R&B Artist, Ne-Yo to Perform at the Puyallup Fair on Friday, Sept. 18

Tickets on Sale June 20 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers

Puyallup, WA – June 12, 2009 – Singer-songwriter, Ne-Yo has created a name for himself in the American R&B arena in a short period of time, with hits including “So Sick” and “Stay.” Not only is he known for co-writing Mario's 2004 number one hit, "Let Me Love You," he has co-authored songs for artists Mary J. Blige, Ruben Studdard, Marques Houston, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Nivea, Tyrese, Rihanna, Jamie Foxx and Heather Headley.

The Ne-Yo concert will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m. The concert, part of Columbia Bank’s Puyallup Fair Concert Series will start selling tickets on Saturday, June 20 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. Ticket prices are $20 / $35 / $45, and $50 for Golden Circle, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.

Shaffer Chimere Smith was born on October 18, 1982 in Camden, Arkansas, but raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Known by his stage name, Ne-Yo, he is of African-American, Puerto Rican, and Chinese descent. His nickname was given to him by a friend who thought the singer could 'see' music like Keanu Reeves's "Neo" character could see the Matrix in The Matrix film trilogy. Ne-Yo added the "-Yo" to match rap culture.

While in high school, Ne-Yo belonged to R&B group, Envy, which went by the stage-name, GoGo. By the time the group disbanded in 2000, Ne-Yo had reached success as a songwriter. After signing a record deal with Def Jam, his debut single "Stay" was released in 2005, featuring Peedi Crakk. By February 2006 Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words was released, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 301,000 copies in the first week. "Stay" was well-received by the urban community, reaching No. 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The album's second single, "So Sick" reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the Pop 100, as well as the official UK chart.

Ne-Yo's recent writing credits can be found on Jamie Foxx and Mary J. Blige's latest albums, Unpredictable and The Breakthrough. He can also be heard singing the chorus to Ghostface's lead single, "Back Like That", from his fifth solo album Fishscale, and Remy Ma's "Feels So Good" from her recently released album, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story.

He also wrote Rihanna's second single, “Unfaithful” on her album, A Girl Like Me. Ne-Yo is also featured on a remix of Busta Rhymes's “Touch It”. He is also working on tracks with Mario, Fantasia, Britney Spears and Beyoncé, as well as the soundtrack for the upcoming film, Steppin' Up: Save the Last Dance 2. He will make an appearance in that film. For more information, visit Ne-Yo’s website, www.yearofthegentleman.com.

Visit www.thefair.com to order tickets to any of the Puyallup Fair concerts. The complete concert 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. 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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