Donald Thompson Band brings classic songs, stories to free Sunday concert

Donald Thompson (center) and his band (submitted photo)

On Sunday, Oct. 21 at 3:00 p.m., The Donald Thompson Band brings “Blues, Vintage R&B, Classic Songs and Their Stories” to the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library.

The Donald Thompson Band - which was featured on the Smithsonian's American Roots Music Tour - will be offering more than just a set of music during their performance. 

"We'll not only be playing classic songs but also tracing their history and influence," Thompson said. "Many of the songs in our set are listed in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Songs That Made Rock and Roll," Thompson said. "We'll talk about the writers, performers and geographical associations of the songs."

One song the band will be playing at the show will be the classic "Kansas City".

"The r&b/rock and roll standard 'Kansas City' was written by two Jewish teenagers Jerry Leiber and Jerry Stoller in 1952," Thompson said. "Wilbert Harrison of Charlotte, N.C., had a million-selling hit version of the song in 1959, which earned him a posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001. The song was also recorded by The Beatles, James Brown, the Grateful Dead and Elvis."

The Donald Thompson Band consists of Donald Underwood Thompson (lead vocals), Chris Jenkins (lead guitar and vocals), Tim Herring (drums), Carroll Wade (bass guitar and vocals), Jackie Johnson (keyboards) and Bill Hunneke (harmonica and vocals). 

The Kinston-Lenoir County Library is located at 510 N Queen St, Kinston. Admission to the concert is free, courtesy of Friends of the Library. Reservations are not required, but are available by calling 252-527-7066.

For more information on the Donald Thompson Band, visit www.DonaldThompsonBand.com.