DEL MAR -- Performers who will take the stage this year in the 2009 San Diego County Fair's Summer Concert Series include some music industry icons, as well a handful of young singers whose careers have been sparked by the TV juggernaut "American Idol."
Veteran rockers Melissa Etheridge and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, as well as R&B legend Smoky Robinson and country stars Clint Black and Loretta Lynn will headline shows, as will San Diego's own alternative rock group Switchfoot.
Stepping away from tradition, three former American Idol graduates will take the Heineken Grandstand Stage on three separate nights. Enthusiasts of the popular television show will get to see past winners Kelly Clarkson and David Cook, as well as 2008 runner-up David Archuleta.
The performers are among more than 20 acts and special shows that will be featured at the fair this summer. The state's 22nd District Agricultural Association, the governing board that oversees the fairgrounds, released the concert list Monday at the board's regular meeting.
Borrowing from the "American Idol" theme will be the fair's new signature talent contest, dubbed "Musicpalooza." A nationwide call went out for bands and soloists to compete in shows June 19 and June 25, with the finals set for July 3. Two winning acts will each get a $25,000 first prize and an opportunity to open for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
"We hope that like American Idol, our winners will become international sensations," fair spokesperson Talin Hartounian said Wednesday. "And one day they will be headlining on our main stage."
Latin music lovers will be able to choose from concerts by Intocable with Patrulla 81, and La Arrolladora Banda El Limon with Los Creadorez del Pasito Duranguense.
In addition to the nationally known acts on the main stage, hundreds of other "sought-after" entertainers will perform on eight additional stages around the fairgrounds, according to organizers.
Additions to the major entertainment lineup will be announced throughout May, Hartounian said.
The concert line-up, dubbed "Music Mania" is so diverse and of such a high caliber that "every fair goer will find something they will love," she added.
The amount the fair is paying each performer was also announced Monday. The highest-paid acts are Clarkson, who will get $175,000 for her closing night performance on July 5; Etheridge, who will earn $125,000; and Cook and Archuleta, who will each command $100,000.
Each of those concerts requires a separate ticket that will range from $24 general admission to $146 for a priority-seating-and-dinner package. All other shows will be free with fair admission for unreserved seats, but reserved seats can be purchased.
The Del Mar Fair, the biggest annual event in San Diego County and the sixth-largest fair in the nation, draws more than 1.2 million visitors each summer. It will run June 12 through July 5.
Tickets to the fair are $13 for adults, $7 for ages 6 to 12 and 62 and older, and free for those 5 and younger. Tickets for paid shows, as well as reserved seating for other shows, are on sale at the fairgrounds box office and online through Ticketmaster.
Other entertainment will include horse shows, monster trucks, and a "Hip Hop Dance Battle."
Debuting this year are the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, a clinic and game featuring the San Diego Sockers, and the Viejas FIRE EXPO and Firefighter Combat Challenge.
The Expo has changed venues from Qualcomm Stadium this year and will feature firefighters from all over the world showcasing their skills in a relay race and a county-wide fire engine parade culminating at the fairgrounds.
For more info visit www.sdfair.com/fair/entertainment
