John Conlee coming to Red Barn in Winchester

John Conlee is a lot like the songs of which he sings. During the past two decades, Conlee has achieved a level of success that he has sustained by simply being himself and by making records that the listening public can relate to.

He is a gifted entertainer, but he's not into the glitz and hype of the entertainment world. John Conlee's success began in the late 1970s. Signed to ABC Records after working in radio for a number of years, Conlee was ready to make records rather than just sit back and spin them.

His first release, "Back Side of Thirty," went nowhere fast. Three more singles also met with a minimum success, although they all charted. But in March of 1978, the label released "Rose-Colored Glasses," a song Conlee wrote, which became a huge hit as well as his signature song.

Conlee will be in concert at The Red Barn Convention Center in Winchester, Ohio on Saturday, May 7. For more information, call 800 823-4197, Ext. 121.

You can also visit the Red Barn Convention Center's website at

www.redbarnconventioncenter.com.

In January of 1979, the label re-released "Back Side of Thirty," which went on to become a No. 1 record, and the hits continued to roll. The Conlee hit list includes songs such as "Lady Lay Down," "Before My Time," "Friday Night Blues," "Miss Emily's Picture," "Busted," "I Don't Remember Loving You," "Common Man," "I'm Only In It For The Love," "In My Eyes," "As Long As I'm Rocking With You," "Years After You," "Domestic Life," "Mama's Rockin Chair," "Hit the Ground Runnin," and "Fellow Travelers." All of Conlee's hits have that unmistakable common thread ­ that unique voice.

Unlike many artists today, there are several aspects of Conlee's career that have remained constant. His career has been managed from the beginning by Dave Roberts and all his records have been produced by Bud Logan. In the entertainment world where artists change manager, agents and producers almost as often as they change their socks, John Conlee has not tampered with success. He has remained loyal and constant with the people who have helped him from the beginning ­ which tells you quite a bit about the man with the rose colored glasses.

Overall, there have been 29 single releases throughout the years with 26 of them charting in the top 20 or better. Eight of those 26 have reached the coveted No. 1 spot on the national country charts. His record tenure, beginning at ABC Records, brought him to MCA Records when the two labels merged.

John also recorded for Columbia Records where he scored four hit singles signing with Nashville's 16th Avenue Records, a division of the Opryland Music Group. This was something of a homecoming for Conlee, who has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1981.