Headliners again coming to Rector for concert

Rector is once again bringing internationally-known, world-class artists to the Rector stage in a concert to benefit the RHS Helping Hands Foundation.

Dailey & Vincent

This year's concert, set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, will include Jimmy Fortune, the talented tenor beloved by many for his 21 years of performing with the world famous Statler Brothers and his solo releases; Jason Crabb, a breakthrough gospel and country performer and Grammy award winner, and the wildly popular bluegrass artists Dailey & Vincent, who got a standing ovation and thunderous applause at the first Johnny Cash Music Festival in Jonesboro and repeated standing ovations in two previous appearances in Rector.

The show will again be held in Rector's new state-of-the-art gymnasium. Tickets are available at $25 for stadium seating (chairbacks) and $10 for bleacher seats by calling (870) 595-3501, at Glen Sain locations in Rector, Kennett and Paragould, at Liberty Bank in Rector or through www.RHSHelpingHands.org. A few VIP floor tickets remain at a cost of $100. Those tickets include a meet-and-greet with the artists prior to the concert and padding seating. Those who purchase 10 tickets will get two free (all 10 must be purchased in the same section and the two free tickets will be in the purchased section).

The 2012 concert will be Fortune's first appearance at the Helping Hands show. Crabb visited Rector in 2010, wowing the crowd with his memorable performance.

Jason Crabb

Event organizer and Helping Hands Foundation co-founder Bill Carter said Fortune, Crabb and Dailey & Vincent regularly pack much larger venues worldwide. Carter has been a driving force behind both the Foundation and the benefit concert events, with his many years as a producer for a number of top Nashville recording artists and the popular Gaither Homecoming videos providing an invaluable connection between Rector and the top stars.

All proceeds from the event will go the Helping Hands Foundation. The organization has helped numerous students and organizations in the Rector School District over the past several years. Helping students meet the costs of everything from field trips to dental care and college scholarships, the Helping Hands Foundation has made a lasting difference in many students' lives.

About The Concert Artists

Jimmy Fortune

In 21 years with the Statler Brothers, Fortune appeared before sellout crowds around the world as a member of one of the most beloved musical groups of all time. During that time, Fortune wrote several number one songs for the group, including "Elizabeth," "Too Much on My Heart," "My Only Love" and "More Than a Name on the Wall."

Following the retirement of the other three members of the group in 2002, Fortune embarked on an extensive performance schedule. He has remained a popular solo performer and songwriter and has made countless fans through the years both as a member of the Statlers and as a solo performer. His most dedicated fans refer to themselves as "Fortune Hunters."

Crabb was for years the powerhouse lead vocalist for The Crabb Family and, after other family members retired in 2007, launched a solo career which has taken him all over the world. Crabb has performed at Carnegie Hall, become a "fan favorite" at the Grand Ole Opry, appeared regularly on the Gaither Homecoming Series videos and has been a popular artist on CMT. His self-titled album in 2009 earned Crabb a Grammy.

Dailey and Vincent first met in 2001 during the International Bluegrass Music Association awards show in Louisville, Ky., and discovered an uncanny blend in their vocal harmonies, a tight sound reminiscent of the fraternal harmonies of the Louvin Brothers and the Bailes Brothers. Their debut album, Dailey & Vincent, was released by Rounder Records in early 2008. By the end of the year, it had been named Album of the Year at the IBMA Awards.

Collectively, the duo won seven IBMA awards in 2008, including Entertainer of the Year and Emerging Artist -- the first time in IBMA history that an act was honored in both categories in the same year. The two repeated as Entertainer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and won the IBMA's Vocal Group of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Three other albums have followed and Dailey & Vincent remain one of the hottest bluegrass groups in the nation.