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TRYON—Area musicians will take the stage at the Tryon Fine Arts Theater on April 20 to provide a special concert to support Steps to HOPE, a Columbus-based nonprofit supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. The concert will provide 75 minutes of classics, jazz and original music and mark a performance reunion for band members Jackie Marston, David Dix and Jeff Browder, who will be joined by several of the finest musicians in the Foothills area.

The reunion comes 45 years after they last took the stage together. Jackie Marston (lead singer), David Dix (drums) and Jeff Browder (percussion) were all in their twenties when their show band Deep South was crisscrossing the country performing in all the big hotel conference centers and nightclubs. When the “show band” scene began to die down and the band members went their separate ways, the music didn’t stop, and neither did their friendships. 

Jackie and her family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she opened for many of the great Vegas acts⎯Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers, George Carlin, and Don Rickles to name a few. She began writing and became an accomplished lyricist for movie soundtracks and advertising campaigns, with nearly one hundred songs in her catalog. Presently, two of her songs are being considered for Vanessa Williams’ next album. 

When David was just 15, the first edition of the Southern rock band The Outlaws (then called David and the Diamonds) was formed. Just two years later, David and his band (re-named The Outlaws) opened for Janis Joplin! David left the band and joined Deep South. As luck would have it, before too long The Outlaws landed their first record deal, and David left the show band circuit to rejoin the group that he had founded as a teenager. During 10 years with The Outlaws, David and his bandmates became the premier southern rock band, collecting four gold records and headlining major venues throughout the United States and Europe. David rejoins The Outlaws for several concerts each year.

When Deep South disbanded, Jeff returned to Florida and began playing with singer/composer Bertie Higgins (Key Largo). He then joined a former bandmate to create a Top 40 cover band and recorded an album featuring the late Robbie Steinhardt (Kansas) and David Muse (Firefall, Marshall Tucker Band). Jeff has kept the music fires burning throughout the last several decades playing part-time with duos, trios and a jazz exotica group.

When Jackie, David and Jeff found themselves together in North Carolina after 45 years, they decided that a special concert for a very special cause was the perfect way to celebrate their reunion. Join them and locally renowned musicians on April 20 at 7 p.m. at the Tryon Fine Arts Center. It’s a concert you won’t want to miss!

 

Submitted by Terry Monkaba