The only artist endorsed for his Johnny Cash tribute by the man himself is returning to Sioux Falls

Country music entertainer Sherwin Linton is returning to the Sioux Empire with his nostalgic small-town upbringing to life in his latest CD release, "Sunday Drives With Mom and Dad," said Sherwin Linton Entertainment in a press release this week.

“As one of the longest touring musicians in the upper Midwest and South Dakota native Sherwin Linton is a living legend and his talent, wit, determination and generosity have made him a favorite of thousands of fans,” Linton Entertainment stated.

With his band, “The Cotton Kings,” Linton toured across the United States and Canada after launching his career in the music business in the mid-1950s when he was featured as a disc jockey and live performer of Rockabilly music on radio station KWAT in Watertown, South Dakota.

Moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late '50s Linton soon went on tour with the top names in country and rock and roll music.

His history of performing in Sioux Falls dates back to the 1950s when he was featured with Johnny White at the Club Cabana, and he has performed in multiple Sioux Falls venues through the years.

In 1971, Linton recorded a live best-selling album, “Hello, I’m Not Johnny Cash,” inside the South Dakota State Penitentiary.

Now in his eighth decade of recording, Linton’s new 43-song acoustic CD set is reminiscent of the songs he recalls his parents singing while driving down South Dakota gravel roads in the 1940’s, taking the listener on a musical journey from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

“I was immediately impressed with the richness and depth of not only the songs but also with the mellow strength of Linton’s voice,” said Minneapolis music critic Gary Hawfitch in his review of the album.

Linton still tours with his wife Pam, who adds sparkle and energy with her “big voice coming from a small frame,” according to the press release, giving about 150 performance dates a year at fairs, festivals, city celebrations, performing arts theaters and dinner clubs.

They are excited to return to the Front Porch Stage at the Sioux Empire Fair with three performances planned for Aug. 8, 9, and 10 and will include traditional country music and rock and roll classics laced with stories of Linton’s tour experiences with the artists that made the hits.

Linton’s Johnny Cash tribute is the only tribute show personally endorsed by Johnny Cash when he introduced Linton, saying that sings his songs better than Linton.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Artist known for his Johnny Cash tribute returns to Sioux Falls