An Interview With Preacher Stone Guitarist Marty Hill - Rock Legends Cruise
Written by Hank "Hitman" Hart
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
For the recent Rock Legends Cruise, our editor Teri Merchant, suggested it may be a good idea to interview the up and coming band, Preacher Stone. I’m glad I did and lead and slide guitarist, Marty Hill was very gracious in responding to my request.
Hitman: Marty, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. I heard nothing but rave reviews about your performance on the Rock Legends Cruise. Before I go into that, how about giving the readers of Southern Fried Magazine a little intro to the members of your band, which I believe if I’m correct, got started back in 2008?
Marty: Sure, I started the band in 2008 and Ronnie Riddle was the only thought as the lead singer for obvious reasons. We have had many great players with us through the last three years. The original drummer in the band, Mark Hill, is back with us. Also, currently playing with Ronnie and I, are Arda Bagcioglu on the other lead guitar, and Kenny Sparks on bass.
Hitman: You are known as a “classic rock sounding band with a touch of southern flavor”.... am I close, yes?
Marty: Yes, you are. Ronnie and I wanted to try and capture the sound of our favorite bands while adding a modern feel.
Hitman: It had to be a real thrill then, playing on the same ship as some “Southern Rock” legends such as Dickie Betts, Marshall Tucker, and The Outlaws…and Marty, I heard you did a kick ass job when you got on stage with Marshall Tucker for “Can’t You See”.
Marty: It was probably one of the most exciting moments for me while on the ship! My wife Zane is a HUGE MTB fan, and I wanted to get some video for her. Instead of grabbing a guitar, I grabbed the camera. They were nice enough to let me stay on stage with the camera through out the song. I am glad I got to do it, because now MTB fans can not only see the performance, but enjoy from the perspective of the band!
Hitman: A common question I ask all I interview…who was it that made you want to be a musician? What bands, what musicians?
Marty: Lynyrd Skynyrd for me and guitarists like Allen Collins, Mark Farner and Leslie West. I know for Ronnie, it was bands like Molly Hatchett and Thin Lizzy. And players like Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott and Molly Hatchet guitarist Dave Hlubek.
Hitman: For guys such as yourself, growing up loving this southern rock music, what were your highlights of the cruise?
Marty: For me, I always wanted to meet Pat Travers. I did get to meet him and hang out for a bit and he was a great guy. Also, Craig McGregor of Foghat. Ronnie was thrilled to meet Dave Hlubeck of Molly Hatchett. I know that was one of the highlights for him.
Hitman: For those who may not have seen the band live, they may unwittingly have heard you; its your music used for the show “Sons of Anarchy”, isn’t it?
Marty: Yes, on Season 3, episode 3, SOA used our song “Not Today“. It is the scene, where the mechanics are listening to the song in the bike garage as other cast members are discussing things over with the DA. We were huge fans of the show before they called us, so you can imagine how thrilled Ronnie and I, and the rest of Preacher Stone was to have this happen.
Hitman: That’s a cool logo you guys have with the guns and horns on the end, looking like a Steer skull…almost like The Outlaws! Who came up with that idea?
Marty: My wife Zane designed our logo, creating an optical illusion. Your eyes see a cow skull with horns until you look at it a little longer.
Hitman: Getting back to the cruise, I’m guessing you’d like to play on another one? Hopefully there will be one, or is the talk accurate about Lynyrd Skynyrd doing another “Simple Man Cruise"?
Marty: There is going to be another Simple Man Cruise in October 2012, and we would certainly like to be included in the line up!
Hitman: Besides the “Southern Rock” bands, it had to be a blast seeing one of my all time favs…George Thorogood. He can still bring it, can’t he?
Marty: He does!! He was one of the most popular shows on the cruise and sounded great!
Hitman: I guess the one uncertainty about doing a cruise is the weather…it was pretty nice, but I guess there were some high winds!! What problems does that present for you or the road crew?
Marty: On stage I had to stand with my feet apart as the boat swayed. It made you feel intoxicated. I think it was the same for most including passengers, but overall the weather was nice.
Hitman: I guess you didn’t have to worry about gaining too much weight, which is a common thing on cruises, with you guys playing your butts off, but I heard the food, the booze, everything was first rate!
Marty: Yes, it was all first class and very organized. The people working on the ship bartending, etc., they have the hard jobs as we see it. Everyone onboard was very gracious and it was like one giant family.
Hitman: Okay, what’s the rumor I heard about the upcoming season of American Idol?
Marty: Well, our bass player for the last couple years, Josh Sanders, tried out in Charleston, SC, and he made it through. So far he is still in and we are excited as it gets closer to the show airing in January to see how he does. We wish him all the luck and we will miss him being in the band!! We are excited to now have Kenny Sparks joining the band on bass.
Hitman: You released a CD in 2011, entitled “Uncle Buck’s Vittles”…any more touring to support that coming up, and when or if do you have plans for the next CD?
Marty: We have a couple of things in the works right now. A trip to Canada , a trip out west to Nevada and have been asked to come to Europe. It takes time to get the Europe thing in line, so we are in the planning stages now. We are also working on the 3rd CD, for which most of the songs are already written.
Hitman: One thing you want our readers to know that I haven’t asked?
Marty: People ask about line up changes for the band. The core of Preacher Stone began as myself and Ronnie as principle song writers. We have had many great musicians join us along the way.
Hitman: My one question that’s become a tradition: You are stranded on a desert island with a boom box, unlimited batteries, but can only have one CD; which one is it and is it unanimous among the band, or you all would pick something different?
Marty: We would pick different ones, but for me, Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Second Helping” or “One More from the Road“.
Hitman: Thanks for your time, stay in touch, our magazine would love to help in any way we can to keep you in the minds and ears of our listeners.
Marty: Thanks Hank you are very welcome and thanks to you and your readers for keeping Southern Rock alive and well!
Funeral services were held Monday for the longtime keyboardist for the Charlie Daniels Band who was killed in a car crash last week. Family and friends gathered for a memorial service for William Joel "Taz" DiGregorio at the Harpeth Hills Funeral Home with burial to follow at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens.
DiGregorio died Thursday night in a single car crash in Cheatham County. Investigators said he was driving to meet the band's tour bus when his SUV went off the road and into a ditch before striking a tree. The band was about to leave for Cumming, Georgia, for a concert appearance at the Cumming Country Fair and Festival on Thursday night.
The 67-year-old was an original member of the band for more than 40 years and a co-writer of many of their songs including "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." He was survived by his mother, two sisters, wife and four children.
The family has asked that donations be made to the Nashville Humane Association or the charity of choice. There is an online guest book for Taz if you'd like to offer your condolences or share your comments.
~ Thank You Taz ~
Dedication written by Charlie Daniels for his good friend Taz on his Facebook page. Borrowed with permission. Thank you Charlie.
This is the hardest soapbox I've ever written.
This morning about 4:15am I got the news that I had lost one of my oldest and dearest friends, Taz DiGregorio. He was killed in a one-car accident on I-40, East of Nashville when he was driving to catch our tour bus to go on the road.
As I write this, I am still somewhat in shock and have not fully accepted that there will be an empty spot on stage right where Taz's keyboards set for over forty years.
I honestly don't know what it's going to feel like when I walk back on stage for the first time without him, but one thing I do know, the music will go on, but it will never be quite the same.
Taz's wailing organ and rowdy piano were a mainstay in The CDB style since our very first records in the early 70's.
His tender piano intro to "Carolina I Remember You", his jazzy organ solo on "Birmingham Blues" and the signature riff he wrote for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" were as much a part of The CDB sound as the songs themselves.
I traveled a good part of the world with Taz. We've been broke down on the roadsides of America, stranded by an air traffic controller's strike in Paris, stood together at the Berlin Wall and the 38th Parallel, walked the streets of Hong Kong, London, Amsterdam, Dublin, Juarez, Sydney, and a thousand little towns you've probably never even heard of.
We've stormed the Big Apple, the Big Easy, the Rockies, the Smokies, Clamtown, Beantown, the Midlands and the Maritimes and lit up the Daddy of 'Em All in Cheyenne Wyoming.
We've been in jail in Louisiana, rained on in Raleigh, shot at in Baghdad and left behind a trail that stretches millions of miles, thousands of shows and zillions of memories.
Taz was there through some of the toughest stretches of my life, when my dad died suddenly, through my battles with cancer and stroke and during the years it took me to pay off massive debts from a bad business arrangement.
Conversely, he shared some of the highest moments of my life, when my son was born, when we had our first gold record, when I was inducted into the Musician's Hall of Fame and when I became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
At this early stage of the game, it's hard for me to think about what the future will be like without Taz in it, but I know one thing…
There is an empty place in my life today that nobody else will ever fill.
I will miss you my friend.
Love never dies.
William Joel DiGregorio
Born January 8, 1944
Southbridge, Massachusetts
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