The Whitehall Ledger - Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

When John King takes the stage Thursday, August 16 at the Rodeo Grounds in Whitehall he will be in a comfortable setting.

The rising country music star grew in what he called a tiny town in northeast Georgia, nearly identical in population to Whitehall.

"It always feels like home to me when I get to play those smaller towns. The communities are tighter...It always makes me homesick and want to go visit everybody in Georgia," he said.

Currently on a nationwide tour, King first gained notoriety in 2014 with the Top 40 hit "Tonight Tonight", a song later used to highlight CBS's network's Thursday Night Football.

King would release the single "I Still Pick Up" in 2017 which debuted on the Top 5 of Apple Music Hot Chart, currently having over 1 million streams. The singles music video made its way to the Top 10 of the CMT Top 10 Countdown.

King believes it is one of the best feelings to see people singing his songs in concert. He said it is crazy to see the song to go from the writing process, to studio, to a recording.

"To finally see people singing the lyrics to you back live is full circle. That is the pinnacle of what we do," he said.

In 2016, King would co-write "We Went" for Randy Houser. The song would eventually reach number one on the Billboard County Airplay Charts and would win King an ASCAP Songwriter Award.

King felt it was very gratifying to have a number one record as a songwriter, and at the same time it gave him a boost of confidence as artist, as well as credibility in the music industry.

King has released a total of three songs in 2018, and is hoping to release another four by the end of the year. In April, he signed a major publishing deal with Sony/ATV Nashville.

Currently in the middle of a nationwide tour, King has never played in this part of Montana and said he is really looking forward to the Whitehall show, and an August 17 show in Boulder.

"It will be fun to get out there and do some shows," he said.

Although a long tour can be tiring, King said it is very rewarding to get out every night and see the fans sing is songs.

"It's very humbling. I can't see myself doing anything else," he said.

TICKETS

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the box office the night of the show or they can stop by the MSU Extension Office at Borden's and purchase advance tickets. Tickets can also be purchased online by going to http://johnkingwhitehall.eventbrite.com.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Jefferson River Watershed Council.

For more information on John King please visit http://www.johnkingcountry.com, like him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter and Instagram @johnkingcountry.