Peterborough Country Music Festival

The Kruger Organisation took over the Peterborough Country Music Festival and promoted it from 23rd – 25th August 1986 and was involved for the next consecutive three years.

The 1986 shows featured such artists as Tom T Hall, Billie Jo Spears, Bill Anderson, Jim Glaser, Del Reeves, Jimmy C Newman, Ed Bruce, Kitty Wells, Dave Dudley, Rattlesnake Annie, Lore and the Legends, Jean Shepherd, Lynn Anderson, The Crickets, Freddy Weller, Jo-Ann Steele, Rusty Adams, Charlie Douglas, Chas & Dave and introduced Dwight Yoakam to British audiences. It also featured special guests Lonnie Donegan, Diane Solomon, Ricky Valance, Raymond Frogatt, Kevin Duff Band, Frank Jennings Syndicate, Noel Canon & the Yellowstone Picnic Band.

The second year ran from August 28th – 31st 1987 and featured Ed Bruce, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Steve Wariner as well as acts like Nanci Griffith, Lynn Anderson, Hoyt Axton. Lacy J Dalton, Dave Dudley, Barbara Fairchild, Daniel O’Donnell, The Whites, Billy Swan, Billy Walker, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Extract from an article Music Week 12th September 1987 by columnist Evelyn Court. The following review sums up participation of The Kruger Organisation in the Peterborough County Music Festival – she writes..

As the Festival season draws to a close Music Week witnesses the good at the Peterborough Country Music Festival – the festival with took place over the recent Bank Holiday Weekend was simply the most enjoyable event of its type that this reporter has ever attended. It wasn’t just the music which was generally superb or better but the atmosphere was magical.

Sunday afternoon Daniel O’Donnell was featured and top of the bill was Hoyt Axton and on Saturday Nanci Griffith made her UK debut followed by The Whites.

Headlining over the weekend was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Special Guests on the Sunday afternoon were John Brack, Switzerland’s first Country Music star and then Johnny Cash closed the evening – this was one of the Man in Black’s best British performances of recent years.

On Bank Holiday Monday the star of the evening was Kris Kristofferson backed by a group The Borderlords featured the great Billy Swan. The afternoon also saw the introduction to the UK audiences of Steve Wariner and second reviewer, John Tobler said that Jeffrey Kruger’s additional unsung support for British Country Music is also to be loudly applauded. I can’t wait to see what happens in 1989 but if it is only half as good as what happened in 1988 it’s going to be an unforgettable red letter year. This was an unforgettable event and a weekend of sheer bliss and a credit to all concerned – thank you very much Mr Kruger.

The 1987 preceding year’s Festival featured American singers Billy Walker and Jimmy C Newman and the MC of the show was Ronnie Prophet and one of the big stars from the 1986 Festival was Ed Bruce and The Whites were also introduced to British audiences and the peak of the evening was The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Billie Jo Spears was featured in the afternoon show as was Lacy J Dalton and Johnny Cash closed the evening with another outstanding performance.

The Festival which took place on the weekend of August 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st 1988 featured The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Bruce Hoyt Axton, Freddy Weller as against the 1986 Festival which ran from the 23rd to the 25th. This year was has an extra day but last year’s then outstanding bill was topped by this year’s guests and when I say that last year included Tom T Hall, Billie Jo Spears, Bill Anderson, Jim Glaiser, Del Reeves, Dave Dudley, Kitty Wells, Ed Bruce, Jean Shepherd, Lore and the Legends, Rattlesnake Annie, Jo-Ann Steele, The Crickets, Lynn Anderson and introduced Dwight Yoakam to British audiences and the stars of the calibre of Chas & Dave and guest star, Lonnie Donegan also featured, you can judge for yourself the high calibre of the overall Festival which was a credit to the British Festival music scene.

Country Music fans should note the whole of the Festival was filmed and will be released, once edited, over the next few months in DVD format.