The Sun Messengers were given the honor earlier in 2009 of opening for Jay Leno during his Jay's Comedy Stimulus Plan concert series. Here's a little footage of that show.
CHECK OUT THIS SUN MESSENGER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE which aired on WDIV/Detroit Channel 4. We perfromed a remake of an old Rufus Thomas tune entitled, "I'll Be Your Santa, Baby" ENJOY !!
The Sun Messengers are an eight-piece, horn-driven R&B show-band based in Detroit, Michigan USA. This top-notch band plays everything from Motown classics and old school Funk to Big-Band, Classic Rock and Jazz standards but are heavily influnced by the classic horn-driven bands of the 60s, 70s, and 80s (Tower of Power, James Brown, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Ohio Players, etc..).
The Sun Messengers have been one of the most popular groups in the Detroit area since forming in 1980 and have been the house band for the Detroit Pistons, performing during Piston's home games at the Palace of Auburn Hills since 1996.
THE SUN MESSENGERS also had the pleasure of being among the first bands, in many years, to record in the legendary Hitsville, USA - Studio One in the world famous Motown Musem, where many of the great Motown hits were recorded. At that time it was the first time that the room had been recorded in since 1972 when Marvin Gaye recorded "What's Going On".
The following video was done at the Motown Museum, "Hitsville, USA", as part of a special tribute to the legendary Motown group, The Temptations, and is a remake of their classic all-time hit, "Poppa Was A Rolling Stone".
Although the Sun Messengers are often recognized as being the quintessential Motown band, over the years the group has been known to sound a lot like many of the great horn-driven R&B bands like Tower of Power, Ohio Players, Earth, Wind , & Fire, and even the James Brown Band.
In this video THE SUN MESSENGERS, along with popular Detroit blues diva Thornetta Davis, perform another tribue to The Temptations, "Get Ready".
SO . . . GET READY TO GROOVE!!!
THE SUN MESSENGERS are also known as "The Official Band of the Detroit Pistons". For 12 consecutive seasons the band has been performing at home Pistons games at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
This video features the Sun Messengers performing the National Anthem before a Detroit Pistons game.. REMOVE YOUR HATS PLEASE !!
My name is Arthur "Speq" Colden, and I have many years of diversified experience as a
music/entertainment professional. Although I presently live in Detroit, I am a native Floridian (Born in
Tampa and raised in Ocala). Throughout my career I have had many musical roles such as keyboardist,
vocalist, songwriter, bandleader, arranger, and producer. I presently serve as keyboardist/vocalist for the
Sun Messengers, with whom I have been performing for over 14 years.
The Sun Messengers
entertain at numerous public and private venues throughout the Midwest, and are seen regularly (for the
last 12 seasons) on televised home games for the NBA basketball team, the Detroit Pistons, and have
also been featured on many locally and internationally-produced televised specials.
While a member of the Sun Messengers, I contributed to the group's last released CD, "Late Night
Cruise", which received rave reviews and two 1999 Detroit Music Awards. The CDs title cut, as well as
several other tunes, was written and performed by me.
I also performed on internationally released albums by the legendary gospel groups, The Blind Boys of
Alabama (notably "A Soldier in the Army of the Lord " - Philadelphia International Records, re-issued in
2004) and another Blind Boy alumnus, Sam Butler, Jr. (from the critically-acclaimed, Obie award winning
play, Gospel at Colonus). I recently re-united with founding Blind Boys member, Clarence Fountain and fellow Blind Boys alumnus Sam Butler on a CD project to be released in May of 2009 on soul icon, Solomon Burke's The One Entertainment Systems label called, "Stepping Up And Stepping Out".
I have also had the pleasure of sharing the stage, and/or recording with, many outstanding and legendary
talents in the entertainment world including: O. V. Wright, Rufus Thomas, Z. Z. Hill, Ted Taylor, Eddie
Floyd, Earl Klugh, Jimmie Bo Horne, comedians Clarence Blowfly Reid and Wildman Steve, Gene
Dunlap, Lucky Peterson, Chick Willis and most recently Jay Leno at his sold-out Comedy Stimulus Plan shows at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Happy Holidays to you. Be well. I've read that the holidays can be very depressing to some. If you know someone like that, share this with them :)
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