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Faircracker SUMMER 2021 In May of this year, Thompson was selected to be the
Greg Thompson joins forces with Harmony Artists
Greg Thompson, a fixture in the Florida Fair market and
perhaps best recognized for his portrayal of ‘Slim Sweeney’ (Them Sweeney Boys/The Sweeney Family Band) has become the regional representative for Harmony Artists where he will share duties with Jerry Ross who has been working alone in the region up until now. Greg will represent Harmony Artists to the majority of the
fairs in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Jerry Ross will continue to be the representative to a few of the fairs where he has established himself, allowing Thomp- son to work with those fairs that with which he has devel- oped strong relationships. It’s a win, win, win situation,” said Thompson. “With ‘Them Sweeney Boys’ having been on the Harmony roster for some time, Jerry and Greg have worked this way for years, just not many people have been aware of this. After being raised on a tobacco farm in North Carolina,
Greg first began entertaining when starting a clogging team at the age of 14…and has been on stage ever since. In 1982, he became the very first MC for the Columbus Coun- ty Fair in his home state of North Carolina. He was working as a radio DJ at the time as well as being a popular MC for most any event in Southeastern North Carolina and North- eastern South Carolina. Finding great success in the major Florida theme parks as an entertainer, he eventually started his own entertainment agency, Vagabond Productions in Central Florida. In 2004, when a friend suggested the concept of a
“Swamp Band from Florida,” he created The Sweeney Fam- ily Band, the show becoming an instant hit. The following year, when The Sweeneys attended their first Florida Fed- eration of Fairs Conference in Tampa, Florida is when he first met Jerry Ross and Harmony Artists. “Jerry just loved the band and the concept and picked us up right off the bat” said Thompson. “We’ve been working together ever since.” While being most visible as an entertainer, Greg has con-
tinued working as a professional talent agent and producer, focusing mostly on corporate and private events. While the Sweeneys have been booked directly with Thompson by some fairs, he says that he would rather have his shows booked by other agencies. “As an entertainer, being repre- sented by an agency creates a more professional percep- tion of the show, especially for buyers who don’t know us.”
‘segment subject’ on the ABC Television Show “To Tell The Truth” as an agent for impersonators. (Thompson also pro- duces The Sunburst Convention of Celebrity Impersonators in Orlando.) “It’s our 18th year with the impersonators con- vention. That’s what sparked their interest in me.” While in Los Angeles, meeting with Ross, he was offered
a Talent Agent position with Harmony Artists. “Greg is a very personable and honest guy, has a great rapport with the buyers that know him and certainly understands the fair business,” said Ross. “He knows the booking business and with his ‘down home’ personality folks definitely relate to him. Greg has great ideas as we move forward.” Since 1975, Harmony Artists has been a full-service talent
agency specializing in representing the best of mainstage, family and educational programming. “Jerry trusts me to select acts to focus on for the fair market. With my experi- ence in the fair market, especially in the southeast, I’ve got a good handle on what will work best in this region.” You can reach Greg at
greg@harmonyartists.com or 407-226- 9088.
Be Seen, Get Noticed! Advertise in THE FAIRCRACKER,
a publication of the Florida Federation of Fairs & Livestock Shows, Inc.
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Published in SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL AD Rates for Members: One Issue
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