Five bands for five bucks. That ‘“ and the opportunity to win a guitar autographed by Gregg Allman ‘“ is the hook organizers of Saturday night’s Summer Sizzle concert at Ritz Park are using to push the show. Originally planned as a make-up event for the BBQ & Blues concert which was plagued by heavy rain, Summer Sizzle has taken on an energy of its own. The show begins at 6 p.m. with a set from rising young country music performer Madelyn Patterson of Jackson. Patterson, 19, has recorded three songs and recently released her first music video. She has 15 years of dance experience and has won multiple pageants. She does two or three shows per week and is determined to be a star. Second on the bill is recent high school grad and skeet shooting phenom turned country music singer Hunter Price. Price who began singing in area bars on karaoke nights, recently opened a show for Travis Tritt. He is currently a finalist in the Colgate Country Showdown competition which could land him a gig at Nashville’s venerable Ryman Auditorium. He has also been asked to perform on the Nashville Spotlight TV show. The third act, The Melflames, will break with the country strains with a set of blues and jam music. Local artist, musician and filmmaker Roger McLeod leads the group. Bobby Nelson on guitars and Jimmy Wright on bass have played with McLeod for decades. Joining up for the Summer Sizzle gig will be Scott Votaw and Brad Weaver, both of whom work for the Lamar school system, and Gerald Grimes and Tim Henry. McLeod has written a new theme song for BBQ & Blues which will be used in promotional work and singer Mary Jane Williamson is supposed to debut it with the band Saturday night. Following The Melflames will be area favorites The Buckeye Band led by guitarist Carl Pruett. Buckeye has been a mainstay of the BBQ & Blues event and was the first band to christen the new performance venue at the Allman Brothers’ Big House Museum in Macon last month. After Buckeye, headliners the Ben Ratliff Band will perform. Ben Ratliff is a Pike County native who has drawn a wide following in country circles. Joining him onstage will be band members Jerry Walker, Matt McDaniel, Mike Williamson and David Wilkerson. The Gregg Allman guitar will be auctioned off during the night to the highest bidder. Allman recently underwent a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville but hopes to return to the stage as soon as possible. Summer Sizzle is sponsored by Dender Distributing/Bud Light and the Barnesville-Lamar County Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call 770-358-5884.
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