyrus sang "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Achy Breaky Heart."
Justin Gaston, originally from Louisiana, left home at 17 to pursue a career in music while supporting himself as a model. As one of the 12 contestants on the sixth season of "Nashville Star," he sang "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, the Plain White Ts' "Hey There Delilah" and "Drops of Jupiter" by Train before being eliminated.
Currently, he's appearing in country star Taylor Swift's new music video and is working on recording an album in Nashville, a news release said.
Here's the schedule for the Aug. 22-29 shows featuring Hewitt and Gaston:
- Aug. 22: Sportsman's Lodge Bike Rally, 8 p.m., Baudette, Minn. Tickets: (800) 862-8602.
- Aug. 23: Grygla Fall Fest, 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Grygla, Minn. Buttons available in advance at local businesses.
ADVERTISEMENT
- Aug. 24: Second and Main, 7 p.m., Red Lake Falls, Minn; $10, $5; available in Thompson's Hardware.
- Aug. 26: Empire Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., Grand Forks; $10; Chester Fritz box office; (701) 777-4090.
- Aug. 28: Outdoor concert, 8 p.m., American Legion Club, Crookston.
- Aug. 29: Kick'n Up Kountry, 8:45 p.m., Thief River Falls. Tickets: www.kicknupkountry.com; (218) 754-2861.
Three more concerts featuring Hewitt are planned:
- Sept. 6: Harvest Hoedown and Groundbreaking Ceremony, 2:30 p.m., Greenbush, Minn.
- Sept. 6: NewFest, 8 p.m., Newfolden, Minn.
- Sept. 7: Benefit for Todd Porter, noon, Moose Park, Karlstad, Minn.
ADVERTISEMENT
Reach Tobin at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or send e-mail to ptobin@gfherald.com .
