Night at the Ritz presents Mac Arnold

A true legend of blues, soul, and funk returns to the Historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Toccoa on Saturday, March 22. You don’t want to miss this chance to see Mac Arnold and Plate Full o’ Blues, says General Manager Tami Mayhugh. “Our Night at the Ritz series returns on Saturday, March 22nd with a true legend of Blues, Soul, and Funk with Mac Arnold and Plate Full o’ Blues at the Historic Ritz Theatre. The show starts at 7 p.m. Mac Arnold’s first band included Toccoa’s own James Brown on piano. Mac moved to Chicago and Muddy Waters hired him on the spot. He toured and recorded with the Muddy Waters Band and recorded LPs with Otis Spann and John Lee Hooker. Mac moved to Los Angeles and produced Soul Train with his friend Don Cornelius. He even played bass on the Sanford & Son television show when he wasn’t playing bass for Otis Redding and B.B. King. He retired from show business to be an organic farmer. Mac is back with his own band and a “plate full” of CDs, building a new foundation in blues, soul, and funk. After more than a year with Muddy Waters, Mac formed the Soul Invaders which backed up many artists, including The Temptations and B. B. King. In the early 70’s, he moved to Los Angeles to work at ABC Television and LAFF RECORDS (Redd Foxx). This led to working on the set of Soul Train from 1971 to 1975 and then working with Bill Withers (“Lean On Me”) before moving back to South Carolina in the 80’s. Our Night at the Ritz Series is sponsored in part through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Georgia Council for the Arts. Tickets are available online, in the Main Street Office inside City Hall, or at the door night of the show.” For more information, https://www.ritztheatretoccoa.com.