CARIBOU – With the change in weather, chances are that when singer B.J. Thomas performs Saturday at the Caribou Performing Arts Center, it’ll be snow flurries rather than raindrops falling on his head.

The 60-year-old singer, best known for pop hits “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “Hooked on a Feeling” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” as well as country hits “Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love” and “New Looks From An Old Lover,” will perform two shows at 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Tickets are $15.

Thomas has sold more than 70 million records, had two platinum records, 11 gold records, and won five Grammy Awards. His latest album, “B.J. Thomas’ Greatest Hits” was released last February.

The B.J. Thomas concert is being sponsored by the Council for the Arts, a Caribou-based organization, which has been striving for the last three years to promote the arts in Aroostook County.

“When you have art, culture and music, it really helps with economic development,” said Dottie Fitzgerald, chairwoman of the council, during a telephone interview Saturday.

In the late 1990s, Caribou was struggling economically after the closure of Loring Air Force Base in nearby Limestone.

“We needed a pep rally for our town,” Fitzgerald said.

A consultant was brought in and among his recommendations was that the city make greater use of the 900-seat performing arts center.

Performers were brought in, but the success was sometimes less than hoped for.

“If people don’t recognize [the performers], the less likely [people] are to come,” said Fitzgerald, adding a limited budget restricted what the council could do.

“We had a problem bringing in performers and having them pack the house,” she said.

Fund-raising within the public and private sector have helped the organization build its budget and go for bigger name acts.

“The Council prefers to work with entertainers who have a recognizable name,” Fitzgerald said. “We were able to take that gamble and bring in performers who cost a little more.”

The change seems to be paying off. A concert in July by America was a sellout.

Fitzgerald said the council is hoping for equal success with Thomas, who is as popular with pop, country and gospel music fans.

“We’re getting a reputation that we’re going to sell out performances,” Fitzgerald said. “People know that when we bring in a performer, we’re really going to do it right.”

Tickets for the B.J. Thomas concert are available at Food Trend stores in Caribou, Houlton and Presque Isle, Pieces of Eight in Presque Isle, Ezzy’s Music Shop in Van Buren, Robert’s Jewelry in Madawaska, at the chambers of commerce in Fort Kent and Caribou, or by phone at 800-722-7648.