Sparks to appear at Phooson concert on Oct. 12

Larry Rodgers
azcentral.com


American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is scheduled to appear in Casa Grande on Oct. 12 as emcee of the first Phooson concert, which will star Latin pop singer Enrique Iglesias and rappers Fabolous and Ne-Yo.

Staged by deejays Johnjay and Rich, who are heard weekday mornings in both Phoenix ("KISS-FM," 104.7) and Tucson (KRQQ-FM, 93.7), the concert also will feature the Jonas Brothers, a New Jersey pop-rock band; Kat DeLuna, a Latin-influenced R&B singer; and Paula DeAnda, 4 whose music mixes R&B and pop.

Sparks, a Glendale resident who has been touring and recording an album since her May American Idol victory, will introduce the Phooson acts. Organizers were still trying to firm up the issue of whether Sparks will sing as part of the show.

Also scheduled to appear are Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and Phoenix's Allison DuBois, upon whose life the NBC drama Medium is based.

Criss Angel, a modern-day magician with a show on the A&E network, also is scheduled to appear. The event, whose name is a phonetic combination of "Phoenix" and "Tucson," emerged after Iglesias started calling Johnjay and Rich's show on a regular basis. The three joked about organizing a concert halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, and Phooson became a reality.

"We were talking about this fake concert that we were going to have between Tucson and Phoenix," said deejay Rich Berra. "Then we struck up this friendship with Enrique and thought, 'Why don't we wrap the whole thing around him?' "

Berra said organizers are trying to get local authorities to rename the area of the concert Phooson on Oct. 12.

Berra said he hopes the event will help soften any rivalry between the two cities: "It's about bridging the gap, and let's face it, it's all going to be one big town soon."

The show will take place at the Pinal County Fairgrounds. General admission is $40, with children 2 and younger admitted free. Call (480) 784-4444 or go to ticketmaster.com for tickets.