2016 Strawberry Festival

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Festival

Official Newspaper of the Florida Strawberry Festival®

2016

2 | Friday, February 26, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times

Paul Davis, general manager of the

Strawberry Festival, likes to tell the story of

the time he and his wife were on vacation in

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Davis was wearing his

Plant City Strawberry Festival hat.

“All of a sudden I heard someone say ‘Strawberry

Festival? We love the Strawberry Festival. Make the

trip to Plant City every year. We love it! Can’t get

enough strawberry shortcake.’ The couple turned

out to be from Chicago, and they kept saying how

much they love spending a few days at the festival,”

Davis said.

“Any place I travel, it seems someone knows about

the festival, or has attended. I’ve spoken with people

from Tokyo, Canada, England – Russia even – who

tell me how much they love it.

“It makes me feel good.”

Feeling good is a hallmark of this annual celebration

of the humble strawberry and all things agricultural.

The 11-day event, now in its 81st year, continues to

charm, delight and satisfy throngs of visitors who

venture to Plant City in search of great music, fabu-

lous food, wonderful entertainment and the oppor-

tunity to enjoy a bit of old Florida.

Davis is in his ninth year as manager of the festi-

val. Before that, he was part of the county sheriff ’s

festival security detail for 32 years and has seen the

festival grow into one of the top 25 festivals in the

Southeast, and one of the three largest in the state.

A SLICE OF AMERICA:sweet, fresh and oh, so delicious!

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 | 3

Attendance last year was about 517,000, and

Davis expects at least that many this year, likely

more, which makes getting tickets early a really

good idea.

Those of you new to the Strawberry Festival are

in for a sweet treat. The 11-day event includes

high-quality daily entertainment, from Charley

Pride (3:30 p.m., Thur., March 3) to Cheap

Trick (7:30 p.m., Sat., March 5) and from

Donny and Marie Osmond (7:30 p.m., Sun.,

March 6) to Martina McBride (7:30 p.m., Wed.,

March 9 ) to the venerable Merle Haggard

(3:30 p.m., Sat., March 12). A collection of 90

rides guarantee thrill-seekers and carnival ride

aficionados 11 days of adrenalin rush, and the

Neighborhood Village, with its quilt and cook-

ing displays, along with the festival’s abundance

of farm animals (and their teenage attendants)

remind festival goers that agriculture and

home-focused projects are at the root of this

annual event.

Well, that and strawberries, especially strawber-

ry shortcake. According to Davis, over 400,000

of the desserts will be consumed over the

festival’s 11 days, all of them made fresh daily.

One organization – a church, one of four that

prepare the dessert fresh daily – receives 500

flats of the berries at 3:30 a.m., and by 10 a.m.

they’re all stemmed and transformed into fresh

strawberry shortcake.

“There aren’t many places left like this,” Davis

explained. “A place where people come together

to celebrate what’s great about their commu-

nity.

“It’s a slice of America,” he added, and then

offered his favorite saying about Plant City’s

Strawberry Festival: “If you don’t see a really

good friend at the festival, you’ll make one

before it’s over.”

Thursday, March 3 – Sunday, March 13, 2016Festival hours: Gates open daily from 10am-10pmDiscount gate admission ticket prices:

Adults (ages 13+): $8Children (ages 6-12): $4Children (ages 5 and under): FREE

Note: Discount gate admission tickets can be purchased throughMarch 13 and can be found at participating Publix storesthroughout west-central Florida

TIMES READERS:Times Day at the Strawberry Festival is March 11.

Watch your paper for the Times Day coupon.

Regular admission tickets (at the gate)Adults (ages 13+): $10Children (ages 6-12): $5Children (ages 5 and under): FREE

81st AnnualFlorida Strawberry Festival – Plant City

For more information, midway hours and concert ticket information, visit:flstrawberryfestival.com


Magic shows and milking shows.

A hall of fame football player and a hall of fame rock band. Aclassic country diva and a young diva who only sings classiccountry. Christian rap and country rap. Golden boys and gold-colored robots. Get-down R&B and get-up gospel.

I could go on. The question isn’t “What can you find at the 2016Florida Strawberry Festival?” No, it’s “What can’t you find”

This year’s 11-day celebration will takefans from country legend Charley Pride toR&B legend Charlie Wilson, from NathanOsmond to his more famous aunt and uncle,Donny and Marie. The fest’s ever-expandingentertainment acts are almost enough tomake you forget what’s at the center of thiscelebration.

Almost.

It’s the strawberry, folks. And while that seemsso blatantly obvious, we can’t go any furtherwithout offering proper homage to the verymerry berry that has sparked this annualshowcase since 1930.

Sure, we love the strawberry shortcake and thestrawberry pizza and the strawberry pie andthe strawberry cheesecake. But we love howthe strawberry defines our community evenmore.

When interns arrive at the Tampa Bay Timesfrom some far-flung Midwestern college,we make it a point to introduce them to thenative foods: the Cuban sandwich, the groupersandwich, the deviled crab and, of course, thestrawberry milkshake.

When winter freezes threaten the strawberrycrop, we watch the thermometer with batedbreath while growers man the fields withfrosty breath. We worry about the livelihoodof the farmers, the lifeline of the fruits, andhow we would ever carry on if this cornerof the county stopped serving as the winterstrawberry capital of the world.

COULD IT HAPPEN?

Being unwise about the ways of the strawberry,I thought this unseasonably warm winterfavored the farmers. No bitter cold morningsseemingly translated into no bitter berries.

Not quite.

The winds of El Nino have made this anotherdifficult season, a common refrain given therecent combination of challenges that includesunfavorable weather, labor strife, competitionfrom California and Mexico, and high supply.

Some say Plant City will be strawberry fieldsforever, but I’m praying that one of these yearsthe growers will have the super season they sorichly deserve.

So when we come to the Strawberry Festivalto cheer on music stars and midway rides,let’s also cheer on the farmers who havetoiled through sour seasons to give us sweetmemories.

Let’s make sure our local stores continue to sellour local berries. Let’s advocate for the growersat city council, county center, the state capitol,the halls of Congress and the White House.

Let’s not risk the festival losing its biggeststar and the area losing its most definingcharacteristic. Strawberries can’t sing, danceor jump for joy, but without them, we wouldstruggle to do all of those things every March.

That’s all I’m saying.

SINGING SISTERS,HARMONIZING BROTHERS ANDOREO-CHASING PIGS.

[email protected]


Ingredients1 (¼ oz.) envelope unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

¼ cup boiling water

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 (6-ounce) boxes dark chocolate

dessert shells

Garnish: Lime zest

In a small bowl, stir together gelatin and 3 tablespoons cold water, let stand until soft-ened (about 5 minutes). Stir in ¼ cup boiling water until gelatin is dissolved.

In a medium bowl, beat cream with a mixer at medium-high speed until slightly thick-ened. Gradually add ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in gelatin mixture.

In the container of a blender, combine straw-berries, lime zest, lime juice and remaining ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar; process until smooth. Gently stir strawberry mixture into whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Spoon mousse into chocolate shells. Garnish with lime zest, if desired.

RECIPE TIP: Mousse can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Chocolate dessert shells are available at many specialty food stores and large supermarkets.

Makes about 24 servings

Strawberry-Lime Mousse in Chocolate Cups

R ECI PE


THURSDAY, MARCH 3

Florida Blue Senior Citizens Day / O’Reilly Auto Parts Ride-A-Thon DayIt pays to be older: Seniors over 60 can take $2 off gate admission, and vouchers from O’Reilly Auto Parts will get you $3 off a Midway bracelet. Most of these shows repeat several times throughout the day and through-out the week. Look for:

• Robinson’s Racing Pigs

• Redhead Express in the Bright House Networks

Showcase Tent

• Circus Incredible

• Nathan Osmond

• Meet & Greet Mr. Berry

• Maximus G

• Dennis Lee

• Runa Pacha “Indian World”

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

Publix Feeding Florida Day – Moonlight Magic NightPresent any Publix brand nonperishable item at the entry gate and take $5 off the $20 regular price for a Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book.

Many of the previous day’s acts are back, along with:

• A chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer Derrick

Brooks

• Fried corn eating contest

• Truitts

• Mosaic Youth Swine Contest

• The Gothard Sisters at the Truwhip Strawberry Tent

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

Kids Day / Youth Parade Day / Super Saturday Wristband DayKids through high school age are admitted free. Purchase a wristband at the Midway for $30 and ride most mechanical rides. Enjoy:• 43rd Annual Plant City Civitan Club Youth Parade at

11 a.m.• Circus Incredible• Danny Moody Band at the Tampa Bay Times Variety

Stage• Belmont Magic Show• Gospel Night featuring Pastor Calvin “Pee Wee”

Callins

For every one of the 11 days of 2016 Florida

Strawberry Festival there is any number of

entertaining, eventful, exciting and amusing

events. From hour to hour, you’ll find racing pigs,

a magic act, musical groups, costume contests

and a look into the world of Native Americans.

In addition, there are daily deals on the cost of

general admission and a Midway wristband. So,

gather the children and the grandparents, program

your GPS for Plant City, and make a day (or two

or three) of the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival.

2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

NEVER A DULL MOMENT


SUNDAY, MARCH 6

Fanta Family DayBring an empty bottle or can of Fanta or Coca-Cola and ride all day with the purchase of a Midway wrist-band for $20, and look for these new events:• A decorated baby diaper contest (Hillsborough

County babies only)• Dairy Costume Ball & Dairy Pee Wee Showmanship• Youth Plant Sale• HOLA! Plant City at the Tampa Bay Times Variety

Stage• Branch & Dean at the Bright House Showcase Tent

MONDAY, MARCH 7

Grand Parade / Ride-A-Thon DayThe Strawberry Festival’s Grand Parade with march-ing bands plus the Strawberry Queen and her Royal Court make a grand entrance from a starting point in downtown Plant City. Check the website, www.flstrawberryfestival.com, for the route and parking options.Don’t miss these new acts:• Jake Castro Band at the Tampa Bay Times Variety

Stage• Lamb Showmanship and Show• Home Depot Kids Workshop

TUESDAY, MARCH 8

Twosday / Ride-A-ThonRide any single ride for just $2 or ride all day with a $20 wristband purchased at the Midway.Test your skills at the Adult Strawberry Stemming Contest, plus:• Lamb Jumping and Costume Contest• Denise Moore and Then Some at the Tampa Bay

Times Variety Stage• Southwest Dairy Farmers Milking Show

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

American Heroes Day / Ride-A-Thon DayThe Festival honors America’s active, reserve and retired military, veterans, law enforcement and first responders with free admittance all day. Purchase a wristband for $20 and ride most rides all day. New shows today: • Superdog Mega Corndog Eating Contest• The Walker Boys• Bobby G. Summers at the Tampa Bay Times Variety

Stage• An Honor to American Heroes

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

Florida Blue Senior Citizens Day / O’Reilly Auto Parts Ride-A-Thon DayIt pays to be older: Seniors over 60 can take $2 off

gate admission, and vouchers from O’Reilly Auto Parts will trim $3 off a Midway bracelet. In addition to some serious Strawberry Shortcake eating contests (Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent), look for:• The sounds of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra• Skyler Clark at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage• Senior Citizens Drawing

FRIDAY, MARCH 11

Tampa Bay Times Day on the Midway Moonlight Magic NightIn today’s Times look for a coupon for $5 off a Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book, and during Moonlight Magic enjoy most mechanical rides for $25 per person. Enjoy the Midway from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with a wristband. Look for:• The Walker Boys• Sara Rose Band• Strawberry Mashed Potato Pie Eating Contest• Another chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer

Derrick Brooks

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

Farm Worker Appreciation Day / Super Saturday Wristband DaySponsored by Astin Farms, purchase a wristband for $30 and ride most mechanical rides all day long. • The Moriah Project at the Tampa Bay Times Variety

Stage• Cigar City Blues Band at Bright House Networks

Showcase Tent• Southwest Dairy Farmers Milking Show• Livestock Judging Contest

SUNDAY, MARCH 13

Fanta Family DayBring a Fanta or Coca-Cola bottle or can and ride all day with the purchase of a Midway wristband for $20, and look for these new events:• Club Med Giveaway• Another chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer

Derrick Brooks• Drawings for Kitchen Craft Cookware and a

Stingray Chevrolet

For a full schedule of daily events, visit

flstrawberryfestival.com


FANS CAN EXPECT TWO THINGS – WITHOUT FAIL – AT A CHARLIE WILSON CONCERT.

One: a high-energy, powerhouse of a performance. Backed with a live band and flanked by leggy danc-ers in colorful costumes, the 63-year-old Wilson zips almost breathlessly through a cascade of hits from his solo career and from his days as leader of the Gap Band.

Two: a sincere testimony about the importance of his faith and how it saved him from drug depen-dency and homelessness.

Fans attending Wilson’s March 12 show at the Florida Strawberry Festival undoubtedly will get both, Wilson said.

“Someone needs to hear my story,” he said. “Some-one needs to know God still lives.”

For years, Wilson has shared how God rescued him

from a life of despair that stemmed from an ugly cocaine habit. He’s even detailed the experiences in his autobiography, I Am Charlie Wilson.

But one night, Wilson left the story out of the show.

Wilson thought the omission went unno-ticed – until a fan stopped him as he was leaving the venue.

“A woman stopped me and said, ‘Don’t ever not talk about your testimony,’” he said.

Wilson said he’s kept his promise and now under-stands why his story remains critical to his show.

Fans have credited him with helping them over-come their own habits, Wilson said.

“I think I’m doing the right thing,” he said.

When it comes to music, Wilson has done it right

for more than 40 years.

True funkateers know that the roots of the Gap Band stretch back to the late 1960s, when Wilson and

brothers Ronnie and Rob-ert founded the group as the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band. The brothers later shortened the name, a nod to the center of Tulsa’s black busi-ness community, to just the first three letters of each street.

The brothers earned a solid reputation performing at ven-

ues around Tulsa before relocating to Los Angeles in the 1970s. The group caught fire when Shake from its self-titled 1979 album became an R&B hit. In 1980, The Gap Band III reached the top of the R&B charts, buoyed by popular radio jams Burn Rubber on Me(Why You Wanna Hurt Me) and Yearning for Your Love.

A string of hits followed throughout the decade:

Charlie Wilson

2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

Appearing on Stage

Saturday, MARCH 127:30 PM

Tickets $35 & $40

By Kenya WoodardTimes Correspondent


Early in the Morning, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Outstanding and All of My Love.

But in the midst of the group’s phenomenal success, a feud and subsequent split between the brothers and their manager over a publishing deal slowed their performing and recording to a crawl. Booking work became nearly impossible, and it was during this downtime that Charlie developed a debilitating drug habit that would consume him for years.

Wilson lived on the streets of Los Angeles until 1995, when a cousin persuaded him to check into a rehabilitation program. It was in recovery that Wilson found redemption and love with the help of his counselor – and now wife – Mahin.

The pair celebrated 20 years of marriage last year. Wilson said staying close to his wife is his secret to marital happiness.

“If we go somewhere, we both go,” he said. “If I’m mad, she’s mad. It takes a long time to learn somebody.”

In the last decade, Wilson – who released his latest CD, Forever Charlie, last year – has reinvented himself as a soulful crooner. Tunes like Without You, There Goes My Baby and Good-night Kisses have won him a new legion of fans – many of whom know him as “Uncle Charlie” and not as the leather-jacket-clad frontman of a legendary funk band.

But the latter guy is still around, Wilson said.

“The music your mother loves – that’s me,” he said. “I’m still the same guy.”


FRIDAY, MARCH 11

Tanya Tucker3:30 p.m.Tickets: $15/$20

She was only 13 when Delta Dawn put Tucker in the national spotlight. Since, she has amassed a Grammy award, two Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, 10 No. 1 country singles, 33 that have reached the top five, and 41 in the top 10. Once considered an

“outlaw” country singer, Tucker has become one of the best-selling female vocalists in country music.

Cole Swindell7:30 p.m.Tickets: $35/$40

In 2015, Swindell was named American Country Music’s New Artist of the Year. Recently, he’s been named as one of Billboard’s Top New Country Artists, and Music Row’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. Listen for yourself and see

why the country world is taking notice of this young man.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

Merle Haggard3:30 p.m.Tickets: $35

Born in 1937 in Bakersfield, Calif., country icon Merle Haggard knows first-hand what it means to struggle. His music reflects that. Run-ins with the law, unrequited love, first-hand knowledge of raw

ENTERTAINMENT


poverty and a passionfor life have created oneof country’s hardestworking and most honestmusicians. It doesn’tget any better than this,folks.

Charlie Wilson7:30 p.m.Tickets: $35/$40

Raised by a ministerfather and mother, theTulsa, Okla., native wasa founding member ofthe pivotal R&B / funktrio the Gap Band, whichhit the charts running inthe late ’70s and ’80swith a string of hits.Since, his career hasjettisoned Wilson intothe stratosphere of pop,hip-hop and funky R&B.A nine-time Grammynominee, Wilson’s tug-at-your-heart lyrics andcan’t-sit-still melodiesmake this 61-year-old’sshow a do-not-miss!

SUNDAY, MARCH 13

Echosmith3:30 p.m.Tickets: $20/$25

It’s a family affair withthis finely tuned indieband from Chino, Calif.Composed of foursiblings – Graham,

Sydney, Noah andJamie – they startedtheir career as theReady, Set, Go band.Then they signed withWarner Bros. Recordsand their hit song CoolKids reached No. 13 onthe Billboard Hot 100and was certified doubleplatinum in the UnitedStates. Check out thefresh sound of thisup-and-coming younggroup.

The Band Perry7:30 p.m.Tickets: $40

Strange as it may sound,this country band fromEngland is making waveson both sides of thebig pond. Front womanKimberly Perry and herbrothers, Reid and Neil,became ACM’s VocalGroup of the Year in2014, performed forAmerican troops in theUnited Kingdom and, in2015, won the Grammyfor Best Country Duo/Group performance. Asthis year’s StrawberryFestival winds down,treat yourself to thedelightful sound of TheBand Perry.

ENTERTAINMENT


AS FAR BACK AS LAST FALL, IT WAS CLEAR THE BAND PERRY WAS COOKING UP SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THEIR THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, HEART + BEAT.

For starters, there was the anthemic lead single, Live Forever, which the band pushed toward pop radio. And then there were the band’s new, wildly colorful pro-motional photos, which featured them looking sleek and stylish in bold blue and yellow patterns.

“When we sit down to write songs, everything’s connected for us, from the visuals to the sounds to even what we say from the stage,” said bassist Reid Perry. “The visual side of it just represents a little bit of happiness and joy that The Band Perry’s feeling. We’re not fighting anyone, we’re not really the underdogs anymore. We’re just actually enjoying who we are.”

And who wouldn’t? Last year Reid, Neil and Kimberly Perry took home their first Grammy for a cover of Glen Campbell’s Gentle On My Mind, and on March 13,

Entertainment Spotlight2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

THE BAND PERRY

Appearing on Stage

Sunday, MARCH 137:30 PM

Tickets $40


they’ll close out the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival.

Reid said the band has been playing some new songs live, but fans of their more traditional country songs, such as their breakout hit If I Die Young and their chart-topping sophomore album Pioneer, might be in for some surprises on Heart + Beat.

“For Pioneer, we were very much in a kind of underdog, rock’n’roll, black leather kind of mindset,” he said. “When-ever we went in to write and record Heart + Beat, it was all about making us smile whenever we left the studio. We ac-complished that, so we want to bring that to visual life. We haven’t gotten rid of all the black leather, but we’ve gotten rid of a lot of it.”

To help, they’ve enlisted the help of producers like Pharrell Williams and Diplo on songs that they hope will further their mainstream pop crossover.

“Country is a very living and breathing genre,” Reid said. “We’re influenced by a ton of different things. We’re not the same people we were five years ago. I would imagine that if anyone is the same person they were five years ago, they wouldn’t really be happy with themselves. So for us, it really is a matter of embracing what we’re into at the moment.”

This’ll be the third Strawberry Festival for The Band Perry, and they have plenty of fond memories from past trips to Plant City. It’s where Kimberly met her future husband, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.P. Arencibia, and as Reid said, “We get pallets of strawberries given to us, which we love.”

And it fits right in with The Band Perry’s strategy of playing any show, anytime – festivals, charity functions, sporting events and any other place that’ll have them.

“We actually love playing live,” Reid said. “Before we wrote songs or did interviews, that’s what we did – that really was our first true love. That’s how we fell in love with music, actually being up on stage. So I feel like we do put forth a pure joy whenever we are up on stage, and I think people have fun whenever they see us play, and whenever they sing along with our songs.”


FIRST THING TO KNOW: StrawberryFestival general admission andevent tickets go fast! Various Publixstores throughout west-central Floridahave discounted general admission ticketsavailable starting at just $8 for adults and$4 for children 6-12 (kids under 5 are free).A general admission ticket gets you intomany of the festival’s attractions, includingaccess to all the exhibits and competitions,livestock shows, arts and crafts vendorsand free entertainers. A $30 Midwaywristband entitles you to enjoy nearly all themechanical rides; however, do check thewebsite, www.flstrawberryfestival.com, forspecial Midway discount days that can saveyou $3 to $10 on each wristband.

With an anticipated 11-day attendance ofover half a million people, the question isinevitable: WHERE TO PARK?

The enormous popularity of the 11-dayevent has meant extra challenges for thefestival’s organizers. The man in chargefor the past nine years, general managerPaul Davis, acknowledged that parking inthe past has been a bit problematic, butchanges to mitigate any inconvenience areproducing results.

Over the last four years, he said, asignificant amount of money has goneinto solving the parking dilemma. Fouracres have been purchased specifically forparking lots, and the police departmentshave become more adept at redirectingpeople off the interstate when there’s aproblem.

“There are three Plant City exits, and whenone starts to back up, the police will beginmoving people to the next exit,” Davis said.

“Over the last two years, the Department ofTransportation and city engineers in chargeof traffic control have studied the situationand collaborated on solving the problem.”

The result has been almost 20 acres ofparking lots, with 10-15 acres accessible byshuttles, and four acres that offer parkingwithin three to six blocks of the main gate.

LOTS AND COSTS:• Blue, Gray and Red Parking Lots located

on Ritter Street, off Hwy. 92 or Hwy. 574.• $5 for cars, etc. under 20 ft. Cars, pickup

trucks and vans under 20 ft.• $10 for vehicles 29-39 ft.• $15 for vehicles & buses in excess of 40 ft.

Directions from all four compass points andvarious state and interstate highways are onthe festival’s website. Or, according to thesite, you could just “look for routes that takeyou to Alexander Street and into Plant City.Alexander Street splits with Paul BuchmanHighway north of the city; proceed southon Alexander and look for Reynolds Streetas you enter town. Take a right on Reynoldsand there is parking throughout the arealocated just south of the Festival Grounds.”

Whichever route you choose, expect thefreeways into Plant City to be crowded,and remember to bring your patient, good-humored self.

THE OBVIOUS? Sunscreen, hats,rendezvous sites in case family membersare separated, an appetite for good foodand a sweet tooth for strawberry shortcake.

Maximize festival fun withthese good-to-know tips

FAQs



Hip-hop artist Lecrae wants fans to know he carriesscars.

As a boy, he experienced neglect and physical abuse.As a teen, he turned to drugs, guns and women. Heonce attempted suicide.

Then he found healing through music and a belief inJesus Christ.

Since releasing his first album, Real Talk, in 2004,Lecrae has managed to achieve success in mainstreamhip-hop rapping about God and positivity.

In 2013, he joined the Rock the Bells tour, featuringComon, Kendrick Lamar and Wu-Tang Clan. In 2014,his album Anomaly debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard200 charts.

In May, Lecrae will release his first book,Unashamed, detailing his early life struggles and risefrom the ashes.

I spoke to the artist, who performs Sat., March 5,at the Strawberry Festival, about faith, music andsteering clear of labels.

In the last couple years, you’ve managed to transcendthe Christian hip-hop and Gospel genre. Why do youthink that is? Do things such as landing the top spoton Billboard’s 200 surprise you?

Music is music. Christianity is a faith, not a genre. It’s aboutmusical expression.

Accolades and things like that are always a surprise. Me,most of the time, I keep my nose down working in the studio.The only thing through that process I’m thinking about ismaking the best music possible.

How does your faith impact your work?

My faith impacts every aspect of what I do and who I am.There is that moral line.

I never write music that contradicts it, at least not on purpose.My music is not about being degrading or misogynistic. It’sglorifying.

Appearing on Stage

Saturday, MARCH 53:30 PM

Tickets $25

By Sarah WhitmanTimes CorrespondentLecrae

Entertainment Spotlight2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

Sarah Whitman can be reached at [email protected]


Is it difficult keeping the music positive in an industrysaturated with the opposite?

Honestly, Kendrick, J Cole, in a lot of ways they are taking asimilar path, going against the grain of what you see in hip-hop a lot of times.

How does the crowd react when you tour with artistssuch as Kendrick Lamar?

Everyone loves it and wants to know why I’m not there moreoften. I come in as the underdog to a lot of people and thenwhen I’m finishing, they’re like, man, you need to keep going.

Have you experienced any backlash from withinChristian hip-hop?

My fans support me and know what I’m about. I would neverslander or put down another genre. Philosophically, that’s justnot where I see myself.

Why did you write Unashamed?

It chronicles my journey. I’m very candid about beingphysically abused and sexually molested, about the sexualexploitation I had to experience to make me the person I amtoday. The stories in the book are raw and real, and hopefullywill be able to help people. Leaders lead in vulnerability. Whenyou’re vulnerable you heal people. You show people yourscars and they see how deep the wounds are, but they seethey’ve healed. Maybe it gives them some hope.

What do you enjoy about touring?

Being on the road with your friends and the bonds that youbuild. Aside from that, seeing the fans and how much theyappreciate the music.

Will you get to spend time at the StrawberryFestival? Will you try the strawberry shortcake?

I hope so. I may get to experience the festival a little bit. Wewill have to see how my figure is looking for the shortcake.

You devote a lot of time to mentoring young people.What advice do you give?

Your past does not define you. Your mistakes do not defineyou. Delight in your purpose. Be who you were created to be.


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2016 Strawberry Festival