VALLEY DRAWS BIG-NAME TALENT; SINGER TOM JONES AND COMEDIAN BILL COSBY ARE AMONG THE HIGH-PROFILE PERFORMERS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR THIS SUMMER IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Antelope Valley Fair officials said Thursday they have signed Bill Cosby to entertain at the 1997 fair, making him the biggest name on the steadily lengthening list of stars who have come to the Antelope Valley.

Joining Cosby on the fair's concert lineup will be comedian Jeff Foxworthy, country performers Tracy Lawrence and Tracy Byrd, big band performers Les Brown and His Band of Renown, and an evening of Latin music with Gran Tardeada. The fair board hopes to announce a rock performance night next week.

``We think it's a super lineup,'' said Ralph Bozigian, the fair board member who led the entertainment committee. ``It's the best in the last several years.''

Cosby's presence on the fair lineup is the latest indication that the Antelope Valley - with a 330,000-plus population and two municipal theaters as well as the fairgrounds - can draw major talent.

Natalie Cole sold out the 750-seat Lancaster Performing Arts Center at $50 a seat two seasons ago, Tom Jones is coming in June to an outdoor concert at Marie Kerr Park, and the fair regularly books the biggest names in country music, including Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings and Reba McEntire.

For this year's fair, which will run from Aug. 22 to Sept. 1 with the theme ``The Days of Swine and Roses,'' fair officials said they wanted to broaden their appeal.

Of the $325,000 the fair will spend on the concert series this year, Cosby will cost $105,000.

``It cost us some money, but I think the community will really support it,'' Bozigian said.

``We've signed what we think is the greatest comedian in the world,'' said fair board member Rob Parris.

The Cosby concert will be Aug. 23. Tickets will be $25 for track seating and $20 for grandstand seating.

With Cosby, the fair has a performer who is a proven winner in a number of entertainment fields. Cosby won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums; his book ``Fatherhood'' was a best-seller; and he broke the color barrier on television, becoming the first African-American to have a lead role in a series with ``I Spy.'' Cosby later starred in one of the most influential TV shows in the 1980s with ``The Cosby Show.''

The fair concert series will begin Aug. 22 with the rock concert, whose performers will be announced once the contracts are signed, officials said.

After the Cosby concert Aug. 23, the series continues with Gran Tardeada on Aug. 24. Tickets are $25 for track seating and $20 for grandstand seating.

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy, who's noted for his ``you might be a redneck if . . .'' jokes, will perform Aug. 25. Tickets are $25 for track seating and $20 for grandstand seating.

On Aug. 26, Les Brown and His Band of Renown will perform. Admission is free.

The concert series will conclude on Aug. 27, with performances by country acts Tracy Lawrence and Tracy Byrd.

Tickets for all of the paid concerts will include admission to the fair. The fair will also sell $10 tickets for bleacher seats the night of each concert.

After the concert series, entertainment in the grandstands will continue with a three-ring circus, the annual Rural Olympics and the demolition derby, and a rodeo. Tickets will go on sale July 12.

To improve viewing from the grandstands, the fair moved the stage in from 110 feet away to 70 feet away. Concert capacity will decrease from about 10,000 seats to 9,000 seats as a result of the move, Bozigian said.

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6 Photos

Photo: (1--Ran in AV edition only) Bill Cosby

(2--Ran in AV edition only) Tracy Lawrence

(3--Ran in AV edition only) Jeff Foxworthy

(4--Ran in AV edition only) Les Brown

(5--Ran in AV edition only) Tracy Byrd

(6--Ran in AV edition only) Tom Jones