Concert committee chairman Jeff Katz announced Wednesday morning that music legend Paul Simon will appear at Doubleday Field on Tuesday, July 4.

Tickets for the concert will go on sale May 20.

Katz said the fact Simon was coming to Cooperstown was the "least kept secret" in the village recently.

The promoter will again be Jam Productions and the concert, he explained, will be a return to the 2004 model in which Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson sold out the landmark baseball stadium.

It's a very high profile performer and exactly kind of show the village was after, he said.

Katz said an opening act has not yet been named, but he doubted if it would be as big a name as Simon. A performer of Paul Simon's stature and the fact that he has just released his first album in years means the opening act is not likely to be as high profile.

The financial arrangements will be similar to the 2004 concert with tickets available locally from the Chamber of Commerce.

The village will receive a payment from Jam Productions of $20,000 for the stadium and expenses and $1,000 for emergency medical coverage. The village will also receive $2.00 for each ticket sold by the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber will receive $3.00 for each ticket.

Tickets will cost $50.00 plus a $5.00 surcharge to cover the village's and chamber's fees.

Katz said he expects the Chamber will have approximately 5,000 tickets to sell with the remainder being sold by Ticketmaster.

Because the concert will be on a national holiday, members of the village crew who will be working that day will be paid triple time, but even so, it will be a money-maker for the village.

"We're way ahead of the game on this one," Katz said.

"I think it's fantastic," said trustee Grace Kull.

"Jeff should be congratulated for his hard work to get this done," added trustee Stu Taugher.

"Cooperstown is thrilled to have an artist of Paul Simon's stature appear at Doubleday Field. As home the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, we welcome a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to our village," said mayor Carol Waller.

Following the brief trustees' meeting where the announcement was made, Katz said he believes that if the village is going to use Doubleday field for a concert, it has to be a great one.

If one of the reasons to have a concert is to stimulate business for local merchants, you need a concert which fills the stadium, he said. A concert like last year's that sells 3,000 tickets to primarily local residents does not stimulate the economy because those people are not staying overnight and shopping in village businesses.

Katz said he is a fan of Paul Simon's and was expecting a copy of his new album to arrive in the mail Wednesday. But he said he tries to remove his personal preferences from the mix and do what would be best for the village.

"I'd be happy to facilitate someone who would sell 11,000 tickets even if it was someone I wouldn't walk down the street to see," he said.

Katz said that some people on the concert committee said the first concert with Dylan and Nelson was an aberration, but he said he prefers to think last year's concert was the aberration.

"I believe there are artists out there like Dylan and Simon who want to be here," he said. "I feel we're going to see more guys like that. There's more money to be made at SPAC or the Pepsi Arena, but there are some who want to be here."

Katz said he believes Cooperstown is the only venue Simon will be playing in the region.

"I feel like he's a good fit. He's a great artist, who appreciates a Hall of Fame atmosphere. I'm very excited. I think it's exactly where we needed to be," he said.

Simon's musical career began in high school when he and his friend Art Garfunkel sang together as duo called "Tom & Jerry." The duo first had success in 1957 with the single "Hey, Schoolgirl", which reached number forty-nine on the pop charts while they were still in their late teens.

After graduating from high school, Simon attended college and continued to record and perform; occasionally reuniting with Garfunkel.

In early 1964, Simon and Garfunkel were signed by Columbia Records and that fall released their first album, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M."

The album had slow sales initially, but radio stations began getting requests for one of Simon's songs from the album, "The Sound of Silence." It was released as a single and eventually reached number one on the pop music charts. Together, the duo recorded several albums, including "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme," "Bookends," and "Bridge over Troubled Waters."

Simon pursued solo projects after the release of "Bridge over Troubled Waters" and periodically reunited with Garfunkel. In 1975 they released a top ten single, "My Little Town" and in 1981 performed together in their famous concert in Central Park. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a second time in 2000 for his achievements as a solo artist. In 2003, the duo received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

After his split with Garfunkel in 1970, Simon pursued his solo career and released "Paul Simon" in 1972, and "There Goes Rhymin' Simon." In 1986 he released the album "Graceland" for which he won a Grammy Award.

Two days ago, Simon's released his new studio album, "Surprise." It is his first album since 2000 and was produced in collaboration with Brian Eno. According to the website Paulsimon.com, the album contains some of Simon's best songwriting and performances since the "Graceland" album.

"Working with Brian Eno opens the door to a world of sonic possibilities; plus he's just a great guy to hang with in the studio, or for that matter in life. I had a really good time," said Simon.

"Surprise" was recorded at Eno's studio in London as well as studios in New York and Nashville. The album features 11 songs, including the previously Oscar-nominated "Father and Daughter."