I noticed him standing ringside with a microphone in his hand. He was a handsome guy with jeans and a Western shirt and not a hair out of place.

The more I looked, the more I noticed he looked a little out of place and, of course, my curiosity grew – and before I knew it I was introducing myself and asking what he was doing at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., waiting for the National Jersey Jug Futurity to begin.

He flashed his pearly whites at me and said, “I’m Levi Riggs, and I’m going to sing the national anthem.”

I thought it was pretty cool that they were going to have a soloist for this special occasion, so my inquest ensued. “Oh, great, so … how did you get this gig?”

“Well, my aunt is a Jersey breeder in Indiana and she asked if I would sing for the jug.”

“So, have you ever been to a show before?”

“Yes, I used to show cows. I spent 10 years showing Jerseys.”
At this point my hopes of listening to someone belt out our national anthem were dashed. All I could think was someone in a committee meeting saying, “Oh, my nephew sings, I’ll ask if he wants to come sing for the jug. I’m sure he’d be glad to do it.
“Oh, you’ll love him, he sings at all our family reunions and when he gets done with his rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’ at the family Christmas, there isn’t a dry eye in the place! You’re gonna love him!”

Then some young punk shows up who thinks a microphone in his hand makes him a rock star, and he’s more concerned about looking the part than knowing the lyrics. Oh boy, I couldn’t wait for this one.

I continued questioning Levi because I had to find out what this “wannabe” did for a living.  My guess was he worked in a bowling alley where they had karaoke. I asked, “So what do you do now?”
His reply surprised me: “I’m a country music singer.”

“Seriously?” I needed to quit while I was ahead, but I just couldn’t shut my mouth.

“Yeah, I’ve got a couple of hits on the charts.”

“Really?” Time to shut your mouth, Melissa.

“Yeah, ‘Tailgate Time’ and ‘F150.’ They’re on the radio.”
“Hmmm … I think I’ve heard of that F150 song.” SOMEONE GAG THE WOMAN!

“They aren’t in the top 10, but they do get radio play.”
“Wow, so I’m talking to a real country music star? OH! I’ve got to get a picture!”

So then, I walked to the nearest person, threw my camera in her hand and asked if she would kindly take a picture. It was his wife. She sweetly obliged, probably just to get rid of this redheaded woman who wouldn’t leave her husband alone.

The lights went dim and Levi quickly slipped away to sing. With the spotlight on the American flag in the middle of the ring, we all stood and listened to Levi fill Freedom Hall with the beautiful lyrics of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Levi set the mood with his brilliant, booming voice and it was a joy to listen to this young country star sing at the Jersey Jug. When he and his wife left the arena, I waved goodbye and this time, I was glad my curiosity got the best of me.

While I may have insulted the poor guy with my unfiltered reaction, I met one of God’s truly gifted and gracious children in Levi Riggs.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.