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A man wears a Merle Hagard shirt referencing the song “Fightin’ Side of Me” while watching the opening acts ahead of Hank Williams Jr. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

Natchez resident Scott Adams throws a football to his son William Adams during Steve Earl’s performance ahead of Hank Jr. (Hunter Cloud)

Vidalia residents Mike Jeffus and Layken LeBlanc dance to “Copperhead Road” by the Steve Earl Band. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

An American flag sticks out of a hat worn by a man at the Hank Williams Jr. show Sunday afternoon. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

Steve Earl plays his song “Copperhead Road” Sunday afternoon. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

Hank Williams Jr. opens up his show with the song “Are you ready for the country”. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

Hank Williams Jr. sang a wide selection of tracks including songs “O’D in Denver”, “Born to Boogie”, “Country boy can survive”, “All my rowdy friends”. He sang Waylon Jenning’s parts in “The Conversation” in addition to his dad Hank Williams Sr. song “There’s a tear in my beer”, (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

Samuel Williams is the 24-year-old son of Hank Williams Jr. He performed the song “Weatherman” with his dad Sunday afternoon. (Hunter Cloud The Natchez Democrat)

By Hunter Cloud and Sabrina Robertson

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — Hank Williams Jr. came out on a to the applause of thousands of concert goers on the Natchez Bluff to his song “Are you ready for the Country” Sunday evening.

Fans were more than ready for the country as they chanted, “We want Hank,” in the hour leading up to his appearance on stage.

The man known as “Bocephus” headlined the Natchez Fourth of July celebration Sunday on the bluff. Earlier that evening, Steve Earl and the Dukes, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and River Dan also performed supporting acts leading up to Williams’s performance.

Ardenland entertainment company’s owner Arden Barnett said the show sold approximately 6,200 tickets to concert goers from 33 different states.

Attendees gathered shoulder to shoulder close to the stage area near Madison Street while others spread out in lawn chairs along the bluff all the way to the edge of the former Callon Petroleum Parking lot.

As Williams exited the stage, the crowd continued to chant, “We want Hank.”

The finale of the show was the annual Fourth of July Fireworks show on the Mississippi River organized by Sabrina Doré and the Miss-Lou Fireworks Committee and sponsored by area business owners and event supporters. The crowd shifted to the edge of the bluff to watch the fireworks go off in the sky and reflect off of the water on the Mississippi River.

All in all, it was a good event that went without incident, Barnett said.

“It really did well,” he said. “After speaking with the police department, there were no issues. It was fantastic.

Barnett thanked the City of Natchez, police and public works departments for doing “an amazing job” to make sure things went smoothly.

“We wanted everyone to make it home safely and so far so good. It was a good day and an amazing job by the City of Natchez. … I can’t say enough good things about them.”

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