Post by 1finemrg on Jan 26, 2023 15:58:42 GMT -5
Marshall Tucker died January 20 at the age of 99. Although he was the namesake for the Marshall Tucker Band, he never was a member.
A blind man with perfect pitch, Marshall Tucker was a trusted piano tuner for over 50 years in the Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina area. Among his clients were Liberace and Lawrence Welk.
In 1972, the original band members (then unnamed) rented a warehouse for rehearsal space. When they were given the key to the building, the words "Marshall Tucker" were engraved on the key chain. Previously, Marshall Tucker had rented the space for his piano tuning business.
The band thought the name was catchy, so they adopted the name for their band.
Sometime later, a friend of Marshall Tucker the person mentioned he noticed that Marshall would be playing a gig in town one evening. He denied it, but eventually the pieces were put together and the connection was discovered. He became a fan and a mascot of sorts.
Upon his passing, the band issued the following statement:
We are saddened to hear of the passing of someone very special to our hearts, for very obvious reasons. Our band’s namesake, Mr. Marshall Tucker, passed away peacefully yesterday morning at the age of 99. Though he was never a member of our band, we wouldn’t be here today without his historic name. In the early days when we were rehearsing in an old warehouse in Spartanburg, we found a keychain inscribed with his name. We needed a name asap… and the rest is history! Marshall was blind since birth but amazingly could play the heck out of the piano. He always said his talent was simply God-given. He tuned pianos in South Carolina for decades. We are thankful for Mr. Marshall Tucker and the life he lived! Sending blessings to his wife and family.
God Bless,
The Marshall Tucker Band
Obituary
A blind man with perfect pitch, Marshall Tucker was a trusted piano tuner for over 50 years in the Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina area. Among his clients were Liberace and Lawrence Welk.
In 1972, the original band members (then unnamed) rented a warehouse for rehearsal space. When they were given the key to the building, the words "Marshall Tucker" were engraved on the key chain. Previously, Marshall Tucker had rented the space for his piano tuning business.
The band thought the name was catchy, so they adopted the name for their band.
Sometime later, a friend of Marshall Tucker the person mentioned he noticed that Marshall would be playing a gig in town one evening. He denied it, but eventually the pieces were put together and the connection was discovered. He became a fan and a mascot of sorts.
Upon his passing, the band issued the following statement:
We are saddened to hear of the passing of someone very special to our hearts, for very obvious reasons. Our band’s namesake, Mr. Marshall Tucker, passed away peacefully yesterday morning at the age of 99. Though he was never a member of our band, we wouldn’t be here today without his historic name. In the early days when we were rehearsing in an old warehouse in Spartanburg, we found a keychain inscribed with his name. We needed a name asap… and the rest is history! Marshall was blind since birth but amazingly could play the heck out of the piano. He always said his talent was simply God-given. He tuned pianos in South Carolina for decades. We are thankful for Mr. Marshall Tucker and the life he lived! Sending blessings to his wife and family.
God Bless,
The Marshall Tucker Band
Obituary
