The Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center (PAC) will welcome home local country singer and songwriter Wyatt McCubbin along with the Grammy Award winning country music band Diamond Rio on Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m.
“It was very exciting that I was able to book Diamond Rio,” said Adele Adkins, executive director of the Clark State Performing Arts Center. “They were here 12 years ago and are such a popular country band. Wyatt has performed at the PAC a few times over the last few years. He lives in Nashville now and has become a successful singer/songwriter, but he has an enormous local following, so it was an obvious choice to ask him to open.”
Formed in 1989 in Nashville, Tennessee, Diamond Rio signed to Arista Records and in 1991 with the release of “Meet In the Middle” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single. The band is also known for their hits “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “In A Week or Two,” and more.
Their most recent release “I Made It” is their tenth studio album.
Diamond Rio released an autobiography “Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio” in 2009 and recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary. They have sold more than 10 million albums, won a Grammy Award, a Dove Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week No. 1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five Gold albums, released an autobiography – and with zero band member changes.
Known for their charity commitments including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Diamond Rio has also raised over a million dollars for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.
Wyatt McCubbin will open for Diamond Rio. McCubbin is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Selma, Ohio. He said this will be the first time he has performed with Diamond Rio, but grew up listening to their music.
“I am fired up to open the show and meet the band,” said McCubbin. “I’m looking forward to seeing hometown fans that have supported me ever since the first time I played at the Clark State Performing Arts Center nearly ten years ago.”
McCubbin will introduce some new music he’s been working on and writing. “It’s always fun for me to test out brand new songs on crowds like this one,” he said. “After my set and/or the show, I will be hanging out at the merch table and talking with anyone who wants to talk! I love seeing fans that have supported me from day one, but also meeting brand new folks.”
Since graduating high school in 2013, Wyatt makes regular trips from Ohio to Nashville writing with and gaining support from some of Nashville’s top songwriters as both a writer and a country artist. Wyatt has had his songs recorded by artists such as Jake Worthington, Flatt Lonesome and Josh Ward among others.
McCubbin is excited to come back home to Springfield and see everyone and open for one of his favorite country bands, “It is going to be a night full of country music, and I’m so glad I could be a part of it!”
Tickets for Diamond Rio and Wyatt McCubbin go on sale at 9 a.m., Monday, March 9 at ticketmaster.com. The Clark State Performing Arts Center is located at 300 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield, Ohio.