Jamboree In The Hills

Jamboree In The Hills, also known as the "Superbowl of Country Music," is a four-day-long festival of country music held annually in the rolling hills of Morristown Ohio (about 1 1/2 hours west of Pittsburgh) in Belmont County. The popular concert, which showcases a wide variety of new, veteran, and legendary musicians, runs Thursday through Sunday every summer in mid-July.

History and Tradition

Jamboree in the Hills (often abbreviated as JITH) began as a two-day outdoor music festival back in 1977. It has since grown to a four-day, annual festival, bringing in more than 100,000 country music fans each year. Fans from all over the United States, and from many areas of the world, pitch tents and park campers on the hill above the amphitheater and all through the immediate region, filling camp grounds, frontyards, and backyards alike, dragging wagons loaded with lawn chairs beer and plenty of ice.

The current outdoor amphitheater (the second site for the concert since 1977) is currently enhanced by several speaker towers and jumbotron TV screens, so even the fans at the top of the rolling hill can easily enjoy the show. Jamboree in the Hills is one of the largest and most celebrated annual country music events. The concert range is so large that it is home to its very own post office and on-site emergency ward that has, in the past, delivered babies.

The site is even host to a number of weddings each year. There is a photo aisle in front of the stage where fans can walk through and take snapshots of their favorite country music artists. In 2006, the barn-like stage used to showcase performers underwent a massive facelift. It was completely torn down and replaced with a bigger stage to better suit the hillside amphitheater. There is also an area on site where fireworks are shot off on a given night during the concert (traditionally Saturday).

Usually country music stars are the main focus of the concert, but entertainers from other genres have also shared the stage over the years, including Weird Al Yankovic and The Beach Boys. The entire concert is covered live on local news station WTOV9[1], aside from a few performers who decline to go on air (usually only one or two each year). Recent examples include Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

Jamboree in the Hills Theme Song

Penned in 1978 by Mayf Nutter, the Jamboree in the Hills theme song is proudly played annually at the festival. The lyrics to the song describe the first Jamboree and the excitement that surrounded the event.

The Running of the Rednecks

There are no seating arrangements or assigned places at the Jamboree site. Each morning during the event, hundreds of country music fans stampede through the gate with their blankets, tarps, and lawn chairs, and try to get a space as close to the stage as possible. This is often a muddy and chaotic event and has been dubbed over the years as "the running of the rednecks."

The Antics of Neal McCoy

Neal McCoy, who has been a regular since 1998, has started a tradition of antics and stage stunts that has made him a crowd favorite. He often runs off the stage, through the crowd, and climbs high atop the roof of the sound tower. He has also partaken of Jello Shots given to him by fans in the crowd (which are contraband at the Jamboree site) while performing, and has even enjoyed a few beers while on stage.