It’s been 50 years since the Marshall Tucker Band began. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, the band will embark on their ambitious 50th Anniversary Tour, kicking off on January 12 in The Woodlands, Texas.
Doug Gray is the band’s lead singer, and the only remaining founding member of the iconic group. For Gray, the five decades have been punctuated with plenty of highs, as well as a few lows, including the recent loss of Charlie Daniels, whose death put Gray’s entire career into perspective.
“It feels like 50 years, ’cause as we lost Charlie last year, and that was devastating. We had been planning to go out, and both our agencies had been working together for such a wonderful tour with Charlie,” Gray tells Everything Nash, referring to the Fire On the Mountain Tour, which was canceled because of the pandemic. “And then all of a sudden, he’s gone, and it devastated me.”
It was Daniels who was one of the biggest supporters of The Marshall Tucker Band, from their earliest records. Gray never imagined his career without Daniels, until he unexpectedly passed away in 2020.
“We’d been friends ever since 1973,” Gray explains. “We kind of grew together. He’d go headline, and then we’d swap around and we’d headline. It was just an amazing thing.”
Gray is eager to get on the road, and in front of The Marshall Tucker Band’s loyal fans, but he admits it will be different without Daniels around for support.
“I think about him all the time,” Gray admits. “There are parts of songs that we do on stage that would’ve been his part those first four years and then he’d come up and jam with us sometimes. But this wasn’t about just who’s there and who’s playing … We’ve got the same group of people that’s even closer family, and they’re wonderful. They want to be part of the extended family cause of the warmth that they get. Not only from me, but from the entire band and the road crew.”
As The Marshall Tucker Band heads out on their 50th Anniversary Tour, Gray feels mostly gratitude for the career he has had, and the longevity the group has experienced.
“The 50-year thing is a good feeling,” boasts the singer. “It really is. We’re getting a whole lot more respect than a lot of people. Ballplayers go out there and they work hard, but you know what? We work hard. It’s not work when you’re on stage. That’s not work, ’cause you’re doing it for the people. You just have to make yourself understand that the people are the most important thing in this business.”
The 50th Anniversary Tour includes a stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on February 9. Find all of the dates and venues at MarshallTucker.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Absolute Publicity / Mariah Gray
From Feb.1974 to 1983 when Toy and Paul and George left the MTB, I saw BOTH bands 15 times!!! As I attended shows in the Nashville area,they were usually together. Wonderful memories for sure.
I’ve been a loyal member of the MTB since I saw them in 1973 on tour with The Almond Brothers band. I’ve been a faithfully follower ever since. Keep rocking boys.
Looking forward to Coach House 2022 show. Missed last year sold out. Won’t miss again!
I was fortunate enough to see the 1974 tour when they stopped in Providence R.I. in December . Heard Charlie on a radio show on the way into the city and he was saying ” People think we’re just a country band but we travel with two drummers and get it on pretty good ” and they damn sure did !
MT has been with me threw every heart ache, happiness and tears since 1974. I was too poor for a ticket so i scaled a wall and watched. Been horseback sinkng at the top of my lungs all their songs. Now I have seen them 21 times, in all different states. Including the last with Charlie at the Biltmore NC…drove from Wyoming just to see them together. Got my 2nd row seats for Phoenix with my bbf who I saw them with 20 years ago on my birthday in March..keep playing boys..❤❤❤❤❤❤🧡🧡🧡💛
I was fortunate to have known the late Dave Pastore of Pastore Music. Dave had many bands come by his store in Union City, NJ for équipement or to get équipement fixed at Dennis Electronics. From the Allman Brothers to Marshall Tucker band and many more Southern bands. My brother and I would pick up or deliver gear to shows when they were in the area. Sometimes the tour bus would come by in the middle of the night. I had gone to several MTB shows always getting all access crew passes. I had an open invitation to any show anytime. I hadn’t seen MTB in about 10 years and when they played a festival in South Amboy NJ I went.I passed a note to his tour manager and I was immediately waved back stage by Doug. We only talked a little about Dave and old times because he had surgery on his vocal chords. When they played I was on the stage just like in the past. When they played Can’t you see I closed my eyes and it was like the old days. It is so much different watching and listening on stage. You get to see all the fun. That day wasn’t any different. The mike on the drum set had loosened and the sound guy went and fixed it. As soon as he turned to go back to the monitor board the guitar guy hit it down. The sound guy went and fixed it again. As soon as he turned around the guitar player hit ot again. I couldn’t stop laughing as it happened 4 times. I will always be grateful that I got to meet the original MTB members from the beginning. Good luck on the upcoming tour and hopefully the open invitation is still open.