JOTW Rock and Roll Trivia Question for March 9, 2009

Seven of the first eight albums by this southern rock band went gold, and two of them platinum. To date they have issued more than 30 albums (including Greatest Hits and Anthology sets). The band got their break when the opened for Wet Willie. Overnight they went from packed-out clubs to packed-out coliseums. Their debut LP sold 500,000 copies and went gold. Charlie Daniels has played fiddle on several of their songs. Two of the founding brothers in the band died tragically. Another founding member dies of cancer two years ago. The band still performs more than 100 shows a year.

The Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina and formed in 1972. The name came from the key of the previous tennant – a blind piano tuner named Marshall Tucker – who had rented the warehouse in Spartenburg, SC, where they rehersed.

The band caught a break when opening for Wet Willie at a Spartenburg club called the Ruins. Jimmy and Jack Hall from Wet Willie introduced the band's demo tape to Phil Walden at Capricorn, who signed them two weeks later.

The founding members were Doug Gray (vocalist), George McCorkle (rhythm guitarist), Paul Riddle (drummer), Jerry Eubanks (flutist), and brothers Toy (lead guitar) and Tommy Caldwell (bassist and front man). They released their first LP, The Marshall Tucker Band, on Capricorn Records. It sold 500,000 copies. Charlie Daniels, while not an “official member”, played fiddle on many of the bands early albums, and his band would often tour with MTB. Seven of the first eight albums went gold, and two of them platinum.

They were known for their songs that featured the flute, such as “Can't You See”, “”Fire on the Mountain,” “This Ol' Cowboy,” and “Heard It in a Love Song.”

Original frontman and bassist Tommy Caldwell died from injuries in a automobile crash on April 28, 1980. His brother, lead guitarist and primary songwriter Toy Caldwell, died of heart disease on February 25, 1993. Founding member guitarist George McCorkle died of cancer on June 29, 2007.

Marshall Tucker Band still plays up to 150 shows in a year, and released an album,”The Next Adventure,” in 2007 on Ramblin Records. Another album is planned for this year. Lead singer Doug Gray is the only original member in the 2009 version of MTB.

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