FLORENCE-Our July 28th Presentation of the Salt and Pepper Roots Music Celebration will feature one of the Icons of early Muscle Shoals Music, Mike O’Rear and The Skyliters. Special guest, Rev. Jerry Reeves will also bring his inspiring soul/gospel music to The Mane Room stage at 7:00 pm. Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Mike O’Rear and the Starliters were fixtures on the Alabama/Tennessee State Line Club Scene in the 60s and 70s as the Muscle Shoals Recording Studios began gaining national attention. The clubs helped support the musicians that worked in the studios and the scene started many careers for local musicians.
Mike, started his career as a musician and club owner of the Famous Club Xlll that’s now the title of the current release by Muscle Shoals touring rock band, the Drive By Truckers. Many a local musician got their start playing at O’rear’s club including Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley of DBT, and others. Billy Lawson, of the iconic, Wishbone Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals met O’rear as a young boy and with Mike’s guidance as gained much success as a songwriter.
Tickets at the door will be $20.00. Advance tickets are available for $15.00 at Counts Brothers Music in Muscle Shoals, Ye Ole General Store in Florence, and at WZZA Radio in Tuscumbia. Online advance Tickets are available at https://saltandpepperpresentsorearandreeves.eventbrite.com
Season Six of the Salt & Pepper is continuing to focus on Traditional and Roots Music and its influence on the Muscle Shoals Music Community’s Contributions to the American Soundtrack. Gospel Music, Soul, and American Pop, all genres of music, were very much a part of the sound of the Shoals and will be presented in the performances of Orear and Reeves. Both have a following in the Shoals and many anxious fans are already buying tickets on line.
0ur July 22nd 2021 event featured Grammy Award Winner for Traditional Blues, the legendary Bobby Rush and marked the beginning of a new era for the Salt and Pepper. Under the direction of former mainstays at Alabama Public Television, Bob Corley and Sandra Polizos, the music series has begun to be streamed live on YouTube. The productions will be broadcast quality and will be edited for distribution to television as well as radio. In fact March 17th marked our debut broadcast on APT.
Funding from The Alabama Folklife Association and Exe.director Emily Blejwas is making this advancement possible and the live stream of the July 28th performance will be accessible at https://youtube.com/user/RussellGulley .
Thanks to the Alabama State Council on the Arts Folklife Program for a grant to support artist fees.
There will be a limited number of seats available. The event is family friendly and students are welcome. For information contact Russell Gulley at 256-845-0203 or email, russell@russellgulley.com .
Media Release/THE SALT AND PEPPER SERIES
