MARSHALL TUCKER PLAYS THE PRINCESS!

There's nothing bad I can think of to say about Saturday night's Marshall Tucker concert at the Princess Theatre in Harriman, TN; except that there wasn't enough seats for everyone that wanted to attend.  However, the band was impressed with our Princess, the welcome we gave them, and the service provided them back stage.  

A group that included my son Corey, Johnny Stout, Jimbo Duncan, Chris Ahler, Mayor Mason, Gary Baker, others, worked until 1AM unloading and loading the equipment that arrived on two trucks!  It was a lot of hard work, but a dream come true for some who have always wanted to be on the road with a "rock'n roll" band!

I visited the auditorium frequently and found everyone rocking to both Bill Shannon's Group and Marshall Tucker.  Some said they liked Bill just as well, so the mix of entertainers must have been good!

Speaking of mix, I never dreamed there would 4 sound boards at a Princess concert!  That's right...and except of one or two squeaks, the sound, and the lighting was great!

Doug Gray, lead singer, turned out to be a real gentleman, and very personable, as was the entire group.  He loved talking to the Princess audience and the feedback he got from them.  The group played all their old hits and a few new things they have published recently.  The Princess audience impressed the band by singing the lyrics to all their old favorites!  We know how to have a good time!

Back stage the group greeted special ticket holders and posed for photos and autographs.  There were Marshall Tucker and Marshall Tucker/Princess t-shirts on sale in the lobby, and people also bought Marshall Tucker and Bill Shannon CDs.

The band marveled at the acoustics in the Princess and complemented the audience for having such a lovely facility.  The impression I got was that Marshall Tucker will come back again one day, and that they would spread the word.  They liked what that saw and felt at the Princess!

Doug Gray (lead singer) and B. B. Borden (drummer) both said that there seems to be a revival of small town theaters across the country, giving performers, like them, a lot more choices in scheduling their tour dates.  They even said the Princess Theatre was "just the right size"!  We need to spread the word that the Princess is primed, pumped, and ready to make such groups, and other performers welcome.

Okay, enough talking again on my part, so on with the photos from last night.  They run pretty much in order, from the beginning until the end!

Megan Anderson, Princess Manager, watches as the lighting goes up!

The equipment for the concert arrives!

Hours before the band arrives, the band's equipment people arrive to assemble instruments.

Bill Shannon takes the sage at the Princess!  Standing room only crowd anticipates a great evening!

Marshall Tucker Band arrives in Harriman Saturday night!

As Ken Mynatt, Johnny Stout, and Nathan Hammons look on, Chris Hicks, of Marshall Tucker arrives in "Rock'n Roll" style!  We knew it was "game on"!

Rick Willis leaves the bus and heads for the Princess for the first time!

Rick Willis and Pat Elwood look over the Princess for the first time!

Bill Shannon's Group received high praise Saturday after warming up the audience for Marshall Tucker.

B. B. Borden (BB) takes a few practice licks on his thighs prior to taking the stage!

Rick Willis loved what he saw at the Princess!

No one enjoyed themselves any more than Chris Hicks!

"That's right!  I'm at the Princess in Harriman!"

"Southern Boy" Chris Hicks came to play!

Doug Gray still having a good time even after 39 years!

All good things must end, and so did the Marshall Tucker concert Saturday!  Marcus Henderson gets an "atta boy" punch on the arm Saturday after the show!

Doug Gray thanks Mayor Mason for his hospitality and praises the Princess Theatre!

 The Marshall Tucker band is:

Doug Gray – Lead Vocals

Pat Elwood– Bass

Rick Willis– Guitar, Vocals

B.B. Borden – Drums

Marcus Henderson – Keyboards, Saxophone, Flute, Vocals

Chris Hicks - Guitar, Vocals

Muse Watson and Gary Baker celebrated their dream come true after the end of a week that included the Grand Opening and the Marshall Tucker Band concert!  Thanks guys!

Doug Gray, of Marshall Tucker, congratulated Gary Baker and Muse Watson Saturday after the concert.

This my friends, and fellow Princess lovers, is just the first of many great "nights on the town" in Downtown Harriman, Tennessee!

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE - AGAIN!

The Princess Theatre Foundation presents an inaugural concert, the first of many to come, on Saturday, March 24^th, in the newly renovated facility. The Princess Theatre Foundation will proudly present The Marshall Tucker Band to break in the newly expanded Princess stage, and season the new plaster!

The Princess Theatre doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets* cost $30 for floor seats and $20 for balcony seats. 

Tickets can be picked up at Rocky Top General Store in Harriman (316 Ruritan Road) or Harriman Jewelry Exchange (509 Roane St.).  

In the early fall of 1973 Marshall Tucker Band was a young and hungry group out to prove themselves every time they hit the stage.  They are still rockin’ today and continue to prove they are an unforgettable band!

Still led today by founding member and lead singer Doug Gray, they represent a time and place in music that will never be duplicated.  Gray is quick to credit the band's current dynamic members with carrying on the timeless essence of the Marshall Tucker Band sound.

Current members include slide guitarist Stuart Swanlund who joined the band in 1989, the highly respected drummer B.B. Borden, a former member of both Mother's Finest and The Outlaws, multi-instrumentalist Marcus Henderson of Macon, Georgia, plays flute, saxophone and keyboards in addition to lead and background vocals, Pat Elwood on bass guitar, and Rick Willis on lead guitar and vocals, both of Spartanburg SC, are disciples of the Caldwell Brothers.  Together they present a powerful stage presence as they continue to tour the country and continue to be powerful force in the world of music.

*All proceeds benefit the Princess Theatre.

HERE'S THE ANNOUNCMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

From Owen Driskill,  Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Roane State Community College:

March 6, 2012

Grand opening for Princess Theatre set for March 22

The grand opening for the renovated Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman will be Thursday, March 22.

The Princess Theatre Foundation is hosting the 7 p.m. event, which will include performances by area students and artists. Admission is free, but tickets are required.

Tickets can be picked up at Rocky Top General Store in Harriman (316 Ruritan Road) or Harriman Jewelry Exchange (509 Roane St.). Doors for the grand opening will open at 6 p.m.

The Princess Theatre Foundation also will host a fundraising concert on Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m. featuring The Marshall Tucker Band. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for floor seats and $20 for balcony seats. For ticket information, call (865) 403-2988.

All proceeds benefit the Princess Theatre.

The renovation of the 552-seat Princess, located at 421 N. Roane St., culminates a decade-long effort. The City of Harriman, Roane State Community College, the Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman, Roane County Schools, business leaders and community leaders worked together to complete the renovation. The Princess Theatre Foundation, formed in 2004, has raised money for the project and will continue to support the theatre.

The project was supported by a $317,000 grant awarded to the City of Harriman by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In addition, TVA donated $1.7 million to the Princess Theatre Foundation for the renovation following the December 2008 ash spill. Dozens of individuals have donated time and resources to the project.

Sparkman & Associates Architects Inc. designed and oversaw the renovation.

Two neighboring buildings have been connected to the theatre for restrooms, dressing rooms, green room, storage and an elevator.

The City of Harriman owns the theatre. Roane State, with the support of the Princess Theatre Foundation, operates it. Megan Anderson, a Nashville native with more than 10 years of experience in theater production, is manager of the Princess.

The renovated Princess is part of a performing arts and education center that includes Channel 15 television station, operated by Roane State and owned by the City of Harriman. The Princess and the TV station give students opportunities to receive hands-on education and training in communications.

History of the Princess

The Princess Theatre was once downtown Harriman’s crown jewel, a 900-seat showplace that provided entertainment to movie-goers from Harriman and surrounding areas.

Crescent Amusement opened the Princess in September 1926, and it was known as one of the larger movie theaters in a small town. The Princess suffered minor damage in a September 1932 fire, but was not so fortunate a few years later. In January 1939, a blaze destroyed the building, and the loss led to new theater construction in Harriman.

The Princess reopened on Nov. 16, 1939, and began showing movies once again. L.W. Bevel, from Sudekum Theatres, was the manager of the new Princess.

The Princess continued on for several years. In 1987, theatre manager Cecil Johnson began to lease the theatre when he learned that the company that owned the Princess planned to close it. The theatre stayed open until 1999 when Johnson retired.

For more information about the Princess, visit www.princessharriman.org.

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