KILGORE, TX. (Walker Agency) - Fishing fan John Layton will perform his hit single, "He Still Draws Them Together," along with other traditional and modern country tunes dockside at Lake Fork Marina, near Alba, Texas, during the 12th annual Skeeter Owner's Tournament on June 10 at 7 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
Layton is a country music newcomer. However, he has been entertaining audiences in honky-tonks, concerts, festivals and churches since childhood. His recently released album, also his first, "The Party's Just Starting," includes two of his original songs and others written by Nashville's top writers.
"Being a native Texan with traditional values, great talent and a history of working with some great Nashville artists, Layton is the perfect fit for our Skeeter Owner's Tournament Kick-Off Party," said Skeeter Boats Marketing Manager Daren Cole. "John has worked with some of the best in Nashville like Mark Chesnutt and Collin Raye. That experience and his own songwriting skills have let him develop his own style that our guests will love."
Layton is also quite the instrumentalist; he was the lead guitarist for Chesnutt.
For almost as long as Layton has been performing, he has been fishing.
"My first fishing trip must have been when I was 5 years old," recalls Layton.
A good friend of his lives near Lake Fork, and he owns a Skeeter boat, so they have decided to stay over and fish the tournament.
"I don't get to fish nearly as much as I'd like to, but I'll be out there making the first cast at 6 a.m. on Saturday with all of the other anglers. It is a big honor to be invited to perform for the Skeeter family, and I am genuinely honored to be a part of this event."
The Skeeter staff is welcoming all of east Texas to the dockside events and the concert.
"We recommend that you come early to get the prime parking spots because parking will be very limited on site at Lake Fork Marina," said Cole. "This event has gotten so huge Lake Fork can barely hold us all. We're planning for shuttles to run from nearby businesses and church parking lots to accommodate our guests."
The 2005 Skeeter Owner's Tournament begins with demo rides and dockside events on Thursday, June 9, and runs through the weekend, concluding on Sunday, June 12, with a grand weigh-in ceremony emceed by fishing personality Fish Fishburne. Early registration has already begun. The tournament is open to all registered Skeeter boat owners, and they are allowed to fish with two more guests. For complete details on the event, visit the Skeeter Boats Web site at www.skeeterboats.com.
For more information on Layton, visit his Web site at www.johnlayton.com
