Concert lineup changes
By JUNO OGLE
Saturday's concert at the Wild West Festival in Hays has changed, but fans still will be able to groove to 1960s hits.
Tommy James and the Shondells, known for hits such as "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover" and "I Think We're Alone Now," had to cancel due to the hospitalization of James' wife, the festival committee learned Tuesday.
"These people are human, too, and sometimes these things happen. We wish the best for Tommy James and his wife," said Mary Karst, co-president of the Wild West Festival Committee.
The committee already has found a replacement for the 9:30 p.m. show in Davy Jones, best known from the 1960s television show "The Monkees."
"As a committee, I think we did a pretty good job in getting a replacement so quickly in Davy Jones," Karst said.
Jones came to fame when The Monkees -- Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith -- were put together for a TV show in 1966. The show was on the air through 1968, but the group continued to release records until 1970.
Their hits included the show's theme song, "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" and "I'm a Believer."
In the late 1980s, MTV aired the show, often in marathons, and the group saw a revival. Jones, Dolenz and Tork joined for a tour and the group released a 20th-anniversary album.
In addition to touring, Jones trains and rides racehorses, and competes in charity sports.
Opening for Jones on Saturday night will be the Moody Hooters at 6 p.m. and Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12 and are good for admission to the grounds on south Main Street during the entire festival. Heart of America carnival opens tonight at 6 p.m. The festival grounds open at 5 p.m. Thursday.
A schedule and more information on events can be found at www.wildwestfestival.com.