Soul Mainstays The Commodores Honoured In Home State Of Alabama
The celebrated soul stars were recognised both in Montgomery and in Tuskegee, where they were formed.
Two cities in Alabama have honoured one of the state’s most famous musical exports, the Commodores. Tuskegee, the city where the group were formed, declared 29 March to be Commodores Day, while Montgomery has bestowed honorary resident status to the band members and given them keys to the city.
The Commodores’ Walter “Clyde” Orange, James Dean “JD” Nicholas and William “WAK” King were present in Tuskegee for a celebration of the group’s legacy at the Commodore Museum. This living memorial is located on the site of what was once their recording studio in the city, where they also rehearsed and practised their dance moves.
“It is really great to see the place where the group was born!” said the Commodores in a collective statement. “It still feels like home 50 years later, to the point where we didn’t want to leave!”
The soul outfit was formed by college students at Tuskegee Institute, a little over 50 years ago, going on to be signed by Motown Records and enjoying tens of millions of record sales.
The museum was opened in 2015 after much groundwork by the Commodores’ former bodyguard Johnny Bailey, who told AL.com at the time: “This building needs to be a museum. You think about what came out of this building. ‘Easy,’ ‘Three Times a Lady,’ ‘Steel,’ ‘Brick House,’ ‘Zoom,’ ‘Jesus Is Love,’ ‘Fancy Dancer,’ ‘Sweet Love,’ all those hits came out of here.
“I mean, when I walk in sometimes it just amazes me that this was the actual studio and it’s still existing, you know, and set up for tourists to come in and be able to see it.”
The group continue to tour extensively, performing their countless signature hits. Here’s a list of their forthcoming engagements on their Greatest Hits Tour – Live:
24 May – Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Reno, NV
1 June – Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, CA
14 June – San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, CA
12 July – IP Casino Resort Spa, Biloxi, MS
16 July – Village Green, Elk Grove Village, IL
10 August – Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center, West Allis, WI
18 August – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
25 August – Embarcadero Marina Park South, San Diego, CA
30 August – Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, Salem, OR
10-15 February 2020 – Ultimate Disco Cruise, Miami, FL
Explore our Commodores Artist Page.
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