Country troubadour Michael Oneill has had his share of musical highs and lows. At the tender age of 24, he was the opening act for U2's first American tour. Putting together a legendary band with a who's who of country and rock music, he played with Stevie Ray Vaughn and headlined a weekly show in Los Angeles.

But fame had its price. Fifteen years ago, ONeill was a man on the run, trying to outrun success and a string of hits, brawls and lawsuits that threatened to drag him straight offstage to the slammer. He moved back to the Pacific Northwest to get his life back together.

A little older and a lot wiser, Oneill has just released a new CD that's earning rave reviews in music circles. The CD, "Ain't Leavin' Your Love," includes a title track that pays tribute to a fellow musical outlaw, the immortal Townes Van Zandt.

Oneill will make a rare appearance in Everett when he performs as the guest artist at the June 4 Hometown Hootenanny at the Historic Everett Theatre.

The theme of the June 4 show is "Superstars of Modern Country," and the program will feature music made famous by the likes of Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt and Carrie Underwood.

Oneill doesn't quite fit the "modern country" mold, with a voice that's reminiscent of Johnny Cash and lyrics that harken back to Hank Williams Sr. Still, his band is very much a part of the current country music scene.

In addition to the 6-piece Hometown Band, a fixture in every Hootenanny, the evening will showcase talented amateur singers Rebekah Ann Curtis and Kenny Randall. The band is joined by world-class fiddler Jon Parry and hot guitarist Chris Luquette for the show.

Tickets, priced at $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and military personnel, are available at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the Everett Theatre's box office, (425) 258-6766.