Get ready Houlton, Josh Gracin is coming to town, and he is ready to entertain you!

By Deborah Rafford
Special to Pioneer Times
    Fourth runner up in the second season of American Idol, Josh Gracin was in company with the likes of Ruben (The Velvet Teddy Bear) Stoddard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberly Locke.
    A former United States Marine, Gracin was on stand-by to be deployed during the Idol contest. When asked by Simon Cowell if he would deploy with his unit if he got called up, Gracin answered with a resounding, ‘Yes Sir, I will.” Simon didn’t care for Gracin’s country sound, and often criticized him after his performances. That didn’t stop Gracin however, and today, he enjoys his third upcoming album.
    “It’s important to me that the songs I sing represent my point of view,” Gracin said. “I’ve learned not to back away from what I believe in and from what I think is right. I’ve fought all along to be who I am. The further I go, the more I see that I only succeed when I follow my heart and stay true to myself.”
    Gracin earned his record deal the old-fashioned way. Standing in the offices of Disney’s Lyric Street Records on Nashville’s famed Music Row and, in front of a room of record executives, he performed solo. An offer for a recording contract immediately followed. While he had offers to go in other musical directions, Gracin knew he belonged in country music.
    After signing his record deal, Gracin put out a self-titled debut album in 2004. It produced a number-one hit and two more top-five hits on the Billboard of Hot Country Songs chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. His second album, We Weren’t Crazy followed in 2008. This album also produced five more chart singles, including a Top Ten in its title tract.
    “There is nothing I love more than getting a crowd on its feet and getting them to sing along and rock with me to a great song. I also wanted songs of substance that really explain who I am and what I stand for,” explained Gracin. 
    A new song, “Enough,” was posted on his MySpace page on May 1. According to his blog, Gracin wrote the song and enlisted Lonestar’s Dean Sams to co-produce it. In the entry, Gracin said it is his first project since leaving Lyric Street Records.  It was released as the lead-off single to his third album.
    The young star is known for his energetic stage performances, and made sure his new work focused on his strengths: live-wire, rocking country that blends wit and wholesome fun; inspiring story songs about being true to yourself; moral tales rich with Middle-American values and a strong spiritual core; and songs that celebrate the down-to-earth lifestyle that Gracin pursues and personifies.
    Gracin, a Michigan native, and his wife Anne Marie, live in Tennessee with their four children.
    Hopefully, songs like “Unbelievable (Ann Marie),” “All about Y’all,” “Nothing to Lose,” “Favorite State of Mind,” “‘I Want to Live,” “Stay With Me”  and “Getaway” will be just a few of the songs in the singer’s repitoire.
    So get ready Houlton, to be pumped up, shaken and entertained all at the same time, cause Josh Gracin will be “in the house!”
    Tickets are available around town, and the concert starts at 7 p.m. at the Millar Arena on Friday, July 3. Get your tickets soon and come join the fun!