1993-2004: Gerald Dukes-bass guitar, harmonica; Dave Griffin-guitar, vocals; Bill Smith-guitar, banjo, mandolin, fife, flute, whistle, vocals; John Randall Smith-drums, vocals. 2004-Present: Tony Cason-guitar, dulcimer; Steve Glisson-bass guitar; Dave Griffin; Bill Smith; John Randall Smith.
Influences
Our ancestors, Neadham Arnold, Peter Griffin, and Ben Smith; every form of music we grew up listening to from Hank Williams Sr. to Steely Dan and everything in between and beyond; Judge Ben Smith Jr.
THE REBELAIRES GIVE YOU SOUTHERN HERITAGE MUSIC THAT WILL MOVE YOU WITH ITS CONVICTION AND SOUL-STIRRING INTENSITY! NEVER HAS ANY MUSIC BURNED WITH SUCH DEDICATION FOR A CAUSE SINCE THE FOLK SONGS OF THE EARLY 1960S, A PIVOTAL DECADE THAT MOLDED THE MUSICAL TASTES OF EACH MEMBER OF THE REBELAIRES! YOU CAN HEAR THE KEEN WORDSMANSHIP OF THE FOLK SINGER/ SONGWRITERS, THE EMOTION OF BOTH BLACK AND WHITE RHYTHM AND BLUES, THE SOARING HARMONIES REMINISCENT OF THE BYRDS, THE BEATLES, THE EAGLES - ALL BLENDED WITH A MUSICAL SENSIBILITY INSPIRED BY POP, BLUEGRASS, BLUES, AND COUNTRY. TRULY A LISTENING EXPERIENCE! ALL FOUR OF THE ORIGINAL REBELAIRES HAIL FROM WAYCROSS, GA.- A SMALL, SOUTHERN RAILROAD TOWN LOCATED ON THE FRINGE OF THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP. (MUSIC AFICIONADOS WILL NOTE: THE SAME TOWN THAT SPAWNED GRAM CONNOR PARSONS, LEGENDARY MUSICAL STYLIST WHO IS CREDITED AS THE FIRST TO BLEND THE HYBRID ROCK AND COUNTRY SOUND.) IT WAS IN THIS TOWN THAT BROTHERS JOHN (DRUMS, VOCALS) AND BILL SMITH (GUITAR, MANDOLIN, BANJO, RECORDER, HARMONICA, VOCALS) FORMED A SMALL BAND AT THE YOUNG AGES OF 10 AND 12 . OVER THE YEARS, THEY WERE IN AND OUT OF A VARIETY OF GROUPS; AND IN 1976, BILL LEFT THE NIGHTCLUBS IN PURSUIT OF A MUSICAL DEGREE, WHILE JOHN LEFT COLLEGE IN PURSUIT OF AN EDUCATION IN THE NIGHTCLUBS. MEANWHILE, IN 1972, GERALD DUKES (BASS GUITAR, HARMONICA, VOCALS), ALREADY A VETERAN OF THE LOCAL MUSICAL CLIMATE, SOLD A KALAMAZOO BASS GUITAR TO DAVE GRIFFIN (RHYTHM GUITAR, VOCALS), A YOUNGSTER RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL SMITTEN WITH THE ROCK AND ROLL FEVER. GERALD TURNED HIS ATTENTION TOWARDS A LENGTHY TENURE AS BASS GUITARIST FOR AN AREA GOSPEL OUTFIT, AND DAVE CUT HIS MUSICAL TEETH IN SEVERAL GROUPS UNTIL LANDING A FULL-TIME GIG WITH DOWN HOME BAND FEATURING FORMER EPIC® RECORDING ARTIST, EDDIE MIDDLETON. IN THIS BAND, JOHN SMITH AND DAVE GRIFFIN WOULD MOLD A MUSICAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD HOLD FAST FOR YEARS TO COME. YEARS LATER, AFTER MANY SEPARATIONS AND REUNIONS, THE FOUR MEN FOUND THEMSELVES TOGETHER AS MEMBERS OF THE WAYCROSS CAMP, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS (SCV), AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO HONORING THE HERITAGE OF THE SOUTH AND THE MEN WHO FOUGHT TO PRESERVE THAT HERITAGE. IN JOINING THE SCV, EACH MEMBER TRACES HIS ANCESTRY TO LOCATE A RELATIVE WHO SERVED IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. AN INTERESTING DISCOVERY WAS MADE BY THE REBELAIRES: JOHN AND BILL'S GREAT-GRANDFATHER (BEN SMIIH) AND DAVE AND GERALD'S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHERS (PETER GRIFFIN AND NEADHAM ARNOLD) FOUGHT SIDE BY SIDE IN THE SAME COMPANY THROUGHOUT THE WAR! AFTER SEVERAL IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCES AT LOCAL CAMP FUNCTIONS, THE GUYS WERE CHRISTENED THE REBELAIRES, COURTESY OF CAMP COMMANDER BEN SMITH, JR. (FATHER OF JOHN AND BILL). THE GROUP WENT ON TO PERFORM FOR THE STATE SCV CONVENTION TWO YEARS STRAIGHT AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER STATEWIDE FUNCTIONS. AT THIS POINT, THE REBELAIRES REALIZED THAT THEY WERE HAVING GENUINE FUN AND THAT THE MESSAGE IN THE OLD 1860S-ERA SONGS WAS TRUE AND HEART-FELT. FOR A TIME, THE OLD SONGS WERE ENOUGH TO FILL THE REPERTOIRE OF THE REBELAIRES; BUT, BEING ACCOMPLISHED SONGWRITERS, THE MEN WERE COMPELLED TO PUT FORTH SOME SONGS OF THEIR OWN. IT WAS DURING THE CREATIVE PROCESS THAT THE REBELAIRES ORIGINAL STYLE JUST NATURALLY CAME OUT; AND, AFTER APPLYING THEIR STYLE TO THE STANDARDS OF OLD ALONG WITH THEIR NEW SELF-WRITTEN MATERIAL, THEY WERE SET TO RECORD THEIR FIRST TAPE, "CARRY THE MEMORIES ON"! AN INVITATION TO THE 1994 SCV NATIONAL CONVENTION IN MOBILE, AL GAVE THE REBELAIRES AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A LARGER AUDIENCE. THEY TOOK THE CONVENTION BY STORM! FROM MOBILE, THEIR TAPES FANNED OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CONVINCING LISTENERS THAT THE REBELAIRES WERE ONTO SOMETHING! THE RESPONSE TO THEIR FIRST TAPE WAS SO INSPIRING THAT, SIX MONTHS LATER, A FOLLOW-UP, "FOR THE CAUSE" WAS RELEASED! 1995 SAW THE REBELAIRES ON THE ROAD PLAYING FOR AUDIENCES IN DANVILLE, VA, TAMPA,FL, AND, ONCE AGAIN, THE SCV NATIONAL CONVENTION IN CHATTANOOGA, TN. THE REBELAIRES' THIRD EFFORT, "CONFEDERATE MAN", COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF THE GROUP'S ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS, WAS RELEASED IN THE SPRING OF 96 AND HAS RECEIVED CRITICAL ACCLAIM BY ALL WHO HEAR IT! 1996 PROVED TO BE AN EVEN BUSIER YEAR AS THE REBELAIRES TOOK TO THE HIGHWAY AGAIN, PLAYING FOR ENTHUSIASTIC CROWDS AT THE CONFEDERATE HERITAGE BALL IN TAMPA,FL, TEXAS STATE SCV CONVENTION IN AUSTIN, AND THE CENTENNIAL REUNION SCV NATIONAL CONVENTION IN RICHMOND, VA, ALONG WITH THEIR STANDARD REENACTMENT APPEARANCES AND LEE-JACKSON BIRTHDAY BANQUETS. TOPPING THE YEAR'S ACHIEVEMENTS WERE SELECTION OF THE REBELAIRES ORIGINAL COMPOSITION, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS AS THE OFFICIAL SONG OF THE GEORGIA DIVISION SCV AND BEING NAMED THE OFFICIAL BAND OF THE ENTIRE ARMY OF TENNESSEE SCV! FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR, THE REBELAIRES PERFORMED AT THE SCV NATIONAL CONVENTION IN NASHVILLE, TN, AS THEY SHARED THE BILL WITH FELLOW INSTRUMENTALIST BOBBY HORTON. IN 1998, THE REBELAIRES DEBUTED THEIR LONG-AWAITED FOURTH RECORDING, "LET'S DO IT AGAIN", AT THE 135TH ANNIVERSARY REENACTMENT OF THE GETTYSBURG BATTLE, TO VERY SPIRITED AUDIENCES. "SONGBOOK: VOLUME I", A SIDELINE NASHVILLE SONGWRITING PROJECT, WAS FORMULATED BY DAVE GRIFFIN AND THE SMITH BROTHERS. AFTER ACHEIVING PUBLISHING SUCCESS IN THE EARLY 90's WITH THE LOWERY GROUP IN ATLANTA, GA, THEY TOOK SOME OF THE REBELAIRES TUNES, REWROTE THE WORDS TO ACCOMODATE TODAY'S COUNTRY MARKET, ADDED SOME NEW ORIGINALS AND PRESENTED THEIR WORK TO SEVERAL MAJOR MUSIC PUBLISHERS IN NASHVILLE, TN. THE RESPONSES WERE FAVORABLE AND YIELDED SOME HIGH PROFILE CONNECTIONS IN MUSIC CITY. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE REBELAIRES, "BY REQUEST" IS A FINE PLACE TO START. ISSUED IN 1999, "BY REQUEST" CONTAINS TWELVE OF THEIR MOST-REQUESTED SONGS FROM PREVIOUS TAPES AND CDS. THESE 12 SONGS REPRESENT A GOOD TASTE OF THE REBELAIRES. A MOUTHFUL OF THE SOUTH. GENEROUSLY SEASONED WITH SOUTHERN HERITAGE. MEANT TO BE ENJOYED IN THREE WAYS: LOUDLY ~ PROUDLY ~ FREQUENTLY AS THE MILLENIUM ROLLED IN, THE REBELAIRES JOINED WITH A HOST OF SOUTHERN HERITAGE SUPPORTERS IN COLUMBIA, SC FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST MEMORABLE CONFEDERATE FLAG RALLYS EVER HELD. INSPIRED BY THE FLAG CONTROVERSY, THE REBELAIRES BEGAN WRITING THE SONGS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THEIR 2001 RELEASE, "P'LITICALLY INCORRECT", THEIR EDGIEST PRODUCTION TO DATE. IN 2004, THE REBELAIRES WELCOMED TWO NEW MEMBERS TO THE GROUP: TONY CASON, FORMER MEMBER OF THE PIERCE COUNTY FFA STRING BAND, GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, ON LEAD GUITAR, MANDOLIN, DULCIMER AND VOCALS; AND STEVE GLISSON ON BASS GUITAR. UPON BEING INVITED TO PLAY A TRIBUTE CONCERT FOR THE HUNLEY CREW MEMBERS IN APRIL, 2004, THE REBELAIRES READIED A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL SONG TITLED "THE BLUE LIGHT IS SHINING" IN HONOR OF THE BRAVE HUNLEY CREW, ALONG WITH EIGHT OTHER SONGS ON "JUDGE BEN'S SELECT STANDARDS AND SOUTHERN SPIRITUALS". CURRENTLY IN THE RECORDING PROCESS, A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL CD, TENTATIVELY TITLED "GOD SAVE THE SOUTH", WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON. AND STILL, THE REBELAIRES ARE OUT THERE TEARIN' UP THE COUNTRYSIDE! WELCOMED NOT ONLY AS AMBASSADORS OF SOUTHERN HERITAGE MUSIC, BUT BY ALL FOLKS: YOUNG AND OLD - SOUTH AND NORTH WHO ENJOY GOOD, HONEST DOWN-TO-EARTH PICKIN AND SINGIN!
I was SO excited to see y'all had a myspace!! I've been fans of the Rebelaires since I was 7 [[21 now]] I miss y'alls music so much! Thanks for adding me back!!
