Keith Anderson Will Take Cedar Co. Fair Stage

HARTINGTON— Keith Anderson feels right at home at a county fair.
“I love playing in the smaller towns,” country music star Keith Anderson said. “Sometimes the fairs have more energy then the big cities and there is so much excitement. It can get rowdy.”
Less than a week before his highly-anticipated second album, Anderson will be performing at the Cedar County Fair.
“I grew up in a pretty small city,” he said. “The country music thrives there.”
On Aug. 1 at 8 p.m., Anderson will be performing at the Fairgrounds, and admission will be to the grandstands.
As the excitement builds for the fair and this star, he prepares for his concerts in Ohio and Tennessee, where he got his first record deal.
Anderson wasn’t always destined to be a country star.
“When I was a kid,” he said, “my dream was to be a professional athlete.”
Born in Miami, OK, he followed that dream to the local baseball team.  During college at Oklahoma State, Anderson excelled in athletics and academics.  With a 3.9 GPA, he graduated with a degree in engineering.
On the field, he received interest from Major League Baseball and especially the Kanas City Royals. A shoulder injury ruined his chances at professional sports, though.
“It was a hidden blessing,” he said. “The chances of playing pro ball are pretty small.”
From there, he went to a job with a Construction Firm in Dallas, but didn’t find it fitting.
“I was drawn to music,” he said.
Always a musician, Anderson played drums in his brother’s band, and was especially interested in writing music.
He played in his church band, but he knew he could be bigger.  He then moved to the country music capital of the world — Nashville.
Serving tables as a waiter in Nashville lasted for a few years before Anderson got his break —  as a songwriter.
His first hit was “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)” a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones that was released in 2001.
From there he started gaining recognition and produced his first album “Three Chord Country and American Rock N’ Roll,” which included four songs that reached Country Music  Top 10.
He has been touring almost non-stop since then.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “When I was growing up we didn’t travel a lot. I didn’t get to see the country.”
But now on his tour, Anderson is seeing it all.  Anderson said he liked the summertime for all the county fairs. All the touring does take a toll though.
“Physically and vocally, it’s pretty draining,” he said. “You just have to make sure you’re sleeping and drinking water.”
Anderson said he loves writing songs, and that his songs have his true, raw emotion.
“I write music for the people,” he said. “I write emotions and what has happened to me. You can’t purposely write a song for the Top 10, you write for your fans.”
His hit single, “I Still Miss You,” is garnering the country music worlds’ respect and drawing hype to his second album, “C’MON!”. Releasing on Aug. 5, four days after the Cedar County Fair, it is expected to sell millions nation-wide.
Till then, Anderson fans will have to settle for a close concert at the fairgrounds. Enough to make any Keith Anderson fanatic happy.