43
Hank Williams Jr. concert wows more than 7,000 fair fans
Canfield Fair
Gallery
Video
By Elise Franco
CANFIELD — Two of country’s most legendary performers took the stage inside the Canfield Fair Grandstand to entertain fans, both old and new.
Hank Williams Jr. and George Jones performed Sunday night in front of a crowd of more than 7,000 fans who showed their support by donning T-shirts and cowboy hats.
Some fans were so excited to see their favorite country music stars, they took their seats inside the grandstand more than an hour before the show began.
Karen and Wayne Walter, of Niles, said they arrived around 6:30 p.m. Karen Wayne said their daughter bought the ground-level tickets as a birthday gift for her father, Wayne.
“We’re just here enjoying the atmosphere,” she said. “I don’t usually run around in a red cowboy hat.”
Wayne Walter said the pair have been fans of both Jones and Williams Jr. for many years.
“They’re just so natural,” he said. “Especially Jones. I used to watch him on ‘Hee Haw’ all the time.”
Donna Zarlengo, of Struthers, said she and her friend Phyllis Morrell, of Boardman, have been fans of Jones for more nearly 50 years.
“We came to see our man George,” Zarlengo said. “He has been Phyllis’s love for maybe 50 years, and we’ve never seen him in concert so we’re excited.”
The pair sat in the front row almost directly in the middle of the stage.
“It’s just wonderful to be in the front row,” Zarlengo said. “We’re expecting beautiful songs.”
Zarlengo said she feels at home with everyone else in the audience.
“I like the music,” she said. “But I also like the camaraderie of all the people here because we’re on the same base.”
George Roman, fair board member, said by mid-day Sunday about 7,000 tickets had been sold, and he expected more people to purchase seats right before the event. He said the Grandstand holds about 8,200 people.
Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.