Paramount releases its Music Trail 2006 lineup

ASHLAND, Ky. — Paramount Art Center in Ashland, Ky., recently announced its Kentucky Music Trail is returning for a fifth year.

The time frame for the concerts has changed this year as the series will now consist of four concerts over a period of several months.

The show schedule is as follows:

Wynonna, Friday, June 23, 8 p.m.; Cherryholmes, Saturday, Aug. 19; Sawyer Brown, Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m.; Ricky Skaggs & The Whites Family Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m.

For ticket or concert information, contact Paramount’s Arts Center at (606) 324-3175.

Five free concerts scheduled at SSU

PORTSMOUTH — Bluegrass, jazz, country, gospel and easy listening ballads are all scheduled with local performers coming back to the southern Ohio area to entertain and participate in the 50 Miles of Heroes Festival.

At 7 p.m., on June 23 it’s bluegrass night with some of the finest bluegrass picking and singing featuring The Jenni Lyn Band. Vocalist Jenni Lyn Rumer is originally from New Boston, and she is a former nominee for Female Entertainer of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

At 7 p.m., June 24, Gary Billups and the

Summertime Jazz Big Band will be playing popular jazz and easy listening standards.

Nelson Foucht of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and Doc Severenson’s Band will be featured on trombone.

Jim Middlecamp, former member of The Ivy Leaguers, the first Portsmouth group in the rock era to have a nationally released song on a major record label, will be on guitar. Ann Stephens is the vocalist.

At 7 p.m., June 2

Rick Ferrell and The BloomLaters, will be playing finest country music. For

several years, Ferrell has written No. 1 hits for artist such as Tim McGraw’s and his song “Something Like That&uot; as well as Martina McBride for her single “Where Would You Be.”

Many other country music stars have recorded songs that were written by Ferrell, a native of West Portsmouth.

From 6 to 9 p.m., July 1, a gospel music extravaganza featuring The Good News Trio, the Horizon New Artists of the Year at the National Quartet Convention will be held.

And closing out the night will be gospel music artists, Jim Hill who wrote “What A Day That Will Be.” Hill is a Gaither Gospel Artist and he is featured regularly on the popular Gaither Gospel Videos.

You can also read about him in Bill Gaither’s biography “More Than The Music.”

July 3 at 7 p.m.,

Shane Keister, renowned pianist with his wife and singer Melissa Marquais, will perform with a 6-piece back-up band with brass. Keister has played with Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Lionel Ritchie and Amy Grant