Collin Raye is coming our way

Collin Raye has sold millions of records. He has received numerous awards and nominations from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. He has played concerts in all 50 states.

But his show in the E Center on Saturday has the potential to truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "I'm excited and anxious, but not nervous," Raye said by phone from his home in Greenville, Texas. "You just want to do it right."

Raye and his band will be playing with a 40-piece orchestra. The event will benefit The Power in You Foundation, Utah first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman's nonprofit organization. And to top it off, the show will be recorded for a live CD and DVD release.

"I'm so excited about that," Raye said." It's something I've always wanted to do since I began my career in 1991. To do one with a great orchestra like that, doing this kind of music. . . . A lot of my fans have wanted me to do this for a long time."

To prepare for the big event, Raye and his band have been rehearsing strictly for the West Valley show. Raye has played with an orchestra before, but some of his bandmates haven't. "You have to retrain everybody for that type of show."

The key, he said, is to make sure everyone is musically at the top of their game. "You can't make a mistake. We have to make the boys really get on their p's and q's. . . . It makes you a better musician. And it gives me a chance to play songs I don't get to play."

Traditionally, Raye likes to concentrate during his live shows on what he calls the "Garth concept" (as in mega-star Garth Brooks). That is, showmanship first, music second. But in this case, he said, his band will be thinking musically. "I believe in a real high-energy show. You can make beautiful slow songs high energy as well. It's not about fast song versus slow song. It's about passion and energy pouring into what you're doing."

But that doesn't mean fans should expect a show of all ballads. "The Power in You is about inspirational songs. The audience that night gets two separate things, in a way. The first part of the show will be the Power in You and we'll be playing songs like 'Not That Different,' 'The Gift,' 'I Think About You,' 'Love Me' — ones that have had an impact on people."