Howard and David Bellamy, better known as the dynamic country duo The Bellamy Brothers, may have just returned from performing in Dubai and Singapore, but they’ll soon grace a hometown stage — and a hometown parade.
When they aren’t traveling, the brothers reside on their family ranch in Darby, 40 minutes away from the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. True to their homegrown country roots, performing as headliners at this year’s Florida Strawberry Festival on Monday, March 6, is a homecoming for the brothers. Their mother, Frances Cooper, was raised here. Now, they’re heading home.
But this year, the brothers will celebrate in some added Plant City glory. Prior to their 3:30 performance on March 6, the Bellamy Brothers will serve as the grand marshals for this year’s 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival Grand Parade.
“It’s quite the honor,” Howard Bellamy said. “Our mother was born and raised in Plant City. We have a lot of history there, so we were really excited. Our family has always been involved in agriculture, from farming to raising cattle. It’s coming home, for us.”
After their first performance in 1968 alongside their father, the brothers have spent the last four decades performing and traveling the globe. They shifted from pop music in the 1970s to their niche sound — country — in the 1980s.
“We’ve played in 70 countries,” Howard Bellamy said. “We do a lot of world travels.”
Throughout the constant traveling, the brothers have kept Plant City close to their hearts.
“We’ve played (the festival) before,” Howard Bellamy said. “We have very fond memories there. The festival’s been so supportive of our music for many years. That in itself makes it really special for us. It’s just a real pleasure to do something like that so close to home.”
While the brothers will be busy riding in the parade and performing on the Wish Farms Soundstage, they are planning on making sure to enjoy all the strawberry sensations the festival has to offer.
“It’s exciting when this time of year comes around,” Howard Bellamy said. “We always love to see the exhibits, and eat the shortcake.”
Gail Lyons, who has served as the chairperson for the Florida Strawberry Festival’s Grand Parade for the last six years, said that the brothers were the perfect fit for one of the festival’s most-anticipated events.
“I’ve always wanted the daytime entertainment to be grand marshals,” Lyons, who works as a vice president at the Regions Bank on Thonotosassa Road, said. “But they’ve always been so busy. But (The Bellamy Brothers) … they approached me, so I got my wish.”
Lyons said she also likes the close connection that the brothers have to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
“They are so close to us,” Lyons said. “They were ecstatic. Being that they love Plant City, they’re excited about strawberry shortcake and the festival. It was a good fit. Everyone needs to come out and just have a good parade day.”
The Florida Strawberry Festival’s Grand Parade will kick off at 1 p.m. Monday, March 6, in Historic Downtown, and will then travel by the festival grounds.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com