ROODEPOORT – A country concert was hosted at the Hillfox Arena on 27 July to celebrate the life of singer Lance James.
According to James’ marketing agent Lydia Winchester, the show was held to celebrate the life and accomplishments of the country singer.
“Lance James, who is also known as Big Daddy in the industry, has been singing in the country genre for the past 50 years,” said Winchester.
She added with a smile, “He started to sing and perform when I was still a baby.”
What made the day special was the launch of writer Bill Jones’ book about James, titled Keep It Country at the show.
“This book is about Lance James and what he accomplished in his career and all of the adventures that happened along the way. He is one of the country’s greatest country artists and he has been in the industry for a very long time,” said Jones.
James was also very astonished when he was presented with a life-size bust of himself, with his trademark cowboy hat on.
James said, “This is an amazing feeling and I want to thank each and every one of the fans that supported me throughout my career,”
The show took a serious and sombre turn when a large photo of the singer’s wife, Val, was brought up to the stage to pay respects to her, as she is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Two of James’ close friends and singers, Jody Wayne and Clive Bruce, joined the man of the moment on stage to perform a song with him.
Wayne said, “It has been a honour to work this closely to a legendary singer like James and I want to thank him for everything that he has done for the industry.”
A very emotional James thanked the fans for showing their support at the show.
