The Marshall Tucker Band

The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s.

The “Marshall Tucker” in the band’s name does not refer to a band member, rather to a blind piano tuner from Spartanburg. While the band was discussing possible band names one evening in an old warehouse they had rented for rehearsal space, someone noticed that the warehouse’s door key had the name “Marshall Tucker” inscribed on it, and suggested they call themselves “The Marshall Tucker Band,” not realizing it referred to an actual person.

Later it came to light that Marshall Tucker, the piano tuner, had tuned a piano in that rented space before the band, and his name was inscribed on the key. Lead vocalist Doug Gray remains the only original member still active with the band. Key songs include “Can’t You See” and “Heard It in a Love Song.”