By Brian Argabright
Just call him home, again!
Country music legend, and Del Rio native, Radney Foster is making his return to the stage in his hometown Friday, May 7 as part of a fundraiser for St. James Episcopal School. The show will be held at the Paul Poag Theatre for the Performing Arts beginning at 7 p.m. Fellow Del Rioan Peter the 3rd will open for Foster.
Tickets are on sale through Eventbrite and cost $50 each. You will be able to pick your seats with the purchase of your ticket. And while the theater is making all seats available, masks will be required throughout the performance.
Tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/radney-foster-an-acoustic-evening-tickets-149911644765?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&fbclid=IwAR0ARozrUhDzi3SxQM576ZZlBg1YeHYa2n9h_LzQ-4-VCDrzTEybhOEFx-Y
“All the proceeds from the concert go to the school directly,” Sarah West Sigmon, a member of the St. James School Board, said. “Radney is a St. James alum himself and has always been a generous supporter of the school. His mother was founding teacher at St. James.”
Sigmon explained that the concert was supposed to be a part of a much bigger celebration related to the school’s 65th anniversary. She said they were hoping to bring back former teachers, staff and students for the celebratory weekend, but that COVID made it difficult to plan and get approval for the activities.
“We’re still grateful to have Radney perform. This will be his first concert in 14 months,” Sigmon, who added that the performance would be acoustic, said.
Foster burst onto the country music scene initially as part of the duo Foster & Lloyd along with Bill Lloyd. Debuting in 1986, they released three albums and saw nine of their singles chart including “Crazy Over You,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard country charts.
In 1992 Foster released his first solo album, “Del Rio, TX 1959.” That debut featured two of the songs that Foster is best known for, “Just Call Me Lonesome,” which reached No. 10 on the country charts and “Nobody Wins,” which reached No. 2. In total, Foster has released 11 solo albums and one EP.
Foster has also been a published author and television host. He’s also helped guide the careers of newer country acts such as the Randy Rogers Band and fellow Del Rioan William Beckmann.
“I approached him over a year ago, pre-pandemic. He and I had talked multiple times about performing at the Paul Poag. The last time he did a benefit concert was the school’s 60th anniversary, but he’s been doing things like this a long time for the school,” Sigmon said.
This will be the biggest fundraiser of the year for the school. Sigmon explained the school relies on its fundraisers to help make budget each year. She said the school tries different fundraisers throughout the year, but this one will be the biggest for 2021.
“We’ve sold half of the tickets roughly. The fact that we were able to throw it together at the last minute has made it difficult to keep track of all ticket sales, but we will have limited tickets on sale that night,” Sigmon said. “There are lots of great seats available!”
As an added bonus, Mesquite Creek Outfitters, which Sigmon and her husband own, will stay open late and continue to serve until midnight but only for concertgoers.
“If you have a ticket, you will be able to enjoy a beverage a little later than normal at the after party. And we will donate $1 from every beverage sold to the school, as well,” Sigmon said.
