John Legend
When: 7:30 p.m.July 2.
Where: Harrah's Tunica, 13615 U.S. 61N, Robinsonville.
Cost: $46-$56.
Contact: 1-800-745-3000.
Who is he?: John Legend (born John Stephens in Springfield, Ohio) has used his soulful baritone to ascend the ranks of the R&B world and become one of its most prominent and recognizable stars.
Along the way, Legend promoted himself in the tried-and-true tradition of networking, meeting Kanye West through a classmate, collaborating on West's acclaimed The College Dropout and eventually joining his record label, GOOD Music.
Three successful records and numerous hit singles followed as audiences responded to Legend's smooth voice and classic style.
Legend's latest album, Evolver, is, as the name suggests, a change in pace for the singer, as he opts for synthesizers and auto-tune over his usual basic piano.
Soul singer India.Arie will perform with Legend at Harrah's Tunica.
On the Web: www.johnlegend.com
Diamond Rio
When: 8 p.m. July 3.
Where: Northpark mall, 1200 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland.
Cost: Free.
Contact: (601) 853-2011.
Who are they?: Despite having been together since 1984, Nashville country music act Diamond Rio got its first taste of stardom with 1991's hit single "Meet Me in the Middle" from the group's debut, self-titled album.
That success would be the high water mark for the band in terms of sales, but the group still managed to accrue an impressive 13 Grammy nominations to date.
Diamond Rio's most recent release is a 2008 compilation called 16 Biggest Hits, which includes "Meet Me in the Middle."
On the Web: www.diamondrio.com
