This summer, Bristol Riverside Theatre presents a lineup of contemporary favorites and tribute artists taking the stage for the William Penn Bank Summer Music Fest 2023. Coming up on the Bristol Township outdoor amphitheater (2501 Bath Road) next Thursday, July 20th is Roots & Boots, featuring Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, and Sammy Kershaw.
This powerhouse country concert is a one-night-only engagement you absolutely cannot miss! Multi-platinum, award-winning country music stars Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, and Sammy Kershaw join forces for a special evening of stories and songs. The three musicians have over 70 combined Top 40 hit singles, so this show is certain to sell out.
Below, Roots & Boots’ Sammy Kershaw (She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore”) talked to me about the upcoming show and how Roots & Boots was born!
Q: You got your first guitar as a kid- what musicians inspired you back then?
A: I was playing honky tonks and bars when I was 12 years old. I got to open for some of my heroes like George Jones- we became the best of friends, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and so many others.
Q: How did the concept of Roots & Boots come to life? Why did you, Aaron and Collin decide to tour together?
A: I had the idea to do something as a trio, but didn’t know who might be available. I sat down with my booking agent and they thought it was a good idea. We were able to get Aaron Tippin and Joe Diffie to do it, and we tried it out acoustically and it worked! We did that for a few years until Joe switched booking agencies, then we had a few others sit in with us on some show like Pam Tillis, Richey McDonald and Darryl Worley, then we were able to get Collin Raye and that was it! We put together one band and have been doing it ever since.
Q: How would you describe a Roots & Boots show for someone who may not have seen one before?
A: If you’ve never seen the Roots & Boots show before, it’s me, Aaron and Collin doing some of our big hits and throwing in a few covers that mean something to each of us. We perform a few songs together, then each of us perform a set, then we reunite to perform a few more songs. About 90 minutes.
Q: The three of you have 70 combined Top 40 hit singles- how do you decide what to perform each night? Does the set list vary for each show?
A: I think for each of us, we know we have to do some of our biggest hits that the fans know and then from there it’s really what we just decide to do that day. We change it up a bit.
Q: What do you love most about touring and performing for live audiences?
A: I’ve been doing this for so long now, over 50 years, that I really don’t know anything else I’d rather be doing. I love hearing about how the songs have changed peoples lives and watching them have a great time.
For tickets, visit here.
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