HURON — After a successful stretch riding saddle broncs, country singer Chancey Williams left the tough world of professional rodeo cowboy for a different type of performance. One that has had just as strong a pull and accumulates much fewer bumps and bruises.
Williams and the Younger Brothers Band are the opening act for country mega-star Toby Williams on Friday night at the South Dakota State Fair. Williams and company are set to take the stage at the grandstand at 7 p.m. and he is looking forward to being back at the Fair.
“Yeah, we did actually play there once before,” he said last week via telephone from his home in Wyoming. “We opened for Alabama one year and really enjoyed playing there at the State Fair.” The group was enjoying a rare break in a hectic summer schedule that will take them to Montana, Nebraska and back to Wyoming before setting sail for Huron.
The group has just earned the Rocky Mountain CMA Entertainer of the Year award and the band’s latest album “Rodeo Cold Beer” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Mountain Heatseekers chart, and No. 7 on the iTunes Country Albums chart.
“We’ve been together as a band for more than 10 years,” Williams said. “I was singing with the group for a short time while still out cowboying.” Williams won titles at the National High School and National College Finals Rodeos and also won two rounds at the prestigious Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

When the band later performed at Frontier Days, Williams became only the second person - Chris LeDoux was the first — to both ride and entertain at the event.
“I loved to ride and enjoyed some success,” Williams said, “but being a professional rodeo cowboy is difficult to say the least. You can be really good and still not do well enough to get paid. It’s a tough way to live.”
Luckily he had a second love to fall back on and since the band released its first album, “Echo” in 2013, they have kept a rigorous traveling schedule, including stops at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last year.
While he is looking forward to returning to the South Dakota State Fair, he is also eager to reunite with Toby Keith. “I worked for some time with Toby Keith’s record label and management,” he said. “Toby’s a good guy, and I am looking forward to catching up with him and having him perhaps see some of our show.”
Williams said that fans can expect to see a high energy show from the band. “We’re pretty fast and wild,” he said with a chuckle. “We are out there doing what we enjoy. It’s a lot of fun for us and people will see that Aug. 31.” The band will highlight songs from “Rodeo Cold Beer,” their fourth album.
Willams and the band’s drummer, lifelong friend Travis DeWitt, started the Younger Brothers Band with the humble initial goal of entering a high school talent contest. The pair had no idea it would lead to small fairs (then big fairs), small bars (then large clubs) and become a full-time career. They are joined by the amazing harmonies and lead guitar of Wyatt Springsteen and the stunning fiddle of Brooke Latka. More recently, Jay Lee Downing joined the band on bass guitar. The result is Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band, a rowdy, raucous, unapologetic, memorable stage show that is on the road pretty much all the time.
“We’re working on our next album right now and, hopefully, our success will continue.” Williams said. “I’m excited to see everyone at the Fair!”

Courtesy photo
Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band will perform Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Grandstand of the South Dakota State Fair, as the opening act for Toby Keith. It is a return trip to the Fair for the group, who also opened for Alabama several years ago.