LIVERMORE  – August at the Bankhead Theater opens with an appearance by country pop’s “Queen of Hearts,” singer/songwriter Juice Newton. 
Known for her big voice and appealing crossover style, Newton soared to the top of the charts in the early 1980s with such songs as “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me,” “The Sweetest Thing,” and the Grammy Award-winning “Break it to me Gently.”  Since then, she has sold over nine million records and she earned a new generation of fans when her 1981 hit, “Angel of the Morning,” was featured behind the opening credits of the recent movie Deadpool. Newton arrives at the Bankhead Theater for one performance only on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 at 8 p.m.
Born in New Jersey and raised in Virginia, Newton first picked up the guitar as an adolescent, inspired by the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and Tom Rush. By the age of 13 she was performing professionally, playing the guitar and winning audiences with her folk and country vocals. Together with Tom Kealey and Otha Young, she formed a country band, Silver Spur, and they made their debut album in 1975.  Newton was soon performing solo and her hits “It’s a Heartache” and “Sunshine” rose quickly on the charts. Her solo album “Juice” in 1981 quickly went platinum and ensured her place in the mainstream music world. Its central track “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known),” became a cross-over hit, topping the country charts and staying in the Top 40 pop charts for over four months.
Newton retained a close songwriting partnership with Young, which began with songs such as “Sweet Sweet Smile” a 1978 hit for The Carpenters, and lasted for decades. Her most recent album “Duets: Friends and Memories” honored Young, who died in 2009, and featured guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Melissa Manchester and Frankie Valli.  Newton has been called “one of contemporary pop’s singular treasures,” her sweet, sultry voice and infectious energy making her a favorite on both upbeat tunes and soulful ballads.
Juice Newton opens a busy month at the Bankhead Theater. The following weekend brings David Cassidy on Friday, Aug.t 12 and the Original Blues Brothers Revue on August 13. Keiko Matsui makes a welcome return to the Bankhead with her smooth jazz on Thursday Aug. 18. The hilarious comedy of Late Nite Catechism: Sister’s Summer School closes LVPAC Presents summer season on Friday, Aug. 19. The Bankhead’s milestone Tenth Season opens the second weekend of September with a gala celebration on Saturday, Sept. 10, featuring the legendary Judy Collins joined on stage by the Livermore Amador Symphony. 
The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center provides wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center are home to nine resident performing arts companies and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors. The Bankhead Theater ticket office is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. On performance days the ticket office is open from two hours before to 30 minutes after the scheduled start of each show.
For tickets for all remaining shows in the summer season as well as for the upcoming tenth season are available now through the Bankhead Theater ticket office at (925) 373-6800, on the website at www.lvpac.org or via the LVPAC mobile app.