Clay Walker to perform May 18 in Osceola

Country music star Clay Walker will headline the 24th Annual Osceola Heritage Musicfest slated for May 17-18. Walker will take the stage Saturday night at 8:30!

There's more to the duality of Clay Walker's debut Show Dog Nashville album Texas To Tennessee than the title. Certainly, the realities of place are as central as this comeback album's name implies: Nashville busily working toward the next fresh hit; Texas moving at its inimitable and familiar pace. There's also a mix of songwriting and production approaches, evident and more nuanced relationships between the songs themselves, and the overarching presence of a naturally gifted vocalist who relentlessly pursues his own development as a singer. But don't mistake those dualities for dichotomy – and certainly not polarity. In a storied career dotted with smash singles, platinum albums and countless honors and acclaim, maybe the connection between country's timeless themes and music-of-the-moment timeliness has been there all along.

Many of the country fans behind the almost 20 million on-demand and video streams for his latest single "Need A Bar Sometimes" – who may also be among his 750,000 TikTok followers – are wholly unaware of Walker's history. Discovered in a Beaumont area bar by noted producer and head of Giant Records James Stroud (Toby Keith, Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers), Walker was in his early twenties when he started rattling off a string of smash hits. Among them, “Live Until I Die,” "Dreaming With My Eyes Open," “This Woman And This Man,” "Hypnotize The Moon," "Rumor Has It," “Then What,” "I Can't Sleep" and "She Won't Be Lonely Long." His self-titled debut album rocketed to platinum status, the first of four to cross the million-sold mark. Racking up more than 30 charted singles and 11 No. 1s wasn't without its struggles, however.

"Being born and raised in the Houston area, I thought of myself in the line of George Strait and Clint Black, but my first producer had other ideas," Walker says. "James Stroud pushed me more towards pop sounds I fought with. What he was saying, and I think he was right, was, 'Clay, you've got some gears to you that will excite people if you let it.' I was young – 23 – and didn't really settle with that. But now I'm in a sweet spot in music, in life, and I definitely feel the audience has swung around to appreciating music that makes those connections."

Those links are obvious on Texas To Tennessee. "Anything To Do With You" opens the album with smooth bore country that would feel right at home on any of Walker's four platinum CDs. Song two is the counterweight single, with its processed steel guitar lick, wistful pandemic-perfect theme and explosive streaming numbers.

Production was handled in tandem by acclaimed multi-platinum producer Michael Knox (Jason Aldean) and chart-topping songwriter Jaron Boyer ("Somewhere On A Beach," "Hell Of Night," "Girl Like You"). Recording took place in Galveston and Nashville.

"Jaron Boyer is the best songwriter I've ever written with," Walker says. "He's had a bunch of No. 1s and lots of album cuts. Plus, he's a phenomenal singer and track builder. The total package. As a writer, his phrasing and melodies are just insane."

"Cowboy" is inarguably the album's "Texas" anchor. "It reminds me of what made country music great," Walker says. "Not that it's the greatest country song. Don't misunderstand. Nor am I the best singer in country music. I have never and would never claim those things. But I might be in a place where I can connect the value in a song that sounds like 'Need A Bar' and one like 'Cowboy.' And vocally, I'm at my best right now. There's an ease in my voice – particularly on 'Cowboy' – that just makes sense. I sang it through a couple times and we were done. I didn't have to press. We just had it."

Elsewhere on the album, "Country Side" is a slow roll on a two-lane built around a hook so pure, it's a wonder the song wasn't written before 2020. "I Just Wanna Hold You" flips the title track's seeking theme around to come to a similar conclusion, while "You Look Good" offers the album's most of-the-moment sound in embracing the satisfaction of life well loved. The album closes with the sure-fire in-concert party anthem "One More."

Texas To Tennessee is also a modern album that nods at an earlier era in its time economy. Clocking in under 30 minutes in its entirety and with more than half its songs under three minutes, it recalls some of country's historical best in terms of uncluttered writing, directness of message and finely shaved construction.

Teamwork is also at the core of Walker's battle against Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Diagnosed in 1996, he has become a passionate advocate and fundraiser for others with the disease through his Band Against MS. Among his efforts are the annual Clay Walker Charity Classic at Pebble Beach. The golf event highlights the highly active way Walker has approached MS, continuing to perform and raise a growing family while showing no signs of slowing.

"It's very gratifying to be at a point in my life where I can offer something in its fullness," he continues. "I've never quite had that before. I was pegged as a neo-traditionalist early on, but I don't think I fit that mold. For a lot of reasons – maybe the pendulum of music is in the perfect spot – but today's music and my style have hit center on this album."

Tickets for the Osceola Heritage Musicfest may be purchased at The Osceola Times, 105 Walnut Street in Osceola. Saturday night tickets to see Clay Walker are $30.