Raye coming to Streeter: Country music star Collin Raye performing at City Hall there next week
Next week the rural community of Streeter, N.D., is hosting a big name in country music — Collin Raye. Raye has sold more than 7 million records during his career, so it’s a unique opportunity to hear him play for a crowd of 600, said Pastor John Erbele of Recharge Church.
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By Ben Rodgers
The Jamestown Sun
Next week the rural community of Streeter, N.D., is hosting a big name in country music — Collin Raye.
Raye has sold more than 7 million records during his career, so it’s a unique opportunity to hear him play for a crowd of 600, said Pastor John Erbele of Recharge Church.
“We’re trying to provide alternative sober events in the community that bring the community together, that they wouldn’t get to experience on a smaller town level,” Erbele said.
The church and a throng of sponsors are bringing Raye to Streeter City Hall at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Streeter is located about 50 minutes outside of Jamestown to the southwest.
“He’s not a Christian artist, but he definitely has that moral foundation of God, country and community and I really believe that’s the values we’re trying to help out in our community as well,” Erbele said.
The pastor at Recharge, which formed last April, used his connections in Nashville, Tenn., to bring the 1990s country star to the rural area.
Over his career Raye has had 15 No. 1 hits and 24 top 10 hits. He was also nominated five times for the Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year award.
“He can sell out the big crowds but he’s also about community as well,” Erbele said. “It speaks a lot to him.”
Erbele said Raye’s music has a staying power in the country music genre, and many of his songs have been associated with events or causes.
“Love Me” in 1991 got Raye’s career started and the song is popular at funerals and memorial services. “Little Rock” has been used as an anthem for the addiction recovery community, “Not That Different,” pleaded for tolerance, and “In This Life” became a favorite at weddings.
Raye also won awards for the child advocacy music video “I Think About You.”
The singer supports numerous organizations including Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About AIDS, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies and many more.
In 2001 Clint Black presented Raye with the Humanitarian of the Year award and the Country Radio Seminar for his issues-orientated music and charity work.
“All his music is positive and has a message, whether it’s hope, or love, or patriotic and those are themes we support as well,” Erbele said.
Tickets are $18 in advance or $20 at the door. But Erbele is optimistic the show will sell out, a few hundred tickets remain.
Tickets can be purchased at www.recharge church.com or at any event sponsor, which includes Allied Agronomy, Napoleon Livestock Auction, Green Iron Equipment, Double “AA” Seeds, Streeter Farmer’s Elevator, Peterson Seeds, Big Dog Country, Dakota Frontier Coop, Stock Growers Bank in Napoleon, Farmers Union Insurance in Napoleon, Ag Country, Dakota Heritage Bank, Erbele Cattle and Feed, Ken’s American Legion Post 265 and South Central Grain.
“The community has really gotten behind it,” Erbele said. “Nothing like this has happened in a small town like Streeter.”
Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by email at brodgers@jamestownsun.com
Tags: diversions, performances
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