THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
SAWYER BROWN IS the token country act at this weekend's second annual American Music Festival in Virginia Beach.
They are surrounded by the likes of Three Dog Night, The O'Jays, Kool & The Gang, Wilson Pickett, America, Rare Earth, Delbert McClinton and others.
Still, the program for the event gives the high-energy country guys second billing - just below The Beach Boys.
``Hey, I'll take that,'' Gregg Hubbard said.
They'll perform at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fifth Street Stage.
Sawyer Brown is used to the position of top dog while surrounded by rock 'n' rollers.
``We were the 1983-84 `Star Search' winners,'' Hubbard said, from his Nashville home. ``We never once went up against another country act, but came out ahead.''
They have stayed there since that time, stars for more than a decade. The Statler Brothers and Oak Ridge Boys are mainstays, but Alabama is the only other act of its kind that has jumped from the '80s to the '90s.
``We're still knuckleheads,'' said Hubbard. ``We've grown up. Listen to the old and newer albums back-to-back. The older you get, the more you see of life. We've traveled, seen a lot. Our eyes, minds, hearts are open, and that's kept us growing.''
Still, the Brown oldies will continue to net a great deal of audience attention, fun pieces like ``Betty's Bein' Bad,'' ``Some Girls Do'' and ``Step That Step,'' their first No. 1 hit.
Their current hit single is ``Wantin' and Havin' It All.'' Their album ``Greatest Hits 1990-1995'' is a mix of the No. 1 items of this decade, three more top fives and two new singles, ``This Time'' and ``I Don't Believe in Goodbye.''
Sawyer Brown only said goodbye to Bobby Randall, replaced by Duncan Cameron. Otherwise, there has never been a lineup change.
Hubbard and lead singer Mark Miller were high school friends from Florida who moved to Nashville. They met the other members of the group while working for little-known singer Don King.
``Same hair, but different guy,'' Hubbard said. ``He quit. We kept going.''
They then auditioned for ``Star Search'' in Nashville, ``not anticipating we'd get on the show,'' he said. ``We just hoped to have a video to pitch to get work.''
Lots of videos, lots of hits since then - and lots of 18-wheelers.
``We're down from six to three or four,'' Hubbard said. ``We had a van when we first got started, then bought an old school bus.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GREG GORMAN
Country mainstay Sawyer Brown will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday at the
Fifth Street Stage.
by CNB