By: Judy Shields
Photo Judy Shields, The Hollywood Times
Nashville, Tennessee (The Hollywood Times) 06/13/2024
There is nothing like CMA Fest in downtown Nashville to start off live music, great Nashville food and walking around Broadway to check out all the bars and honky tonks!
I had the great opportunity to head over to the Dr. Pepper stage “A” to hear Exile perform several of their songs for a 30 minute set. They sounded amazing and the audience was happy to sing along with them. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon on Saturday, June 8th. We made our way through the crowd to get up closer to see Exile. They performed many of their classic hits and their most recent new single “After You” as Second Single To Radio From A Million Miles Later Album.
It is such a great song and I couldn’t wait to tell them in person what that song meant to me once I heard it. They are also celebrating their 45th Anniversary of “Kiss You All Over,” which they performed as well.
After listening to Exile perform onstage as part of CMA Fest, we had the amazing opportunity to see them perform live on the Grand Ole Opry stage. What an amazing opportunity to do that. We first met up with the band in their dressing room backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Here are some photos of entering through the Artist Entrance, which I never imagined being able to do that. But thanks to their PR rep Bev Moser of B Noticed! PR we did just that and she gave us an awesome tour like no other.
Here is our backstage Grand Ole Opry interview. Enjoy the laughter too!
After Exile performed on the Opry Stage it was time to pack up and head over to another venue called Nightlife Theater to sing along with Lee Roy Parnell, so we got to hear them again. I have to tell you, hearing them over at CMA Fest onstage and then the Grand Ole Opry, they actually had different sounds, all great and what an opportunity to have heard them live three times on that day. Fabulous!
Here is a video featuring Exile and Lee Roy Parnell:
EXILE: 60 YEAR’S OF MUSIC AND EXILE: LIVE IN CONCERT
TO BE RELEASED BY KET PRODUCTIONS
Explore the History of Exile, One of America’s Longest-Running Bands
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame members Exile to be showcased in two upcoming productions by KET (The Kentucky Network) in March. These projects commemorate the award-winning band’s 60th year anniversary as performers and songwriters. Explore the history of Exile, one of America’s longest-running bands, in two new KET productions: Exile: 60 Years of Music and Exile: Live in Concert.
“I wanted viewers of this film to know the full story, which traces the band’s history back to 1963. I feature some of their earliest recordings, like “It’s Alligator Time” and “A Game Called Hurt”, from 1966. These songs have an energy and rawness that will blow you away. The timing of making this documentary was perfect for me as the director. It coincided with the release of their new album A Million Miles Later, so it allowed me to portray just how relevant and powerful this band remains. Exile is a terrific band. We know that. But the members (both current and former) are also wonderful people. And both smart and witty. For a filmmaker, that’s a dream come true. So many people know the song “Kiss You All Over” and the band’s massive success in country music. But the band is so much more than that. That’s what I try to present to viewers. A documentary about Exile wouldn’t be fair or accurate without emphasizing the importance of their original lead singer Jimmy Stokley, who died in 1985. In many ways, he’s at the heart of this story I tell,” shared KET Producer Thomas Thurman.
It premiered Saturday, March 2 at 6:30 pm EST / 5:30 pm CST pm on KET, Exile: 60 Years of Music chronicles the band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots in Richmond, Ky., to their 1978 pop hit “Kiss You All Over” that topped the Billboard charts, to their reinvention as a hit-making country band.
More than six decades in the making, this is a tale of triumph and tragedy, musical peaks and valleys, and, most importantly, creativity and survival. Through it all, the band stayed true to themselves, their music, and their loyal audience.
Through rare photographs and home movies filmed over 50 years ago, and rarely seen archival musical footage, this documentary chronicles 60 years on the road with a true Kentucky original.
Premiered on Tuesday, March 5 at 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST, Exile: Live in Concert, recorded at the historic Renfro Valley Entertainment Center in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, celebrates the band’s 60th anniversary.
The one-hour film captures the band in classic form, sporting all five of its central members: J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Sonny Lemaire, Marlon Hargis, and Steve Goetzman.
Earlier this year, Exile announced the release of their new album, A Million Miles Later. This is the group’s first album with original music in over thirty years. The new album is available for streaming and download here.
“This was our most ambitious album project ever, 16 songs,” shared band member J.P. Pennington. ”It took about a year and a half to complete and was a total team effort. I feel like we covered a lot of ground genre-wise. We have all been influenced by many different styles of music and we tried to reflect that here. We’re very proud of it.”
Stay current with Exile on their website exile.biz and social platforms Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Stream and download their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube Music and more. Watch videos on their official artist YouTube channel.
About Exile:
Exile formed in 1963, looking to play small clubs in Richmond, Kentucky, but managed to top both the pop and country charts during their 60-year-long career. Their most successful hit, “Kiss You All Over” spent four weeks at the top of Billboard’s pop chart in 1978. In the early 1980s Exile started to focus on country music. During their run on the country charts, Exile has successfully had ten No. 1 singles, including “I Don’t Want To Be A Memory” and “Give Me One More Chance.” The hit song “Kiss You All Over” was used in the 1996 Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore and in the 2006 film Employee of the Month. They have toured with acts including Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers and The Judds. The five original Exile members re-formed in 2008 and continue to tour today. Current members of the band include J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis and Steve Goetzman. 2023 celebrates 60 years for the band and the 45th anniversary of the hit song “Kiss You All Over.” The band is currently on tour promoting their most ambitious album project ever, A Million Miles Later, released in August 2023. For more information, visit www.exile.biz.
