Summer Concert: Ray Johnston Band & The Gate Band: Montgomery, AL - 08.28.15

Live & Listen is pleased to announce that our 2015 Summer Concert will feature Ray Johnston Band (Dallas, TX) and The Gate Band (Montgomery, AL). This will be Live & Listen's fourth benefit concert in Montgomery, completing one of the original goals of establishing four annual events in the Capital City. We couldn't be more pleased to team up with The Cancer Wellness Foundation of Central Alabama once again.

Ray Johnston, a Montgomery native, has seen his musical career soar to new heights with his Dallas-based band since they began in 2009. Ray is a former walk-on player for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team. After his basketball career was cut short by leukemia, he switched his focus to music and formed the Ray Johnston Band, which recently packed the Dallas House of Blues for a special pre-release show. Johnston’s effort to build a music career while battling one of four leukemia relapses was documented by HDNet TV (now AXS TV) as an eight-part series titled “Ray Johnston Band: Road Diaries.” Johnston has dedicated “Supernatural,” a track from Against The Grain, to Be The Match and has become a spokesman for the national marrow donor program, which connects blood-cancer patients to marrow donors for lifesaving transplants. Bringing Ray back to Montgomery for our second benefit show with The Cancer Wellness Foundation is an exciting opportunity for us, and we know that Montgomery will share in that sentiment.

The Gate Band, formed in Montgomery in 1965, has been a staple in the Alabama music scene for many decades. The opportunity to bring these bands together as we begin closing out the summer on Friday, August 28th was one we couldn't pass up on. We recently caught up with Ray Johnston and Ham Wilson, founding member of The Gate Band, to provide a little more background info on the two bands.

(Ray Johnston Band - "More Crown Less Coke" - Official Music Video)

-Q&A w/ Ray Johnston-

How did Ray Johnston Band come to life back in 2009, and what were some of the early highlights for the band?

RAY: I was coming off another relapse with leukemia and didn't know if I had much time left. I was diagnosed in 2004 and had four total relapses. So I turned the part time job of RJB into full time. I hired four awesome musicians full time. At that time, I was NOT a good song writer and quite frankly thought I could make it with just having great musicians, an ok singing voice, and playing a bunch of shows. And I was more of a jam rock band guy than country. But once I took songwriting seriously and got confidence my health was good, I naturally wrote happy country music. Which is very similar to me as a person. Early highlights for the band were having a tv show "Ray Johnston Band: Road Diaries" and getting to open for Cheap Trick at SXSW 2010.

How much has your touring schedule increased since the early days? Are you approaching each year with a ballpark figure of total dates in mind?

RAY: In 2009, we did 20 or so shows. In 2010, we did around 80. In 2011, we did 50 or so, and that's when I knew the songs weren't good enough. I would say 2012 is when my songs got better and turned more country. We did around 90 shows in 2012, 110 in 2013, and 142 in 2014. We are paced to do 170 shows in 2015. I need a gas sponsor.

What does it mean to you to be a part of a rapidly growing concert series in Montgomery, aimed at raising awareness and making Montgomery a more fun place to live?

RAY: Man, its awesome! And we are live band that brings it! So I am beyond pumped! We are playing right next to Rushton Stakely Law Firm, which is where my sister works. And we might bug Golson Foshee to sit in on bass and Buddy Barnes can be our water boy. Thats random and awesome! Man the downtown Montgomery growth is just great. Allows me to show off my home city to my band and be extra proud. RJB has had 5 songs on the Texas charts, one song licensed by University of Alabama, one song licensed by ESPN, a song recently played on the TV show "Nashville", and our songs have easy sing a long melodies. I will be smiling ear to ear on August 28th. Especially since the show will be in an air conditioned inside venue. Go MA Eagles and Roll Tide!

-Q&A w/ Ham Wilson - Founding Member of The Gate Band-

How did The Gate Band come to life back in the Summer of 1965, and what were some of the early highlights for the band?

HAM: Mitch Alton, Penn Cook, and I started playing music together in Jr High School in the early 60's. We were influenced by singing cowboys, Hank Williams, Everly Brothers, The Beatles, and the British Invasion. Tom Brantley and I had a soul cover band in high school called "Southern Comfort." Mitch rejoined the band, and we began playing more California rock like The Byrds, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Grateful Dead, and Beatles' tunes. I had a rock band in college and eventually Tom Brantley, Mitch, and Jay Nettles started playing together. I joined them in Tuscaloosa in the Summer of 1974 and The Gate Band began playing 4 to 5 nights a week for several years.

We started playing a lot of Texas music, picked up by going to several Willie Nelson picnics in Texas and being introduced to Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Doug Sahm, and Delbert MCClinton. We continued to transition into more Grateful Dead and Gram Parsons music. We added Orville Cain on drums, Carl Tesch on keyboards, and Rick Byrd on pedal steel guitar.

We have played with Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, opened for Leslie West and Mountain, Dwight Yoakham, and even an early Widespread Panic show. We have played shows and clubs all over Alabama, Florida, Nashville, Atlanta, etc.

How busy was your touring schedule in the early years? When did you have to decide whether or not to pursue the dream full-time?

HAM: The band quit touring in the early 1980s on a regular basis, but has continued to play several times every year. We recorded 2 albums which included original material. Greg Pappas, a long time friend, began playing with us in the 1990's and Bill Marshall (guitar) and Dwight Williams (bass) from the original Locust Fork Band joined us about the same time. We continue to play special events and shows when we can.

What does it mean to you to be a part of a rapidly growing concert series in Montgomery, aimed at raising awareness and making Montgomery a more fun place to live?

HAM: Montgomery has always had a great music scene. It is exciting to see a growing popularity of live music events in Montgomery. We really appreciate what you guys are doing.