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Gregg Erwin, a Habersham County native, has been involved in music almost his whole life. He first played the Fourth of July celebration in 2019, and returned for a second show in 2022 alongside Steve Bryson. Look for a profile of Bryson in the Wednesday, June 29 edition of The Northeast Georgian. GREGG ERWIN/Submitted
This year’s Glorious Fourth of July event in Demorest will be headlined by two well-known musical acts: Steve Bryson and Gregg Erwin.
Erwin, who is originally from Habersham county, has played the event before. He describes his style as a “mix of outlaw country and southern rock.” He plays cover songs, as well as originals.
To him, the festival is a bit of a hometown show.
“I grew up in Habersham County. I lived there in the nineties and graduated in ‘92.
My parents still live there and I have a brother that still lives there,” Erwin said.
Erwin began doing music full time in 2014. But his love for music started at a young age, and his relationship has been on and off with it. He began singing at 8 in gospel groups, but quit as he got older.
“I used to have a high voice, but it changed when I got to 13 or 14. I quit and did wrestling. … I started playing honky tonks in 2002 part time. In 2014, it became a full time thing,” he said.
So far, he has been nominated for Georgia Country’s male vocalist of the year five times and played with other major acts such as Wade Hayes and John King, as well as headlining numerous festivals in Georgia. In 2019, he released his first EP, titled “200 Proof” featuring all-orginal songs.
Currently, he mostly plays solo, although he has played as a duo, trio, and with a full band in the past. He tours playing shows particularly in the North Georgia area, but goes all over the southeast, including Florida, Alabama, and the Carolinas.
“We play everywhere and anywhere from honky tonks to National and state fairs, festivals and city shows,” he said.
He was originally asked about interest in playing the event for a second time by a Demorest Councilman.
“My hiking buddy Shawn Allen contacted me after my first EP came out and asked if I wanted to play in the show,” he said.
Kim Simonds, city manager for Demorest, says the city is excited to have Erwin and Bryson play.
“Both Steve and Gregg are local artists who have played for our July Fourth celebration before. They are equally successful and we always look forward to having one, or both, of them play. They are so easy to work with, we love their music, and the listeners love them,” she said.
As for actually playing, Erwin says he’s excited for the show and to see everyone come out.
“My favorite part is just seeing people get into the music and smiling,” he said.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. in Demorest Springs Park and will be preceded by an entire day of activities. Fireworks will be shot from Brent Lee Moore Park after the concert.