BONE HOLMES AND FRIENDS

The ultimate dance and party band came into prominence during the late seventies. Bone Holmes and Friends burst upon the scene like 10 tons of dynamite. Wearing gold costumes with green stripes, they blitzed the fraternity row crowd like a Category Five hurricane! They mimicked the antics of The Ike and Tina Revue, The Commodores, Rufus, Otis Day and The Knights, Patty La Belle and many more red hot soul acts. The crowds were so enthusiastic, campus security had to erect barricades, to keep order.

As Bone Holmes And Friends' popularity grew, they began to play social affairs and membership dinners in the top country clubs. Considering the nature of their new patrons, they had to tone down their show. They became the darlings of the "in" crowd. Today, they continue to tour in Alabama, Georgia and North Florida.

Throughout all of the changes, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: The strength and depth of Mary Holmes delivery has never waned or wavered. Her voice is just as remarkable today as it was back on day one. Of course, she has mellowed and she has added many wonderful songs that would have been "much too tame", back in the day. The net effect is a well polished show with an explosive undercurrent. So be warned, if you ever attend a Bone Holmes and Friends show, don’t be too surprised if it turns into a frat party!

MEET THE BAND MEMBERS

Mary Holmes, our lead singer, studied opera for three years at Southern University. She has been singing solos and winning state competitions since the tender age of four. She decided that singing R&B and Pop was more to her liking, so she joined the Joe Tex Soul Revue. Before Bone Holmes and Friends, she toured The USA, Canada, The Caribbean, Germany, and Scandinavia.

Tony "Bone" Dorsey, our bandleader, was trained to be a secondary music teacher. He loved performing so much that he went on the road and performed with many international super stars; Joe Tex, Percy Sledge, Arthur Conley, Clarence Carter, Joe Simon, Al Green, Candi Station, and Paul McCartney and Wings.

Together Tony and Mary have performed at many of the world’s major venues; The World Famous Apollo Theater, Madison Square Garden, The Hollywood Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, Rockefeller Center, The Astro Dome, The Cow Palace, Wembley Stadium and several more venues, too numerous to mention.

Larry Hardy (Lead Guitar, Vocals) is from the school of George Benson and Disco. He toured with Jimmy Bo-Horn ("Let’s Dance Across The Floor") through Jimmy’s glory days. Later on, he led a band of his own. He’s been with us two times over the last eleven years. When he first came to us, he was a George Benson copy-cat act. We later found that he was just as good at singing other things; including a stirring version of "One In A Million". He has been an invaluable asset, playing Disco and imitating Ernie Isley‘s lead guitar styles.

Walter Lee Gaston (Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar) We first met Walter about two years before we met Larry. At the time, Walter was committed to the Bob O'Dea blues band. Walter was the bassist with Johnny Jenkins and the Pine Toppers when Otis Redding was in the band. Walter is strictly an instrumentalist and excels in authentic Rhythm and Blues songs. When you hear songs like "Honky Tonk" and "Green Onions", you will swear Steve Cropper in in the house.

Lorenzo Darden (Sax, Lead and Background Vocals) The newest member of the group, Lorenzo joined us about six months ago. He is a fantastic vocalist and a fine saxophonist, of the Ace Cannon mold. We are still assessing his talent and looking for ways to fully utilize all of his exceptional abilities.

Bone Holmes and Friends are tops in experience, talent and class. In other words “crème de la crème”.

Credits:

Campbell’s Foods
Tropicana Fruit Drinks
Baskin Robins Inc.
Mohawk Industries
Ernst and Young - Atlanta & Birmingham
Allied Business systems
Georgia Community Action Association - Gainesville, Albany and Savannah
Bruno’s Supermarkets Inc.
Michigan State Alumni Association
Mississippi State Dental Association
Alabama Bankers association
Venues - Resorts:
South Seas Plantation Resort - Captavia Island, Florida
Edgewater Convention Center - Panama City, Florida
Hyatt Hotel - Savannah, GA and New Orleans, LA
Radisson Hotel - Atlanta , GA
The Crown Plaza Hotel- Macon, GA
Jekyll Island Convention Center - Jekyll Island, GA
Perdido Beach Resort - Orange Beach, AL
Emerald Point Resort - Flowery Branch, GA
The Peachtree Plaza Hotel- Atlanta, GA
The Georgia National Fair Grounds - Perry, GA
Saddlebrook Resort - Tampa, FL
Water Color Inn - Sea Grove, FL
Joe Wheeler State Park - Rogersville, AL
Venues - Country Clubs:
Shoal Creek Country Club - Birmingham, AL
The Birmingham Country Club - Birmingham, AL
The Roswell Country Club - Roswell, GA
The Cherokee Country Club - Atlanta, GA
The Piedmont Country Club - Atlanta, GA
The Golden Eagle Country Club - Tallahassee, FL
The Timaquana Country Club - Jacksonville, FL
The Colonial Country Club - Jacksonville, MS
The Decatur Country Club - Decatur, AL
The Pine Tree Country Club - Cullman, AL
The Indian Springs Country Club - Tuscaloosa, AL
Willow Point Country Club - Alexandria City, AL
The Bobby Jones International Golf Club - Huntsville and Auburn, AL

SONG LIST:

The Temptations
My Girl
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Get Ready

The Commodores
Easy
Brick House
3 Times A Lady

The Four Tops
I Can’t Help Myself

Mary Wells
The One Who Really Loves You
My Guy

The Supremes
Stop In The Name Of Love
Come See About Me
Baby Love

Martha & The Vandellas
Heat Wave

Marvin Gaye
Let’s Get It On
Sexual Healing

Gladys Knight & The Pips
Neither One Of Us
Midnight Train To Georgia
Help Me Make It Through The Night

Rick James
Give It To Me Baby
Super Freak

Kool & The Gang
Celebration
Ladies Night
Get Down On It