RICHMOND —
When the group Exile performs at the EKU Center for the Arts on Saturday at 7 p.m., it will be a homecoming of sorts for the band, originally called the Exiles, that formed in Richmond in 1963.
Exile is coming to Richmond on behalf of the Kentucky Riverkeeper, a conservation group headed by local artist and activist Pat Banks.
“We thought this would be a great opportunity to bring Exile back and also to support our mission of advocacy for the Kentucky River,” Banks said. “All profits from the concert are going to support this incredible river.”
Exile’s history is very much a part of the music scene of the 1960s in Richmond. J.P. Pennington, guitarist and vocalist, is the only original member still with Exile. Although Exile played at a Richmond Fourth of July celebration some five years ago, he says he is very much looking forward to coming back again to his old “stomping ground.”
What can the audience expect from Exile on Dec. 8?
“Well, the reason we are still around is we’ve been lucky enough to have a number of radio hits. We try to remain true to the music, so the show will include six or seven of our hit songs,” Pennington said. Local fans will remember their biggest hit was “Kiss You all Over” from 1978, but other hit songs include “Woke Up in Love,” “She’s a Miracle,” and “Hang Onto Your Heart.”
The audience can also expect to hear several a capella gospel numbers.
“We really like to harmonize on those,” he said. And then there will be a medley of Motown music that was a big influence on the musicians as they were growing up.
Exile has a new Extended Play (EP) recording called “People Get Ready,” that will be available at the concert. Pennington describes this as an old Rhythm and Blues song performed a cappela with “just a tiny bit of guitar.” Fans can also purchase a CD featuring 10 of Exile’s Greatest Hits.
Many of Exile’s songs are written by Pennington, often in collaboration with bassist Sonny LeMaire. Quite a few of their songs have been recorded by other artists, including the group Alabama on “The Closer You Get,” and “Take Me Down.”
Pennington and Exile are looking forward to 2013 when the group will be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame at Renfro Valley. This is a special honor for Pennington, because his group will be following in the footsteps of his late mother, Lily May Ledford of the original Coon Creek Girls.
In 1965, these homeboys were invited to travel with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, playing shows in and around Kentucky. They continued touring nationally with the Caravan of Stars until 1968, opening shows and playing backup for well known artists of the day. Finally in 1978, Exile made the big time with its hit recording of a rock pop ballad called “Kiss You All Over.” Today, Exile plays at venues large and small all over the country, Pennington said.
Kim Clouse, now an art teacher at Berea Community School, recalls that “we grew up listening to Exile. When I was a little girl, it was the first live music I ever heard. I thought they were fabulous,” she said.
As she got older and all through her college years, Clouse said she and her best friend went everywhere the band played. A fan to this day, she is the proud owner of five Exile albums purchased on eBay.
Michele Thompson Gore recalls that Exile played for Model Laboratory School’s senior prom the year she and Clouse graduated in 1975.
“We were very glad we got Exile. They were very popular regionally and were just becoming successful.”
A check with the box office at EKU Center for the Arts shows that tickets are selling well at $25 each. Pat Banks encourages everyone to come out to hear Exile live and in person while also supporting the mission of the Riverkeeper.
Local News
Related Photos
-
The five members of Exile, a group formed in Richmond nearly 40 years ago, will present a concert Saturday at the EKU Center for the Arts to benefit the Kentucky Riverkeeper, a conservation group.
Fans can enjoy Exile concert and support mission of Riverkeeper
- Local News
-
-
State champs get their rings at YMCA breakfast
Two months may have passed, but Madison County continues to celebrate the state basketball championship won by the Madison Central boys team.
Team members were presented championship rings while their cheerleaders received pendants Saturday morning during a breakfast at the Telford YMCA attended by nearly 300. -
Sand artist, pastry chef wow audience at cake expo
Joe Castillo dazzled audiences while performing at Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for the Arts Saturday during the Grace with Taste Cake Expo.
Castillo, along with pastry chef Stella Parks, were the entertainment acts at the expo early in the afternoon. -
District urges students to ‘PowerMyLearning’ through the summer
Sixteen little penguins need help jumping from iceberg to iceberg as a hungry killer whale swims menacingly in the chilly water below.
The fate of the poor little penguins lies in the hands of a third-grade student, who must quickly find the answer to a math equation to lead the penguins to safety. -
Vietnam vets mark Armed Forces Day
In the 1960s and ‘70s, when many campuses around the country were the scene of anti-war riots and demonstrations, Eastern Kentucky University was naming buildings and streets for its alumni who had died fighting for their country.
-
GREAT bridges gap between cops, preteens
Bridging the gap between public misconceptions about police officers and the reality of what’s behind the uniform can be a daunting task. But, a growing program at Madison County middle schools is helping break down those barriers.
-
Exit 95 rebuild delayed until 2017
Originally scheduled for 2014, the reconstruction of Exit 95 on Interstate 75 won’t take place until 2017, Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark told a joint meeting of the Richmond and Berea chambers of commerce Friday.
The state Transportation Cabinet is delaying the project, Clark said, until a decision is made on the proposed highway that would run from Exit 95 to Nicholasville. -
Toyota bornlearning Academy graduates parents
Seven graduates received their certificates Thursday night, but not with the customary rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
It was a celebration of the parents’ six-month journey with the Toyota bornlearning Academy at Berea Community School.
The academy works with parents and caregivers of children from prenatal to 5 years old on ways to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities. -
Caudill Middle School student showcase
Members of the Caudil Middle School Jazz Band entertain the crowd during the school's end of year student showcase Thursday.
-
Man arrested Friday after early morning break-in
Richmond police made an arrest Friday in connection with an early morning break-in at Jack’s Cleaners on West Water Street.
Scott Hobbs, 42, of McKee, was charged with first-degree burglary, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock
At 3:25 a.m., a witness reported seeing a man enter and exit the cleaners through a broken window and drive away, Brock stated in a news release. -
Grand jury indicts inmates in jail assault
Two inmates at the Madison County Detention Center were indicted Wednesday on charges related to the beating of another prisoner.
A Madison grand jury indicted 28-year-old Justin Morgan Howell and 26-year-old Lucas Wayne Shanks on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree escape and second-degree persistent felony offenders. - More Local News Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
