CANTON − Fan Fest during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival will feature some familiar musical acts.
Jefferson Starship, Phil Vassar and Collin Raye have been announced as performers during Sugardale Fan Fest at Stadium Park.
Jefferson Starship performs at 7 p.m. Aug. 5. Vassar performs at 6 p.m. Aug. 8, followed by Collin Raye at 7:30 p.m. the same day. The Pro Football Hall of Fame made the announcement April 7.
The shows will be free. No tickets are required.
Jefferson Starship will be making a Canton stop during their “Runway Again” tour.
“When the opportunity came up to bring Jefferson Starship to Canton as part of this year’s Sugardale Fan Fest, we moved quickly,” Jim Porter, president & CEO of the Hall of Fame, said in a prepared statement.
“This is a legendary band whose music transcends time and stays relevant across generations of loyal fans. We can’t wait for the Fan Fest audience to experience a one-of-a-kind show.”
Vassar and Raye are both country music artists.
The story of Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship emerged from the ashes of Jefferson Airplane, according to Apple Music.
Hit songs include “Sara,” Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and “Miracles.” “We Built This City” was a radio and MTV smash released in 1985.
Formed in 1974 by Paul Kantner, Jefferson Starship evolved from the popular Jefferson Airplane, which started in the ’60s. Popular songs include “White Rabbit,” “Somebody to Love,” “Comin’ Back to Me” and “Volunteers.”
Kanter died in 2016.
“Jefferson Starship was conceived as a collective of musical adventurers who contributed to Kantner’s concept albums and rock classics,” a Pro Football Hall of Fame news release said.
Performing together since 2012, Jefferson Starship’s current lineup consists of David Freiberg, a founding member; drummer Donny Baldwin; keyboardist Chris Smith; guitarist Jude Gold; and singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson.
“To me,” Gold said in the release, “that ‘Paul Kantner thing’ – getting on a rocket ship and blasting off into the unknown – is the very essence of Jefferson Starship. And that spirit is very much alive in the band today.”
Jefferson Starship released three platinum albums and eight gold albums.
Who are Phil Vassar and Collin Raye?
Vassar is a country music signer-songwriter who emerged in the mid-90s. He was named Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 by the Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Vassar charted country Billboard hits in the 2000s, including “Just Another Day in Paradise.”
Another hit was “Prayer of a Common Man” in 2008, which appeared on the mainstream Billboard charts. Popular tunes also include “Six-Pack Summer,” “Carlene” and “Little Red Rodeo.”
Raye debuted in the late ’80s with the album, “All I Can Be.” Popular songs include “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” Somebody Else’s Moon” and “That was A River.”
Raising Cane’s stage
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers was recently announced as the title sponsor of the entertainment stage at the Sugardale Fan Fest held near the Hall of Fame’s campus from Aug. 5-9.
Sugardale Fan Fest is a family-friendly, interactive outdoor festival featuring live entertainment, food offerings and Hall of Famer appearances, a news release said. The event will be primarily in the main lot at Stadium Park.
Musical acts will be performing on the Raising Cane’s Stage at Sugardale Fan Fest.
Reach Ed at [email protected]. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
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