LEWISTON — On Thursday, July 7, L/A Arts will begin its free Sounds of Summer noontime concert series with Rod Picott, who was invited to be the opening act for Alison Krauss and Union Station on their 1997 tour.

The concert will be in Fountain Park, the courtyard next to DaVinci’s Eatery. If it rains, it will be moved to the Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St.

Picott, a former construction worker and sheetrock hanger from South Berwick, was exposed to an eclectic mix of music growing up. Throughout his late teens and early twenties he played the music scene between Portland and Boston. The music of his youth and his experiences as an adolescent heavily influenced his hard-hitting, authentic musical depictions of blue collar life.

He studied the song craft while living in Boulder, Colo., before settling in Nashville in 1994. There, he hosted a weekly showcase called “Rod Picott’s Fireside Whiskey Hour.”

Picott and Slaid Cleaves co-wrote the song “Broke Down,” which became the most played song on Americana radio when released on Rounder Records in 2001. It won the Song of the Year award at the Austin Music Awards and was featured in the Brian Koppelman written and directed film “Solitary Man,” starring Michael Douglas in 2010.

Picott has released five solo CDs and one CD with duo partner Amanda Shires. He has been featured in No Depression Magazine and on BBC 2 Radio London and Sirius XM Radio. He collaborated with numerous artists who have recorded his songs, including Ray Wylie Hubbard, and played the prestigious Shrewsbury Folk Festival.

For more information, call L/A Arts at 782-7228 or send an email to [email protected]. A complete schedule of concerts is available at www.laarts.org.