Country music singer/songwriter Chris Cagle will perform at Central Park Friday at 8 p.m.

The concert is free and open to the public, but spectators should take their own blankets and lawn chairs.

"For me, getting on the stage is where we get it all back - the high-energy, excitement and the thrills. As long as there are people who want to forget their week, who think they see some piece of their life in these songs, who want to have a good time, there's nothing better in the world than being on that stage. It's intense. It's a rush and the best feeling in the world," Cagle is quoted as saying in a press release.

After moving to Nashville in 1994, the Texas native waited tables and tended bars while working to improve himself as a songwriter. He signed to a publishing deal and later was offered a recording contract with Capitol Records, Nashville. He quickly broke onto the country music scene in 2000 with his debut single and video "My Love Goes On and On" that showcased not only his vocal and song-writing talent, but also his no-frills stage presence.

His debut album, "Play It Loud," also produced his first No. 1 hit, "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out," as well as the hit singles "Laredo" and "Country By The Grace Of God."

With his second album, Chris Cagle debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and spawned two more top five hits, "What A Beautiful Day" and "Chicks Dig It." Both albums were certified gold by the end of 2003.

In 2004, doctors ordered him off the stage and out of the recording studio due to a medical problem with his vocal cords. After several months of much needed vocal rest, a rededicated Cagle went back into the studio to record what would become the most important release of his career, "Anywhere But Here."

"You're coming back from a vocal rest and (if) you don't come back with a strong record, all of a sudden people in radio may look at it as a sign of, 'maybe he's not going to make it back,'" said Cagle. "There are people who don't recover from that kind of a stall in their career."

After an 18-month hiatus from country radio, Cagle's fears were put to rest when "Anywhere But Here" was released in October 2005 and garnered the country star's biggest sales week ever. It has since become his fastest-selling CD to date. The debut single, "Miss Me Baby," soon became another hit for Cagle; marking the eighth time he has hit the Top 40 with a song he has written or co-written.

His latest single, "Anywhere But Here," the title track to his latest CD, is a powerhouse ballad sang with raw emotion. The single recently debuted on the country singles charts and is receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.

For additional news and complete list of tour dates, visit www.chriscagle.com [[In-content Ad]]