RISON — Country music artist Cori Kennedy is set to wrap up her very first tour season with a roaring performance at the annual Rison in the Fall Festival next month, bringing her full circle with the Arkansas town that helped catapult her music career.
Kennedy, who recently made a splash on NBC’s The Voice and signed with talent agency giant William Morris Endeavor, saw her career accelerate after releasing a viral song inspired by a real-life event in nearby Kingsland. The track, titled “Hey, Who Shot the Water Tower?”, was written after a bullet was fired through the town's famous Johnny Cash water tower.
"I write a song about the incident in Kingsland where the water tower—Johnny Cash—got shot... and it went viral overnight with like 12 million hits," Kennedy recalled during a recent appearance on the Free Range Conversations podcast. "It was the tip of the iceberg."
The full episode of the podcast is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ClevelandCountyHerald.com
That viral moment led directly to major industry calls, management deals, and a spot on The Voice. Reflecting on her transition from selling commercial office furniture 18 months ago to moving to Nashville and touring full-time, Kennedy called the entire journey a "whirlwind."
"When you're not on the road, you're in some session with the producer, you're writing... then it's like, all right, now let's go to rehearsal," Kennedy shared. "It's been really busy, but I just want to be a sponge this summer. I've already learned so much."
Despite having never visited Cleveland County prior to her music taking off, Kennedy feels a deep connection to the local community and plans to make the trip extra special.
Alongside her band, she plans to finally visit the infamous Kingsland water tower in person. "I always tell people, 'Hey, we're gonna end the night with the song that started it all,'" Kennedy said. "So now it's super special that I get to come back to this town."
Festival organizer Douglas Boultinghouse, who joined Kennedy on the podcast, has built a stacked lineup for the event, featuring artists Whoa Dakota, Wyatt Putman, Ward Davis, and 90s country icon Bryan White, who will headline the festival that evening.
Kennedy's set is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., where fans can expect a high-energy mix of original hits and classic country covers.
Kennedy, known for her accessible, fan-first personality, assured festival-goers that she will stick around following her set.
"I love to hang by the merch table after a show," Kennedy promised. "So you'll see me there... taking pictures and signing autographs afterward."
The Rison in the Fall Festival will take place in downtown Rison, with performances taking place just steps from where Johnny Cash once performed his own concerts in Rison.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure spots for a full day of live music and community celebrations.