Country musician Walker to perform at RiverPark

Freddie Bourne, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Updated ·2 min read

Sep. 23—Academy of Country Music winner Clay Walker will perform in Owensboro at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, at the RiverPark Center.

This will be Walker's second appearance in the city this year. He and Grammy-nominated country musician Tracy Lawrence performed at the Owensboro Sportscenter in March.

"Owensboro is one of the greatest country music-loving towns I've ever been to," Walker said. "I love the enthusiasm that was shown to Tracy Lawrence and myself back in March, and I am looking forward to experiencing that same frenzy this week. There is obviously a strong country music foundation in Owensboro, and I have no doubt that the energy will be electric."

Raised in Texas in the 1970s, Walker was discovered in a Beaumont-area bar by James Stroud, producer and head of Giant Records.

Walker's 1993 debut single "What's It to You" and follow-up "Live Until I Die" both reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, while the former peaked at No. 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

His self-titled debut album was released the same year and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and reached No. 8 on the Top Country Charts and just outside the top 50 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart.

Walker's follow up album, "If I Could Make a Living," in 1994, included two No. 1 singles, including "This Woman and This Man," while the album peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.

Walker has since gone on to have numerous No. 1 country songs and top-five country albums, including platinum records "Rumor Has It" and "She Won't Be Lonely Long," and has racked up over 30 charted singles and 11 No. 1 songs.

Walker has been nominated for Top New Male Vocalist and Favorite Country New Artist by the Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards, respectively, and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2015.

In July 2021, Walker released his latest album, "Texas to Tennessee."

He still has the fire to keep on performing throughout the changes in his career, and he's embraced technology in order to be personable with fans.

"My passion for music and performing has only grown and continues to grow," he said. "The communication I have with people on platforms such as TikTok has even made it more interesting and more immediate, which I appreciate."

At the end of the night, Walker hopes the crowd walks away with some satisfaction.

"I hope they are buzzing with joy and excitement, that they don't stop that feeling for quite some time," he said.

Tickets are still available at riverparkcenter.org.