Local Music Tap: Sonny Knight & The Lakers CD Party @ First Ave
With an album freshly printed, local R&B/soul group Sonny Knight and The Lakers are celebrating the release at the iconic First Avenue mainroom Saturday night.
Earlier this week, the album, appropriately entitled I'm Still Here, was released by the band's record label, Secret Stash Records, on LP, CD and digital media.
Born in Jackson, Miss., Sonny Knight, now 66 years old, has been called a "long-lost talent." Here's why: After moving to St. Paul in his early years, he recorded his debut 45 at 17 years old in 1965, but soon music had to take a backseat to three years in the army. In the mid-1970s, he joined a group called Haze, but soon opportunities dried up in the 1980s and he found work as a truck driver.
Then, in 2012, more opportunities came after Secret Stash Records put together a compilation of local soul/funk/R&B artists, called Twin Cities Funk & Soul (which was featured on Local Music Tap). The record produced a bunch of concerts that reunited musicians and singers, like Knight, who were giving the opportunity to perform for a new generations. Soon, Knight and Secret Stash's Eric Foss formed the octet now called Sonny Knight and The Lakers.
Now, after numerous gigs and residencies, the band is tight, gaining momentum and has an 11-song album under its belt.
"Sometimes I wonder, why me? Why are all these great things happening now? All I can say is thanks. These are dreams that I had forgotten. Only now that they are starting to come true do I remember that I had them at all," Knight said.
Watch an expanded version of Sonny Knight and The Lakers (with two more singers, a percussionist and two dancers) take on the First Avenue's mainroom this Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. Special guests include The Honeydogs and Southside Desire. It's an 18-plus event and you can buy tickets for $10 here or $15 at the door!
Also, watch the band perform their song "Hey Girl" @ The ICEHOUSE below!
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Local Music Tap is a blog aimed at promoting Minnesota-based musicians, bands, shows and events. If you have music blog ideas, please email cepremo@wcco.com or leave a comment below. Also, follow the Local Music Tap on Twitter and on YouTube.
