Country Artist Eric Durrance Returns Home to Florida to Headline Free July 4th Concert

Posted by Lisa L. Rollins Jun 26, 2009

Country-music recording artist Eric Durrance will return to his Florida hometown to headline the 24th annual Celebrate America festivities July 4 at Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee, Fla., with a free and open concert beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Durrance released his debut CD, Angels Fly Away,in fall 2008. The full-length album debuted at No. 70 on Billboard’s country chart and quickly found favor at country radio with its first single, the CD’s title track. The country-music newcomer also was handpicked to open Country Music Television’s 2008 tour with headliner Jason Aldean and fellow-openers Lady Antebellum.

During the course of the CMT Tour: Jason Aldean, which closed in late November, Durrance and his four-man band gained a new fan base all their own.

“The CMT tour was a fantastic experience for us and a dream come true,” Durrance said in a June 26, 2009, telephone interview. “So many artists would kill to have that opportunity, but we were blessed to get the tour with Jason and Lady A, and because of that experience, we added at least 30,000 new fans to our following. But we like to think we just made 30,000 new friends through our music,” he adds, smiling, “because that’s what our fans are to us—our friends.”

Following the CMT outing and earlier this year, Durrance’s second single, the upbeat Turn It Off, landed in the No. 17 spot on GAC’s Top 20 Countdown show, thanks to fan votes that pushed the black-and-white music video in honor of Turn It Off into the music network’s favorite clips.

“We were amazed and so very grateful to everyone who went online every day and pushed that music video to the top on GAC,” Durrance shared. “I am still in awe that those new fans we made jumped behind us so fast and made their voices heard.”

On June 20, 2009, Durrance was once more selected by hot-ticket Aldean to join him on the road in New Berlin, Ill., where the acts joined forces to set a new attendance record of more than 14,000 people at their standing-room-only performance.

“We went to play that show and were told that Lady Antebellum had come in before us and set a new attendance record there of 10,000, which is incredible,” sharedthe Florida-born singer-songwriter. “Then, with Jason, a new record was set and we were so honored to be there and be a part of that, even if only a small part. We will forever be grateful to the support Jason and his band show us time and again.”

Now writing music for his forthcoming CD, rising country-star Durrance will be in the headlining spotlight in Tallahassee on July 4, where the band will play a 75-minute set beginning at 8:30 p.m. (Tinsley Ellis will open the concert at 6:45-8 p.m.) Festival organizers estimate some 6,000 will be in attendance.

“It’s absolutely surreal for me to be able to come home and headline the Celebrate America concert,” Durrance said, smiling. “I mean, I grew up coming to this event every single year, every Fourth of July, so be on the stage as the lead performer is something that means more to me that I could ever express.”

For more information on the Independence Day event and concert, including a full list of events/activities and directions to the park, please visit www.celebratetallahassee.com.