Diamond Rio coming to Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland on Dec. 23

Diamond Rio is bringing more than 30 years of music to the stage at Lee Creek Tavern inside Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland on Friday, Dec. 23. The show is at 9 p.m. and free to the public for those 21 years of age and older.

Considered the first country music group to land a No. 1 hit with a debut single, Diamond Rio released “Meet in the Middle” and quickly became a household name and radio feature in 1991. They’ve followed up that success with multiple hits, including “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “In a Week or Two” and many others.

Since forming in the late ‘80s, Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Marty Roe, Dan Truman and Dana Williams have netted 10 million album sales; earned a Grammy and Dove Award; were named Vocal Group of the Year six times between the Country Music Awards and the Academy of Country Music; and released two greatest hits albums, 22 Top 10 singles, three platinum and five gold albums, and an autobiography. All this success with the same band members from 1989.

The band is known for its philanthropic endeavors, raising more than $1 million for nonprofits, serving as spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and earning the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.

Casino & Hotel Roland and the Cherokee Travel Plaza and Gaming Center are located on Cherokee Blvd., just off the intersection of I-40 and Highway 64. For more info, visit www. cherokeecasino.com and click on the Roland tab, or call 800-256-2338.