Summer Live Entertainment Schedule Unveiled
Hurray for summer! Here’s to getting outside, kicking back, relaxing and enjoying some great, free live music. We’re super excited to announce our summer line-up of great TN musicians. You can catch them every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night from 7-10 pm on the Lookout Lagoon patio above the Wild WaterDome. Bios for all of the performers are below.
June:
1- Johnny Widner
4-Shaun Abbott
7-Chris Marshall
8-Shelby Cline
11-CJ Warren
14-Matt Roy
15-Hayden Bright
18-Shaun Abbott
21-Chris Marshall
22-Michael Jones
25-Alex Forester
28-Hayden Marshall
29-Aaron Tracy
July:
2-Hayden Bright
5-Chris Marshall
6-CJ Warren
9-Shaun Abbott
12-Johnny Widner
13-Michael Jones
16-Shaun Abbott
19-Chris Marshall
20-Todd Campbell
23-Johnny Widner
26-Hayden Bright
27-Michael Jones
30-Shaun Abbott
August:
2-CJ Warren
3-Alex Forester
6-Shaun Abbott
9-Todd Campbell
10-Hayden Bright
16-Chris Marshall
17-CJ Warren
23-Chris Marshall
24-Shelby Cline
30-Chris Marshall
31-Todd Campbell
Alex Forester
Having played music since he was only 7 years old, Alex Forester has performed from coast to coast with a music career spanning over 15 years. With a wide array of influences such as Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Killers, Kings of Leon and many more, Alex has honed his skills and mastered performing classic & alternative rock hits as well as blues & soul classics. A multi-instrumentalist, Alex has played the stage at the world-famous Whiskey A’ Go-Go in L.A., rocked out with Spring breakers at the notorious Floribama and opened for major acts such as Big Gun, Moon Taxi, Pretty Boy Floyd, Cherub and the Avett Brothers. An award-winning songwriter, Alex has graced the airwaves on college radios & streaming platforms across the nation as himself, his bands and as a writer for other artists. Though he’s been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, Alex prefers to call the South home spending time with his girlfriend and German Shepherd, Zuko, when he isn’t busy playing music.
Follow Alex at: https://www.facebook.com/Alexander.Holly.Forester
Aaron Tracy
Aaron Tracy is a Country Artist born and raised in East Tennessee. He is 27 years old and has performed alongside greats such as Frankie Ballard, Sara Evans, John Michael Montgomery, William Michael Morgan and Trace Adkins just to name a few. His music ranges from the sweetest of acoustic ballads to the grooviest of Country and Rock. His singles “Chillbilly” and “Timeless” landed in the Top 10 Most Downloaded Country Songs on Country Radio in 2016. His style twists old and new together and brings forth the bluesy notes of olden days to the feeling of today’s modern music. Check out his website www.aarontracy.com
Follow Aaron at https://www.facebook.com/aaron.tracy.735
Chris Marshall
Originally hailing from East Texas, Chris Marshall is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter and cover artist based out of Knoxville TN. His cover catalog is vast and an eclectic mix of classic rock and popular tunes from the last five decades. His originals are sometimes whimsical and often poignant and are an interesting mix of Americana, Jazz, and Reggae. If you are looking for an evening of high energy favorites delivered with a charismatic twist, Chris Marshall always delivers.
Follow Chris at https://www.facebook.com/chris.marshall.58910
CJ Warren
Clifton Joseph Warren (aka CJ) born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 30th, 1968 started his musical interest at the age of 8 with the help of his music teachers that gave him opportunities to sing, dance and act in leading roles of school plays. His mother gave him the privilege to study piano at the age of 12, started composition and self-taught in music history and theory.
Clifton composed his first Piano Sonata at 17, a serenade for string orchestra at 28, and other piano works between the ages 15-22. At 26, Clifton got his first break playing for the Jazz Ensemble at Mercer University in Macon, Ga directed by Dr. Douglas Hill in the years 1992-97.
During that time other professional musicians noticed his talents and gifts and hired him as their keyboardist in bands such as Danger Zone in 1995-1999, Voltage Brothers in 1999-2012.
Traveling with the Voltage Brothers gave him opportunities to see celebrities and to open shows for artists like Morris Day & the Time, James Brown, Commodores, Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men, Kirk Franklin, Earth Wind & Fire, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, George Strait, LeAnn Rymes, and Martina McBride.
Today, Clifton plays like Liberace, swings like Ellington, improvises like Chick Corea, sings like Luther Vandross, transposes and arranges like David Foster, and mixes like Sting. Clifton is a composer in classical music with 350 piano compositions, 157 chamber, orchestra works and chorales, yet versatile in other genre by writing 12 country tunes, 37 jazz compositions, 87 Christian contemporary songs, 40 pop tunes, 10 heavy metal songs, 7 rap songs, and 15 big band originals. When the audience expects a variety of music, he has over 3,500 cd’s of all sorts of music, can learn a hard piece in less than 15 minutes, and a very long cover tune list of over 1,000 songs.
Follow CJ at https://www.facebook.com/cjw1968
Hayden Bright
Based out of Knoxville, TN, Hayden Bright steps into the scene with a fresh Pop/R&B fusion. With an eclectic mix of songs in his repertoire, spanning over 8 decades of music, HAYDEN BRIGHT can be found performing anything from Elvis Presley to Harry Styles, and almost everything in between. As for his original tunes, critics have said that HAYDEN’s style is reminiscent of artists such as; Justin Timberlake, Post Malone, or even Justin Bieber.
Follow Hayden at: https://www.facebook.com/hayden.bright.5?mibextid=ZbWKwL
or https://instagram.com/hayden.bright.music_?igshid=NmQ2ZmYxZjA=
Johnny Widner
Born in Camden, New Jersey, on September 29th, 1989, Johnny Widner is a versatile musician celebrated for captivating performances. Raised amidst frequent relocations, his early influences spanned 90s country, with artists including Garth Brooks, Brooks N Dunn and many more. Landing in Alabama at the age of nine, he exlpored other genres of music that lead him to pick up the guitar at 15. Johnny honed his skills in church, staying rooted in country music. Despite a brief hiatus for family priorities, he reignited his music career, joining Ole Red Gatlinburg and releasing five singles. His latest “Blackbird,” released in September 2023, showcases heartfelt compositions. His self produced debut album titled “Erase Forever” is available everywhere. Beyond music, Johnny, a devoted father, continues making his mark in East Tennessee’s vibrant music scene, embodying resilience, passion, and the transformative power of music.
Matt Roy
Matt’s been entertaining for 20 years in the Smokies. He loves to have fun and give the crowd a good time. He plays just about thing that you would like to hear and enjoys taking requests!
Michael Jones
Michael Jones is a singer-songwriter from Knoxville, TN. Raised in the Appalachian mountains, he learned to play guitar and sing in a variety of genres, from country to alternative rock. He has played venues ranging from Anakeesta to the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. With heartfelt original songs and a vast array of covers, he seeks to entertain audiences all over East Tennessee and beyond!
Shaun Abbott
Shaun Abbott is a country singer/songwriter and touring artist from Knoxville, TN. Abbott has toured across the US and has opened for artists such as Jeff Cook from Alabama, Chase Rice, Josh Thompson, LANco, Corey Smith, Ashton Shepherd and John Michael Montgomery.
Download his latest single “Never Have This Night Again” on iTunes today! To learn more about Shaun Abbott, head on over to www.shaunabbottmusic.com.
Follow Shaun at https://www.facebook.com/theSHAUNofficial
Shelby Cline
Shelby is a singer/songwriter from East Tennessee. She draws inspiration from a variety of styles including country, rock, pop, blues and soul into an incredibly unique sound. As Shelby continues to evolve as an artist, she remains dedicated to creating music that touches the hearts and souls of her fans. With her unwavering passion, undeniable talent, and genuine authenticity that shines though her music, Shelby is poised to make an indelible mark on the singer/songwriter world.
Follow Shelby at https://www.instagram.com/shelby_cline_music/
Todd Campbell
Todd Campbell is a singer/songwriter from Eastern Kentucky with music heavily influenced by country music and classic rock. His musical journey started in 2021, forming a band performing in different venues and stages across Kentucky and neighboring states, and eventually venturing out as a solo artist.
Follow Todd at solo.to/toddcampbellmusic, https://www.tiktok.com/@toddcampbellmusic?_t=8ZZqwTfFWRi&_r=1 or
https://www.instagram.com/toddcampbellmusic?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM%3D