Rudy Parris, a Native American country singer/songwriter from Central California’s San Joaquin Valley, will perform Saturday, April 6 at the West Side Theatre in Newman.

Being influenced by the Bakersfield sound, Parris was honored to have enjoyed a longstanding residency playing alongside country legend Buck Owens at his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield.

Parris cites Owens, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan as his greatest influences.

“I learned from Buck that I just need to be me,” said Parris. “He played his music, had fun, and joked around. That instilled a sense of freedom to be myself. They are all part of my soul.”

The show is a ‘Tribute to B.B. King’ and general admission tickets are $20; reserved section $25 with students admitted for half price. Doors open at 7 p.m. on April 6 with the showtime scheduled at 8 p.m.

West Side Theater is at 1331 Main Street, Newman. For more information, call 209-862-4490; visit www.westsidetheatre.org or go to info@westsidetheatre.org

Carrying the torch for the Bakersfield sound is important to Parris, which is why his label, Warrior Records, chose to record his debut album, Makin’ My Way, at Hollywood’s famed Capitol Records in Studio B (the same room where both Owens and Haggard recorded their many hits).

However, Parris is probably most well-known for his appearances on Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice, where he was featured to over 190 million viewers. He was a member of Team Blake (Shelton) and was featured in that season’s live finale with a guitar and vocal performance on “Rock and Roll All Night,” a favorite by his rock heroes, KISS.

Parris is renowned as a monster guitarist who can hold his own playing and singing most any style of music. He has also toured as lead guitarist for Hank Williams III.