'Happy Harry's Hot Valley Nights' organizers announce musical lineup

Jan. 15—EAST GRAND FORKS — Country music artists Craig Morgan and Neal McCoy will headline Happy Harry's Hot Valley Nights, performing Aug. 16 and 17, respectively, in East Grand Forks, organizers have announced.

Also in the lineup of bands for the outdoor event are: Paint the Town and Mark Wills on Aug. 16, and the Jimmy River Band, Ty Herndon and Phil Vassar on Aug. 17.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to

www.hotvalleynights.com

. Advance tickets are $20 for single-day general admission through Jan. 31. Advance VIP tickets are sold out, but another reduced-price offer will be available Feb. 1, at which time VIP tickets will be $60 per day and general admission tickets will be $25 per day. Concert-goers may also take advantage of special offers by joining the event's loyalty club.

The seventh-annual event will be held in the Veterans Parking Lot north of River Cinema Theaters.

Morgan, a multifaceted entertainer, has made a name for himself as a country music icon, TV personality, author, celebrated outdoorsman and patriotic Army veteran. One of country music's best-loved artists, Morgan has amassed more than 1.5 billion career streams and charted more than 25 songs on Billboard, thrilling massive audiences with signature hits including "Bonfire," "Almost Home," "Redneck Yacht Club," "International Harvester," "This Ole Boy," "Soldier," "That's What I Love About Sunday" and his faith-filled tribute to his son Jerry, "The Father, My Son and The Holy Ghost."

In October, Morgan released his highly anticipated EP "Enlisted," a six-song collection of reimagined hits and new songs featuring collaborations with Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Gary LeVox, Blake Shelton and Lainey Wilson.

The recipient of one of country music's highest honors, Morgan was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He is also well-known for his support of the U.S. military, having served 17 years in the Army and the Army Reserve and, in 2023, enlisted in the Army Reserve, continuing his military career. He has made more than 16 overseas trips to perform for U.S. troops.

McCoy, who has released 15 studio albums, burst on the country music scene in 1993 with back-to-back No. 1 singles "No Doubt About It" and "Wink" from his Platinum-certified album "No Doubt About It."

His commercial success continued in the '90s with two more Platinum albums and a Gold album, as well as six more Top Ten hits. A seventh Top Ten hit, "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On," came in 2005 from his self-released "That's Life."

In 2012, he released a new studio album "XII," co-produced with Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. In 2013, he released "Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride," in honor of his friend and long-time mentor. That was followed by Big Band Standards CD "You Don't Know Me" and "McCoy's Favorite Hits."

McCoy has taken 17 USO tours to entertain U.S. troops and continues to say that is one of the achievements of which he is most proud. He is also the recipient of multiple humanitarian awards from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Radio Broadcasters and the Masonic Grand Lodge.

He also supports a charitable organization, East Texas Angel network, which helps children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses.

Paint the Town is among the bands returning to the Hot Valley Nights event. Voted Grand Forks' best hometown band in a Herald survey, the group is known for playing a great mix of hits and offers something for everyone, event organizers say.

Mark Wills, who has released some of the most enduring and recognizable country music hits of the last 25 years, has released 19 Billboard-charting singles across seven albums, including Gold and Platinum albums.

A member of the Grand Ole Opry, Wills' hits include "19 Somethin," "Wish You Were Here," "Jacob's Ladder" and "I Do (Cherish You)." "Jacob's Ladder," released in May 1996 as his debut single, became the singer's first of eight Top 10 hits. He followed it with a self-titled album "full of rambunctious good-time songs teeming with sly wit and bittersweet ballads — all in a baritone that throbs with emotion," according to Entertainment Weekly.

His early chart success earned him an Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist in 1998. One of his biggest hits was the RIAA Gold-certified "19 Somethin," a six-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Wills has performed more than a dozen times for U.S. troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Korea and Italy.

The Jimmy River Band, returning to the stage after last summer's performance, has also become a fan favorite, organizers say. The three-member band "will be rocking the side stage all weekend, as well as kick-starting the action on Saturday afternoon."

Ty Herndon grabbed country music fans' attention with his chart debut in 1995 with "What Mattered Most," which became his first No. 1 song and garnered the Song of the Year award by Music Row Magazine. An album by the same name also debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records Nashville.

In the next seven years, Herndon charted 17 singles. He topped the charts in 1996 with the single "Living in a Moment" and again in 1998 with "It Must Be Love."

Phil Vassar's signature songs include 10 No. 1 singles and 27 Top 40 hits, including "Carlene," "Just Another Day," "Six-Pack Summer," "When I Love You" and many more. Concert-goers will be treated to the piano-pounding powerhouse's hits as well as covers by his icons.

He has penned hits for Collin Raye, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina and Blackhawk. In 1998, he signed his own record deal with Arits and was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 and 2001.

Vassar was racking up hits on the radio long before his solo recording career that has seen the release of nine albums, ACM's Top New Male Vocalist and sold-out shows across the country.