Photos from Chris Young’s performance at the Island Hopper Songwriters Fest
For a few minutes it looked like the sky was falling again on Fort Myers Beach. The clouds rolled in late Sunday afternoon and emptied out a sea of rain with winds shaking the palm trees just as the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina was ready to welcome country music star Chris Young to their Island Hopper pool party.
Pink Shell Beach Resort General Manager Bill Waichulis was unconcerned. A veteran of many storms, he had checked the radar. He confidently predicted the storm would pass in no time.
Pass it did. The sun shined again.
When Young stepped out onto the Pink Shell stage in front of the octopus pool full of country music fans, he received a hero’s welcome and then proceeded to rip off a set that had the crowd singing along and cheering his hits like “Gettin’ You Home” and “The Man I want To Be.”
While beach balls flew in the air, Young cracked jokes and along with his band even ventured into briefly covering Lynrd Skynrd, Ozzy Osbourne and Prince.
Young showcased his deep, baritone voice which was about as sharp as any headliner to hit the Pink Shell in recent years. The Tennessee native played acoustic guitar and led the crowd in sing-alongs.
Chris Young at the Island Hopper at the Pink Shell. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Young also paid tribute to the late country music songwriter Brett James. James, who died in a plane crash earlier this month, co-wrote Young’s song “The Man I Want To Be,” which was a No. 1 country music hit.
“I love that guy. I don’t know why he trusted me with that song,” Young said. Young said he went with James to tour the United Kingdom and Europe on his first trip overseas.
“That one’s for Brett tonight,” Young said.
The festival was another hit for Fort Myers Beach, with dozens of country musicians performing at venues like Bayside Veteran’s Park, DiamondHead Beach Resort, Margaritaville Beach Resort and the Yucatan Beach Stand.
Waichulis estimated there were approximately 1,500 people on hand for Sunday’s show. About 1,000 of those were guests at the Pink Shell.
“It’s exciting to see the team come together every year to out this one. It’s always a challenge with September rains. We always pull it off,” Waichulis said.
Last year, Waichulis and the Pink Shell crew were able to clean up after Hurricane Helene in just a days to make sure the Island Hopper pool party went off without a hitch. ,
“We have people coming down every year for these events. It brings visitors to the area,” Waichulis said.
All photos and video by Nathan Mayberg