Submitted photo The Marshall Tucker Band is shown in concert.
The songs were born nearly half a century ago, but remain steadfast in the current culture and consciousness, thanks to television shows such as “The Voice” and “American Idol” and various movie soundtracks the past 15 years.
Doug Gray, 74, an original member of the jazzy, bluesy, southern rock Marshall Tucker Band, never quite figured that hit tunes such as “Can’t You See” from 1973, “Heard It In a Love Song” from 1977, and “Fire On the Mountain” from 1978 would be given new legs in an industry where born-again classics still remain something of a rarity.
“It’s kind of crazy,” the lead vocalist said, speaking by phone from his home on a rare day off in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, just outside Myrtle Beach. “We’re currently booking shows in November 2023.”
In just one month on Pandora recently, the band recorded more than 260,000 downloads or streams.
The current group, together now for more than 25 years (compared to eight years for the original ensemble), brings its 50th Anniversary Tour to Brown County Music Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday for perhaps a 90-minute performance.
“We always do the songs that make the charts,” Gray said, though he added that he group has never repeated the same concert setlist. ” … I’m sure you know that we used to live like a bunch of redneck alcoholics running down the road in a Dodge van while looking like we just decided to get up and start dancing and have a good time.
“Well, we have always had a good time, OK? But now, we have families and grandkids.”
And fans as young as teens, including one girl who recently told him at a post-concert autograph table that her grandfather proudly showed her a photo of him and Gray after a concert in 1973.
Gray is regularly amazed by fans’ fierce loyalty. And fans sometimes are amazed by Gray’s sincere appreciation and what has become known as warm and friendly “Doug hugs” for those having a rough concert day, complete with commemorative T-shirts to mark the close encounter. Proceeds from the souvenirs go to the Native American Heritage Association.
“Music was supposed to heal the world, you know?” he said. “And I can tell you that it really can.”
Even after 50 years, he said he maintains an energy greater than most performers half his age.
“I want you to show me one person other than Mick Jagger who can get up every night and do what I do,” he said.
The Vietnam veteran remains especially proud that the band has visited war-torn areas such as Iraq to play for American troops. A number of years ago there, a young, female staff sergeant approached Gray to thank him for the show that flooded her with childhood memories.
“My mom reminded me that she would always strap me in the car seat and play you guys’ music over and over,” she said.
Gray swears the band members never have had a serious fight, and still loves the spontaneity of a live show so much that the guys have stretched some performances to Springsteenesque proportions.
“I can tell you that a while back, we broke our own three-hour (concert) record,” he said. “We just got a little excited. And nobody’s gonna tell a crowd of 6,000 people, ‘Sorry, folks — their time is up.’”
He laughed easily and bounced from story to story like a back porch grandpa. Even though he joked that he’s “a million years old,” he has been known to remember some concertgoers from one year to the next, and remind them of their meeting.
“I think one thing that really keeps me going is the fact that I appreciate our people so very much,” he said. “And I don’t believe our current success is just because of longevity. People just want to hear good songs.”
When Gray was 7 years old, good songs meant those from James Brown, which he sang with all his heart.
“You know there’s no difference between black and white when it comes to good music, right?” he asked.
That partly explains how he worked to get B.B. King to open for the group off and on through the years. Other varied openers and good friends have included Charlie Daniels and Spyro Gyra.
As much as Gray loves to talk, there is no talk of retiring from the road. Besides, he’s already got concerts to do a year from now.
About the concert
Who: Marshall Tucker Band
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Brown County Music Center
Information and tickets: browncountymusiccenter.com
