By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

As strong as the wind blew Thursday night, it couldn't blow out the candle on the birthday cake country music artist Luke Bryan received.

Taylor Staab, 13, had heard on the radio that Bryan would be celebrating his birthday during his show at the Ellis County Fair. Since Staab had a backstage pass, provided by the Ellis County Extension office, she thought she'd give him a birthday cake.

"Somebody here (at the fair) that was making balloon hats -- I had them make one," Staab said. "I told her it was his birthday, so she made one for him."

The white cake, complete with blue icing and a candle, also doubled as a hat for Bryan, who gladly donned it during his "Happy Birthday" serenade from fans backstage.

Staab was one of 10 winners of a contest sponsored by the Extension office and its scholarship and development committee. She purchased a Clover Country CD through the office and was entered into a drawing to meet Bryan.

Along with the birthday cake, Staab also presented Bryan with a couple of birthday cards, one from her aunt and one she made.

"He was awesome. He was really friendly," Staab said after she had a T-shirt signed by Bryan.

Elizabeth Smithmoore, 13, was another winner and enjoyed meeting Bryan and getting his autograph.

"Some of us brought CDs, and some of us got passes handed to us because we didn't bring anything," Smithmoore said.

Though Kourtney Kaicy, 12, said she had met other country music stars, she was impressed by Bryan.

"(It was) cool, for a short moment," Kaicy said. "I've met a few others, but this is probably the most I've ever (done) something, meeting him."

But meeting him was only part of it. The crowd, especially women and girls, roared as he took the stage and immediately began wooing the audience.

But all of Bryan's booty shaking couldn't keep Mother Nature from putting on a show of its own Thursday night.

Bryan was a little more than a half hour into his set when the show was canceled due to an approaching thunderstorm.

Just moments before, a cold front rolled through, changing the wind from a warm, south breeze to a cold, northerly blast that threw dirt and sand from the fairgrounds into the faces of the concert-goers on the RPM Speedway track.

Bryan, a Georgia native, admitted he was scared, asking the crowd if a tornado was coming because of the strong winds.

"I don't want to wake up in 'The Wizard of Oz' tomorrow," Bryan said.

The bleachers at the track emptied as the first rain drops began to fall, but fans standing on the track near the stage continued to belt out one of Bryan's cover tunes, even as his microphone cut out.