Crossover country music singer and three-time Grammy nominee Jamie O'Neal will perform at next month's Augusta Common grand opening celebration, city officials confirmed Thursday morning.
Best known for her songs There is No Arizona and When I Think About Angels, Mrs. O'Neal - an Australia native - has been highly lauded by the country music industry. She received the Academy of Country Music's Best New Female Artist award in 2000, and songs from her debut album, Shiver, garnered three Grammy nominations last year at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards.
"We're very excited to have someone of Jamie O'Neal's caliber to entertain us at common grand opening," city Parks and Recreation Director Tom Beck said. "We're looking forward to it."
Officials already have confirmed that Carson Daly, the host of MTV's Total Request Live video countdown show, will be the guest emcee at the grand opening event.
Also scheduled to perform, Mr. Beck said Thursday, are gospel singer Ester Smith and Nia, an urban singing group from Atlanta.
One more headlining musical act, expected to be a Top 40 pop group, should be announced within the next week, he said.
The daylong grand opening celebration, which is free and open to the public, will kick off at the site of the Common in the 800 block of Broad Street at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 and wrap up around 10 p.m.
Local media, including television, radio and The Augusta Chronicle, are sponsoring the grand opening by recruiting entertainment and donating publicity for the event.
Reach Heidi Coryell Williams at (706) 823-3215 or heidi.williams@augustachronicle.com.
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