“Sweet Baby James” Taylor and his band bring their Down Home Tour to Puyallup Fair Sept. 19

Tickets on Sale May 9 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers

Puyallup, WA – May 1, 2009 – With a Time magazine cover, 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, and five Grammy Awards for a catalog running from 1970's Sweet Baby James to his Grammy Award-winning efforts Hourglass (1997) and October Road (2002), James Taylor has made a name for himself as a singer/songwriter. “Handy Man,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Something in The Way She Moves,” and “Fire and Rain” are a sampling of songs going hand-in-hand with James Taylor’s name.

James Taylor and his band bring their Down Home Tour to the Puyallup Fair on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The concert, part of Columbia Bank’s Puyallup Fair Concert Series will start ticket sales on Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. Ticket prices are $30/$45/$55, and $65 for Golden Circle, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.

Raised in North Carolina, James began his career back in 1968 when he released his self-titled debut album. As a recording and touring artist, James set a precedent for solo singer/songwriters and blazed a path to which countless numbers of earnest young musicians have since aspired. His warm baritone is among the most recognized voices in popular music and his guitar playing has established its own standard.

Taylor released Sweet Baby James in 1970, which went triple-platinum and spawned his first Top 10 hit, "Fire and Rain". The following year saw the release of another million-seller, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon and the #1 single, "You've Got a Friend", written by long-time friend Carole King. The recording won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Best Pop Male Vocal.

Over the course of his long career, Taylor’s first Greatest Hits album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. He was honored with the 1998 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest accolade, bestowed for distinguished creative achievement, and in 2000 Taylor was inducted into both the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In February 2006, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected Taylor as its MUSICARES Person of the Year. His One Man Band (2007) was nominated for an Emmy® Award for “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special” in September 2008. Visit www.jamestaylor.com.

Tickets will also go on sale for other artists in the Puyallup Fair’s 2009 Columbia Bank Concert Series line-up in the coming months. Visit www.thefair.com to see the updated lineup, or sign up online to receive announcements of pre-sale opportunities BEFORE concert tickets go on sale to the public. Tickets to the Wynonna concert with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra also go on sale on May 9th at 10 a.m. To date, the line-up includes:

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster Retail Locations, including Fred Meyer, select FYE stores, and other independent locations. Tickets may also be purchased via phone with American Express, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or via the Internet by logging onto Ticketmaster’s website at www.ticketmaster.com. To save the convenience charge, purchase tickets in person at the Ticketmaster Ticket Center at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center (outlet reopens this summer).

The Puyallup Fair first started in 1900. This Pacific Northwest tradition is one of the top ten fairs in the world in attendance, and features big name entertainment, the PRCA Rodeo, rides, exhibits, food, flowers, and animals. For further information about the Sept. 11-27, 2009 Puyallup Fair, visit our website at www.thefair.com or call the 24-hour hotline at (253) 841-5045.      

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