Country Days shows ‘There’s No Place Like Home’
“There’s No Place Like Home” is the theme for the 40th annual Farmington Country Days celebration, set for June 1-3 in downtown Farmington.
A press conference at the Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday introduced Jon Cozean and Janet Douglas as this year’s Mr. and Ms. Country Days. The two Farmington natives have a played a vital role in the community. Both are Farmington High School graduates.
Laura Raymer, director of events and program marketing for the chamber, also introduced the Leadbelt and SEMO Patriot Guard Riders as this year’s ServPro Parade marshals.
Also announced during the kcik-off were the main stage artists. This year’s mainstage sponsors include Auffenberg GM Superstore, Centene Corporation, First State Community Bank, Parkland Health Center, Pepsi, and SRG Global.
Following the preliminaries of the StartTek/J98 Talent Show, featuring Route 67, will be the first concert on Friday featuring Maggie Rose as the featured act.
In 2016, CMT named Rose one of its Next Women of Country, and this year she has toured with Martina McBride and opened dates on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul tour. She’s most recently released “Just Getting By” and “Pull You Through” – which the biography on Rose said “reveal a singer crafting a sound as varied and nuanced as her musical interests.”
The opening act on Friday is Oklahoma native Brennin. The singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist has been featured on numerous television shows including Ellen DeGeneres and The X-Factor, where Simon Cowell praised the talented singer as having a “brilliant voice, with a great charisma that could be turned into a great artist” according to the biography of the artists.
He’s also appeared on the ABC series “Nashville” as Sullivan Fitzgerald. In 2016 he was featured in Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know.”
Brennin earned his first number one music video on CMT Music in the summer of 2017 with his song and video “Rip Off the Rearview” featuring Vince Gill.
The Saturday night mainstage featured act is Jameson Rodgers, a Batesville, Mississippi native who, according to his biography, was an accomplished baseball player who was a scholarship athlete at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
He earned his first publishing deal with Combustion Music as well as scoring his first cut on Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots, with “Wish You Were on It.” – according to his biography. He also released his self-titled EP, featuring the streaming hit “Midnight Daydream.”
Opening for Rodgers is Faren Rachels from Sparta, Georgia. Faren moved to Nashville in 2012, signing her first publishing deal a few years later and working on her debut EP, which was co-produced by Aaron Goodvin and Sammy Mitchell.
In November of 2017 she released her self-titled EP, “Faren Rachels” and joined Luke Combs on his fall tour, according to her biography. Rolling Stone named her one of 2018’s new country “artists to watch”.
Also performing on Saturday is local favorite Route 67.
As for Mr. and Mrs. Country Days, Cozean returned to Farmington in 1983 after the death of his father, Hugo, to run the family funeral business … Cozean Memorial Chapel and Crematory.
Douglas has worked in both print and broadcast journalism in Farmington, as well as marketing coordinator for local medical facilities as well as with the Farmington Chamber of Commerce. Douglas writes “Around Town” and “Best Cooks I Know” for the Farmington Press, as well as hosting the monthly “As I See It” show on KREI. She also writes the newsletter for the Farmington Educational Foundation.
Raymer said the two ambassadors embrace the rich history of Farmington.
“Maybe it’s because they both serve on the historical society,” she said. “Maybe it’s because they were both born and raised here. Maybe it’s because they’ve both spent a lifetime teaching us about this wonderful place we call home.
“There’s no place like home definitely applies to these two Farmington natives.”
Both have been recipients of the chamber’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” – with Raymer noting their passion for the community “continues to inspire and amaze.”
“We are blessed to have two such wonderful, compassionate, gracious historians and advocates for our community,” she said.
“The Patriot Guard riders are comprised 100 percent by volunteers from around the community,” Raymer said. “This patriotic group of men and women share an unwavering respect for those who risk their lives for America’s freedom and security.”
The group is available for a number of events recognizing those who serve the community – whether it be through an escort detail during a funeral processional, manning the doors of a funeral home during visitations and burials of military and law enforcement individuals, supporting troops returning home from combat or their “Socks for Soliders” donation program – just one of many services they provide.
Dave Beck, Ronnie Hill, Roger Dollinger and Brett Hall with the charitable organization were in attendance at the kick-off.
Faith and Family Day on Sunday features the Berry Brothers along with The Lesters.
Raymer said tickets are now on sale for the Ozarks Federal Savings and Loan Midway. Advance tickets are seven tickets for $5 and are available at nine locations. Contact the chamber office at 756-3615 for more information.
The announcement was made of the return of a “Beard and Mustache” competition, as well as fun games and activities, during Sunday’s events.
For more information on all events visit the Farmington Country Days website.
This year’s Country Days ambassadors are Janet Douglas and Jon Cozean. The Farmington natives are well-known for their work in preserving the history of the community.
“There’s No Place Like Home” is the theme for Country Days 2018. This year’s main stage artists include (top row) Maggie Rose on Friday and Jameson Rodgers on Saturday. Faren Rachels, left center, and Route 67, bottom left, open for Rodgers on Saturday, with Brennin (right, third from bottom) opening for Rose on Friday. Also pictured are Faith and Family Day concert acts The Berry Brothers and The Lesters.
“There’s No Place Like Home” is the theme for the 40th anniversary of Country Days, set for June 1-3 in Farmington.
Shawnna Robinson is the managing editor of the Farmington Press and can be reached at 573-518-3628 or srobinson@farmingtonpressonline.com
