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Song Harper 101613
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LUKE EDWARDS 

 

Luke Edwards began his first musical journey in 5th grade at Jefferson Elementary School (part of the Cleveland County School system) where legendary music teacher Gene Ellis held an experimental program called Instrumental Music Exploration or IME. Edwards states, “I am so glad I was there for the one year that program existed because it sparked an interest that led to me signing up for the school orchestra program under Ed Allison in the 6th grade. I signed up to learn the bass, and soon realized that the strings on an electric bass were the same as those on an upright bass. Suddenly the door to rock n roll opened and that was it!” Fast-forward to 1988, a year after graduating high school: Luke Edwards joins the adventurous heavy rock band, Animal Bag. He moved to LA to find a record deal. By 1991, the band signed a deal with Mercury records and eventually recorded 3 albums. “The grunge craze of the early 90's came along and killed off the type of elaborate, progressive metal that Animal Bag played and that was the end of the record deal.”  The band broke up, and Edwards decided to take the acoustic route by forming Tater with percussionist, John Burns. Tater fused Appalachian roots music with a variety of genres like rock, blues, and funk. After 10 years of developing a unique sound for a dedicated local and regional fan base, Tater’s sound evolved to include prominent electric guitar sounds. Tater Family Travelling Circus was born involving its core members, Luke Edwards, Jonathan Bowling, and Corbitt Richards, along with “a revolving door of other members that would float in and out randomly.”

When asked, “What advice would you give to young musicians?” Luke Edwards tells us, “I would advise any young musicians to play music first and foremost for the love of it. These days, music has become more of a commodity to be packaged and sold than an art form. After dedicating over half of my life to the serious pursuit of a musical career, I can tell you firsthand that if you are after fame and fortune you will more than likely be disappointed. I strive to leave something behind when I'm gone. I don't have any kids, so my songs are my legacy. I hope that 100 years from now when some kids are learning cover songs in their first band, maybe one of them will be mine.”

 

 

Photos by Scott Glover


 


Calling all students songwriters, musicians and singers!  We are looking for submissions to be showcased in our Cleveland County Artists feature:
email me at justin@cfmedia.info for more details.

 



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