Country star Tillis comes to Smith River

Concert slated Saturday night at event center

It’s going to be a little country and a little Christmas this Saturday at Lucky 7 Casino.

Country music star Pam Tillis will be performing holiday favorites and her hits at the casino in Smith River.

“Pam Tillis is a country superstar,” said Stephanie La Torre, the advertising and events coordinator for the casino. “People know her for her music.”

Tillis has 14 Billboard Top Five hits, including six that reached No. 1, and has sold more than 6 million records. She has won three Country Music Association awards, two Grammy awards, and an international Bluegrass Music Association award.

The concert will be just Tillis with her musicians and acoustic instruments, making for a more intimate evening, La Torre said.

The country singer put out “Just in Time for Christmas” in 2007 and does holiday shows this time of year, La Torre said.

Tillis grew up in Nashville surrounded by country music. Her father is country music legend, Mel Tillis, who has been performing since the 1950s.

After a decade recording her songs, Tillis broke out in 1991 with her album “Put Yourself in My Place,” containing the hit singles “Don’t Tell Me What to Do” and “Maybe it was Memphis.”

Her next album, “Homeward Looking Angel” went platinum and included hits “Shake the Sugar Tree” and “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.”

“Sweetheart’s Dance” in 1994 also went platinum with hit singles “Spilled Perfume” and “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life),” which was No. 1 on Billboard’s country charts.

Of late, she has released “It’s All Relative” a tribute to her father, and started her own record label, Stellar Cat Records, which released her Christmas album.

“We really want to keep bringing our guests this high-level, quality entertainment and supplement big names with smaller regional acts as well,” La Torre said. “We’d like people to think of Lucky 7 as where to go to have a good time.”

After Tillis’ concert, the evening will continue with Aaron Roberts, a former local and Country Showdown winner, who will be performing in Lucky 7’s sports bar.

“He has a really great country voice and is a local favorite,” La Torre said.

Lucky 7 is working on its entertainment lineup for 2012. In early March, a yet-to-be-announced well-known “music superstar” will be performing there, La Torre said.