ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum hip-hop artist Nelly will play a headline show at The Great Allentown Fair's grandstand in September, it was announced Friday.
Nelly, best know for his hits "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma" (with Kelly Rowland) will perform on Sept. 1.
Rapper Chingy, whose 2003 debut album "Jackpot" sold 3 million copies with the hit single "Right Thurr," will open the show.
Tickets are $59, $69 and $79 and include admission into the fair. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 3 at Ticketmaster.com and special box office hours will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. that day.
- Hip-hop artist Nelly will headline The Great Allentown Fair grandstand
- Nelly, with rapper Chingy, will play Sept. 1
- Tickets, at $59, $69 and $79, go on sale 10 a.m. Feb. 3
Nelly is ranked No. 3 on Billboard’s definitive list of the best-selling artists of the 2000s, having sold more than 30 millionalbums and singles in less than 10 years. He also tied with Elton John for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a male solo artists.
Nelly’s 2000 debut album, “Country Grammar,” sold 10 million copies and topped Billboard’s overall charts. The disc’s title track peaked at No. 7 and sold gold, but it was the hit “Ride Wit’ Me” with City Spud that drew more attention, hitting No. 3 and selling gold.
But it was his sophomore album, “Nellyville,” that took Nelly to the top. It sold 7 time platinum and also hit No. 1, and produced “Hot in Herre,” which went double-platinum, and “Dilemma,” which also hit No. 1.
His 2004 album “Suit” also hit No. 1 and went triple platinum, with the Top 10 hits "My Place"(featuring Jaheim), which went gold,and "Over and Over" (featuring Tim McGraw), which sold platinum.
His last chart-topper was "Grillz" (featuring Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp) in 2005. It went platinum.
But he came back with an even bigger-selling hit, “Just a Dream,” in 2010. It sold triple-platinum, despite peaking on the chart at No. 3.
He has continued to have hits, including the platinum "The Fix" (featuring Jeremih) in 2015 and the double-platinum "Lil Bit" (with Florida Georgia Line) in 2020.
Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard will headline the grandstand the day before Nelly's show.
The show is the fourth headliner to be announced for the fair's grandstand lineup — and the third this week. Previously announced were four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban, who will return to the fair Sept. 3, classic rockers Styx and REO Speedwagon, who will perform on the fair's first night Aug. 30, and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, who will perform on Aug. 31.
That leaves just two more headline shows to be announced for the fair, which is scheduled Aug. 30-Sept. 4. Fair Marketing and Entertaining Manager Jessica Ciecwisz said the grandstand will offer a full line-up in 2023.
Allentown Fair was canceled by COVID in 2020, and last year ran just a three-show grandstand lineup instead of its normal six-show offering, as the concert industry recovered.
