The Amazing Rhythm Aces will appear on the Main Stage on Friday, July 6, from 7:30pm - 9:30

Some twenty-five years ago, six fresh-faced musicians gathered in a Memphis recording studio. The music they made didn't fit neatly into any specific category; it was country-style storytelling with a soulful groove, world-wise poetry with a down-home delivery. To the band we would come to know as The Amazing Rhythm Aces, it was simply American music - a mixed bag of the influences that had drawn them together. Fans didn't seem to care about labels, either. For more than two decades, songs like "Third Rate Romance", "Amazing Grace (Used To Be Her Favorite Song)" and the Grammy-winning "The End Is Not In Sight" would remain etched in the hearts and minds of a genre-spanning generation as benchmarks of popular music's better days. The group disbanded in 1981, but its songs lived on as radio staples and its albums were coveted by collectors.

If the method to the Aces magic is largely unchanged since their early days, one factor has made them even better, both live and on record. During their fifteen-year hiatus, each member forged his own stellar career. Smith became one of Nashville's most respected songwriters, penning hits for Randy Travis (Look Heart, No Hands), Ricky Van Shelton (Keep It Between The Lines) and many others. Sammy Kershaw's cut on Russell's "Third Rate Romance" made the Aces classic a smash hit for a second time. Pianist James Hooker logged sideman stints with Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Nanci Griffith and played dozens of Music Row master sessions. Organist Billy Earheart followed concert and studio dates for Memphis Slim, Waylon Jennings, Wet Willie and Al Green with a long tenure in Hank Williams, Jr.'s band. Stick, who also toured with Green, built his own long list of credits that includes B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Ron Wood and Tommy Tutone.

With this solid set of new tunes and the classics fans still love, the Aces returned in early 1999 from yet another Australian tour (their fourth) to begin a steady string of US dates. Their lineup is further strengthened by their newest member, drummer Bryan Owings, whom Smith describes as "a perfect fit. Butch recommended him as his replacement, and man, was he on the money with that one."Soon the one remaining drawback to their "do-it-yourself" style of record-making will be addressed. "One thing we hear alot," says Russell, shaking his head, "is that people have a hard time finding our records in stores. We sell a good number of CDs, but it's mostly through our website ( www.theaces.com ) or at the shows. Now, it's flattering that people like our music enough to seek it out, but it looks like they won't have to do that much longer. We're currently negotiating with some heavy-hitting distributors, and our goal is to be all over the place with this new album by the end of the year. So it's true - the end is not in sight!"