By Sarah Light, staff writer

KIESTER &8212; Highly-regarded folk singer Pop Wagner will appear in concert tonight at the Kee Civic Theatre after making special requests to perform at the theater during the past couple years.

Wagner, known as The Singing Cowboy, who was a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor&8217;s &8220;A Prairie Home Companion&8221; radio show, is known for his skills as a folk singer, lasso twirler and humorist.

He most recently appeared in the &8220;A Prairie Home Companion&8221; movie, starring Garrison Kiellor, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline, and directed by Robert Altman.

Cindy Matson, a board member who helped organize the event for Wagner, said the musician decided he wanted to come to Kiester after a fellow musician, Chuck Suchy, told him the theater had good acoustics.

After hearing that, Wagner took every opportunity he could to try to come to the town and perform there, Matson said. The city didn&8217;t have to even ask him to come.

&8220;He really pursued it too,&8221; said Don Nickel, another board member.

Nickel said Wagner contacted every board member personally to find out about his

visit.

&8220;We&8217;re really hoping that people understand the chance they have,&8221; Matson said. &8220;He just wants to see the theater.&8221;

Wagner grew up in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He received his first guitar at age 14.

He started out playing at clubs and venues in the upper Midwest, and when he finished college, he moved to Minneapolis and began traveling as a full-time performer.

He was a regular on Keillor&8217;s &8220;A Prairie Home Companion&8221; for nearly 15 years into the late &8217;80s and has toured in 44 states and 10 foreign countries during the last 30 years, even performing for Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.

For more information on Wagner&8217;s background or tour schedule, visit www.popwagner.com.