The Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College will host the chart-topping country music group Restless Heart Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature hits from the 80?s and 90?s like†Wheels, Big Dreams in a Small Town, Fast Movin? Train, I?ll Still be Loving You, The Bluest Eyes in Texas, and†Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right.
John Dittrich, Greg Jennings, Paul Gregg, Dave Innis and Larry Stewart ? the men who make up Restless Heart - have enjoyed one of the most successful careers in Country Music history, placing over 25 singles on the charts ? with six consecutive #1 hits, four of their albums have been certified Gold by the RIAA, and they have won a wide range of awards from many organizations ? including the Academy of Country Music?s Top Vocal Group trophy.
?Restless Heart is one of those bands that so many people remember and love from a time when country music was at its best. This is sure to be a concert where you will find yourself singing along,? Carolyn Franks, Director of the Whatley Center, said.
With more than 30 years together as a group, Restless Heart has come a long way from hearing their very first single on the radio.
?I was driving east on I-40 from West Nashville into town to an appointment,? Stewart recalls. ?Back then, I was listening to what we were doing in my Jeep Cherokee every day. I had turned the radio on, and ?Let The Heartache Ride? was right in the middle of the acapella intro.?
Stewart had been living with the song for a while, and hearing it through his car speakers wasn?t that big of a deal ? until he looked at the stereo and saw the numbers 97.9. ?It didn?t sink in because I had it in the tape deck for days, then I realized ?That?s the radio. It?s WSIX.? I pulled over on the shoulder around White Bridge Road and sat there with my car idling. It was like yesterday.?
That was the first of many radio hits for the group. They went on to have multiple chart-topping albums and singles, four Grammy nominations, seven CMA nominations and four ACM nominations. Even after 30+ years, the group is still going strong with new projects and touring.
?We are still at the top of our game when it comes to singing and playing together. We?ve got some projects we?re working on, and we want to put the Restless Heart brand out to music fans again ? to let them know we?re still here and making good music. We?re really looking forward, not trying to rest on our past laurels, we really want to do some new music. We have some fun things we?re considering to celebrate the moment, which we?re trying to put together, and reintroduce ourselves to the world, and take another stab at something.?
The NTCC performance of Restless Heart is sponsored by J.T. and Kaye Brison. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for those 17 and under and NTCC students. You can purchase seats by calling the Whatley Center box office at 903-434-8181. Visit†www.ntcc.edu/whatley†to learn more about this and other upcoming events at the Whatley Center.
