The St. James Group is a story of American rock 'n roll and the classic tale of America's restless post-war youth. The St. James Group tasted success during an era of rock 'n roll revolution - a revolution that changed society. The group's ability to combine musical genres created a unique brand of rock that broke barriers and defied stereotypes. Their musical "trailblazing" was ahead of its time and is the source of the band's legacy.
The St. James Group played together from 1968 to 1978 and evolved from a dance band into a concert act that enjoyed success with an electrifying stage show. The group started out playing Arkansas schools and moved from the college circuit onto the concert stage by their reputation as performers - an acccomplishment few others achieved. In the early 1970's, major college exposure brought the group concert bookings with many of the era's better-known acts including Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Badfinger, Olivia Newton-John, Jimmy Buffett, Melissa Manchester, Wet Willie, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jim Croce, and Earl Scruggs Review. The St. James Group's stage show and original songs were performed at music venues from Chicago to New Orleans and many towns in between.
From 1973 to 1978, members of the St. James Group were Rick Calhoun, guitar; Mark Calhoun, bass; Johnny Bradley, drums; Andy Fullerton, guitar, banjo, and fiddle; Mark Hays, acoustic & pedal steel guitar; and Chuck Gordon, keyboards. At different times, other members of the band included Mike Mitchell, Danny Dozier, Chuck Gilbert, and Eddie Thomas. The band formed in 1968 were students at State College of Arkansas (UCA) in Conway.
The group disbanded in 1978, but when Mark Hays moved back to Arkansas, old friendships were rekindled and planning for a "Reunion" Concert began. After two years of preparation, which included locating the bands original songs, transfering the cuts to digital, and re-mastering the songs into two Anthology CDs, the concert was held on Sunday, November 9, 2003. Even though this was supposed to be a one time reunion, the tremendous response to the band has led to the group staying in touch and accepting limited numbers of concert engagements.
A Better Way
