Narrator: Funding for this program is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Everybody, how we doing?

[Give Me One More Chance by Exile] ♪ Won't you give me just one more chance ♪ ♪ Maybe we can make a little romance ♪ ♪ No reason why you and me ♪ ♪ Can't get it back together like it used to be ♪ Jimmy Stokley wanted to perform, I suspect from the day he was born.

♪ Do you remember how we used to be ♪ ♪ When we had a love so true ♪ They're as good now as they were when I first heard them, they really are.

♪ Someone that I could always turn to ♪ Hey, we're the band.

♪ Then like a fool I let you slip right through my hands ♪ ♪ Oh, I let you get away ♪ They sounded big.

♪ Now I've come runnin' back hopin' you will let me ♪ -We're here.

-We're here.

♪ Back in your heart someday ♪ Seeing them live, which was about five years ago, it blew me away.

♪ Can't get it back together like it used to be ♪ Let's do the show.

Let's do it.

♪ If I can't have you I'm gonna die gimme one more chance ♪ ♪ Gimme one more chance ♪ People are gonna talk about who, what the heck did you listen to?

And they're gonna go, The Exiles.

Hi, Bob.

Kentucky has a big place in their hearts and it's in their blood.

♪ And it seems like a lifetime to me ♪ Huddle up, everybody.

Guys, give me Exile one more.

1, 2, 3, go.

Come on, let's get in there, come on.

♪ Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, just another try ♪ ♪ If I can't have you I'm gonna die gimme one more chance ♪ ♪ Gimme one more chance ♪ ♪ Oh, gimme one more chance ♪ ♪ Gimme one more chance ♪ The whole deal started in 1963.

We were The Exiles then.

Mack Davenport actually named us because Cuban Exiles were in the news constantly during that period of time.

So, well, let's just call ourselves The Exiles.

You might say that I was there at birth when everything came together, and it evolved, slowly or at the beginning, we had to go through some member changes but the first five that we ended up with jelled, and we took off.

Buzz: Paul Smith was on bass, and Billy Luxon.

Mack Davenport was on drums.

Jimmy Stokley, of course, was the singer.

I came in at the same time that Mike Howard came in.

In fact, my first rehearsal was in Mike Howard's basement.

Jimmy Stokley and Billy Luxon were my mentors.

I could get worried about something or call them, go see them, sit down and talk to them and feel like things were being covered.

J.P.: I joined Exile in 1963.

I was mowing our yard, one afternoon, and this 1959 sky-blue Pontiac pulls up in front of my house.

It was Jimmy and Billy Luxon and they started walking toward me.

So, I obviously knew they wanted to talk to me about -- I didn't know either one of them, so I cut them over off and they, you know, long story short, you wanna join a band we're putting together?

Jimmy Stokley was so important because he was the focal point of the band.

He required your presence.

You had to look at him.

We liked R&B music, and we sort of gleaned our set list from the local radio station in Richmond, top 40.

That's where we got our material just by listening to the radio and then just writing them down saying, okay, well, let's figure out what the three chords to this song are, you know, but it just went on from there.

It's Alligator Time.

[It's Alligator Time by Jimmy Stokley And The Exiles] ♪ All right, everybody ♪ ♪ Show them how we are gonna do it ♪ ♪ Now get on the floor ♪ ♪ And let's do it some more ♪ Song, Alligator Time, was a little-known sensation, I'll say.

♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Stroke it, stroke 'cause it's alligator ♪ ♪ Stroke it 'cause it's alligator time ♪ Alligator Time was kind of our tribute to one of our favorite artists in those days and that was Jr. Walker & The All Stars.

I think the song was a great vehicle for Jimmy.

It was just a perfect song for him.

This is about as a garage band as it got.

Especially even back then, it was pretty crude.

♪ All right, everybody ♪ ♪ Come on now ♪ ♪ Now get on the floor ♪ ♪ And let's do it some more ♪ It became the dance to do.

When we were playing at Speck's, it was a dance to do.

People would get in the floor, do the Alligator Time.

♪ Come on, that's the way ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ All right, you got it ♪ ♪ All right ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Let's just move ♪ And Jimmy Stokley got into it.

I mean, he really did get into it and made it a very sensual thing.

Mack: Everybody seemed to like A Game Called Hurt.

I think Jimmy and Paul Smith wrote it.

It was a good song.

It was one of those that got us noticed first of all, I think.

[A Game Called Hurt by The Exiles] The recording session for Alligator Time was so exciting that I've completely forgotten the flipside, which was A Game Called Hurt.

A Game Called Hurt by Jimmy Stokley, it was basically his version of love and romance in the '60s.

The first time I had the opportunity to see them was at Club 68 in 1968.

I'd driven down there to see The Exiles, and you know, I was blown away.

I mean, literally blown away by, of course, the musicianship, everybody, but in particular, by Stokley, by Jimmy.

[A Game Called Hurt by The Exiles] Church St.

Soul Revival was... a really near miss.

It was really a good record.

And it charted on Billboard, but it just never quite, you know, made it over the hump.

But as far as getting mileage from a song, that one, so many people remember that song.

♪ You know we been a-waitin' for your arrival, yeah ♪ ♪ Come on, ♪ ♪ gonna have a Church Street soul revival ♪ The first time I heard the band, they were called The Exiles with an S, and it was a song on radio coming out of Louisville, Kentucky.

I'm originally from Bardstown and it was called Church St.

Soul Revival.

♪ Brother Taylor brought his Bible ♪ ♪ He brought his Bible, yeah ♪ ♪ Come on, gonna have a Church Street soul revival ♪ Mack took like an eight-bar drum solo in that record and that was incredible for me.

♪ Gonna sing, gonna pray to the Lord ♪ ♪ Ain't no doubt about it ♪ ♪ Have a Church Street soul revival ♪ ♪ Gonna laugh, gonna sing, gonna shout it, yeah ♪ Saying I had extremely fast hands was a great compliment for a drummer.

I didn't think they were the fastest he'd ever seen because I've seen others faster.

But it's quite a compliment.

And if he believes that, I'll believe it.

♪ Revive your soul ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, revive your soul ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, revive your soul ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, revive your soul ♪ Church St.

Soul Revival came about because we had done a gig in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and headlining that gig was Tommy James.

And we were in a rehearsal room in New York, and he was playing his songs and one of the songs he played was Church St.

Soul Revival.

And I said Tommy, that's the one we want to do and that's my next single.

I'm sorry, Buzz, no.

He said, "Tommy, you cannot do it like we'll do it.

We are Church St.

Soul Revival."

You hear it, you go, it's a hit.

It's a hit.

It's a radio hit.

And who's done it?

The Exiles are doing it.

I mean, we're all tickled to death.

It's big stuff and we're hearing it right here.

♪ Church Street soul revival, yeah ♪ ♪ Gonna have a Church Street soul revival ♪ I can remember when they put out Devil's Bite.

You know, I think I was in high school at the time.

[Devil's Bite by The Exiles] It starts off with a guitar intro, like, J.P. is killing it.

And then there's the riff and then Stokley starts in with a big gruff.

Who's that knocking at my door?

And then you're really liking it.

And then all of a sudden it goes into the chorus and there's six people singing and there's like Stokley and about five people above him, or maybe four people above him, one person below him.

They're singing like a choir.

It's just stacked harmonies.

You'd never heard anything like that.

♪ Just let me know before you go ♪ ♪ Are you devil or death?

You'll have to bow ♪ Someone said once describing The Exiles, they describe Stokley has a rough devilish voice with a bunch of angels in the background.

♪ Heaven sent me down a sign ♪ ♪ Things were bad but now I'm doin' fine ♪ J.P.: Devil's Bite was a song written by Todd Rundgren.

It was included on the first album that we ever did and I think it was '73.

Sonny: Going back before I even joined, the band was legendary.

I mean, absolutely legendary.

I mean, they were head and shoulders above everybody else in terms of, you know, the way they sounded, their songs, just the professional way they did it, you know, it looked like at the time, big time, you know, that's where they were headed.

♪ To keep me out of the devil's bite ♪ ♪ No, we don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee ♪ ♪ We don't take no trips on LSD; ♪ ♪ We don't burn no draft cards down on Main Street ♪ ♪ But, We love living right, and being free ♪ ♪ Oh, We don't make a party out of loving ♪ I think it was clear that we were just young people having the time of their lives playing music.

♪ We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy ♪ ♪ Like the hippies out in San Francisco do ♪ ♪ Hey, and I'm proud to be... ♪ Bobby Johns the drummer at the time, I mean, he had this humongous afro and there was another guy that worked with, he was a bass player at the time, his name was Kenny Weir, and he had this big gob of hair as well.

And then, of course, you know, Jimmy Stokley, he had this straight long hair and stuff.

So, I mean, you know, their deal might have set the pace for the '80s look, I don't know.

Now, were we a wholesome, clean-living bunch of guys?

Yeah, I think you're referring to some of the outfits we were wearing back in the '70s and the hair, back when we had hair.

♪ Right here in Renfro Valley, USA ♪ J.P.: Marlon Hargis is such a key ingredient to our music.

You know, sometimes I think that keyboards aren't focused on enough when you hear our music.

But if you took Marlon's keyboard parts away from our music and listen, then the difference would be unbelievable.

I joined the band in June of 1977.

I can't stress how important Steve Goetzman has been to our music.

You can have a band that has the best guitar player in the world, the best singer in the world, the best bass player in the world, best keyboard player in the world, and an average drummer, that band is gonna be an average band.

I joined Exile in October of 1977.

I was playing at the terrace room at Eastland Bowling Lanes with my old pal Doug Breeding when I got a call from Marlon Hargis and he said, well, you know, we've got a lot of expenses.

You know, we're paying our roadies, we got the equipment, we got the Winnebago, we got all the stuff we got to pay for.

But it'll be $75 a week.

And, like, I'm smiling now.

"This is a real joke."

He goes, "No, I'm serious."

They had talked to their producer, Mike Chapman, and Mike said, look, you pay him $75, I'll throw in another $75 a week, we'll give him $150.

And I said, yes.

J.P.: Les Taylor was the most recent addition, if you wanna call it recent, it was 1979.

There have been a lot of guys over the years that have come and gone from the band.

The five that we have now have been together for 40+ years.

I think Kiss You All Over is the most recognizable song to every generation that's out there.

[Kiss You All Over by Exile] ♪ When I get home, babe, gonna light your fire ♪ ♪ All day I've been thinkin' about you, babe ♪ ♪ You're my one desire ♪ ♪ Gonna wrap my arms around you ♪ ♪ And hold you close to me ♪ ♪ Oh, babe I want to taste your lips ♪ I guess you could say we were a... 15-year overnight success when Kiss You All Over happened.

♪ I don't what I'd do without you, babe ♪ ♪ Don't know where I'd be ♪ ♪ You're not just another lover ♪ ♪ No, you're everything to me ♪ ♪ Everytime I'm with you, baby ♪ ♪ I can't believe it's true ♪ ♪ When you're layin' in my arms ♪ ♪ And you do the things you do ♪ A lot of acts never have what I call a career song.

In other words, there's one song that the minute they hear the name Exile, 9 times out of 10, they're gonna go Kiss You All Over.

♪ Need you, yeah ♪ ♪ I want to kiss you all over ♪ ♪ And over again ♪ ♪ I want to kiss you all over ♪ ♪ Till the night closes in ♪ ♪ Till the night closes in ♪ That song has given me and all of us a charmed life and I am grateful.

♪ Lay with me Holding me, loving me, baby ♪ ♪ Here with me, near with me ♪ ♪ Feeling you close to me, baby ♪ Three minutes can change your life entirely.

And in our case, it's absolutely true, Kiss You All Over, changed our lives forever.

Jimmy, he was in his element, and you could see it and feel it.

♪ Love you, need you, oh babe ♪ ♪ I wanna kiss you all over ♪ ♪ And over again ♪ You just don't have songs that weather generations like that.

It's like lightning in a bottle.

♪ Till the night closes in ♪ ♪ Till the night closes in ♪ ♪ Till the night closes in ♪ ♪ Till the night closes in ♪ J.P.: In my opinion, there would be no Exiles, no Exile without Jimmy Stokley.

I mean, he, for so many years, he was the band.

Mack: Jimmy Stokley was dedicated.

He leaves his whole life and whole ambition.

Where's the man?

Les: I know without a doubt that people were coming to see this group because of Jimmy Stokley.

Sonny: Jimmy had an aura about him, a charisma that was undeniable.

And he was the driving force all those years from the inception in 1963 all the way up through Kiss You All Over.

You know, without Jimmy being there, members in the band came and went, you know, and rejoined, left, whatever, Stokley remained.

Marlon: He was the creative force of the band.

When I say creative force, he sort of kept everything going.

He was the focus of the band.

He was the band and no one, none of us would ever disagree with that or have ever said anything other than that.

He was the first person I ever saw who, other than Mick Jagger, who wore the skintight leotards, and he didn't wear them, he owned them.

Doug: We wondered where he got his outfits, maybe his mom made him.

Sonny: You never knew what he was gonna wear, what he was gonna do on stage exactly, he was the quintessential frontman, and he carried that band in fine fashion, you know, and I'm missing to this day, you know, he left us much too early, but he'll always be remembered.

And we thank God, we'll only go settle to that and he's right over here we are gonna break him up right now.

And you don't know when you see this is Jimmy Stokley or not.

[crowd cheering] Most bands don't survive losing a lead singer.

I think it speaks to the integrity of them as musicians and their artistry that they were able to come back from that and re-invent themselves and move forward in country music.

It's a rollercoaster business, you know, you can be on top one minute and at the bottom of the next and back on top and then the bottom of the next.

You know, it's...

There's no set way to be successful in the entertainment business.

You just have to roll with it.

I think every career has peaks and valleys, and the peak of course was Kiss You All Over.

You know, huge hit.

And we worked off of that hit for years and toured, but at a certain point in the States, things started to go flat.

When Kiss You All Over ran its course, that initial success, and there were no hits to follow, we found ourselves back in Lexington, Kentucky and we were licking our wounds basically as a one hit wonder band.

We actually came off the road.

We set up in a bowling alley in Lexington.

A place called the Rebel Room.

And we played there for at least about a year and part of that was to kind of re-invent ourselves, and start working up more country-oriented songs.

Steve: Then we moved from there to a club across town called Breedings, which was a bigger place, bigger production.

So, it was a little more pleasant, but we were still wondering why we were doing this after all the Kiss You All Over success.

But we stayed with it.

And for a year there in 1984 the public could see the best band they ever saw for $3 on the weekend, $2 through the week.

It was the best bargain there ever was.

Clarence: I became the tour manager.

And you know, some days it was like herding cats, but they gave me the most fantastic opportunity in my career, you know.

They allowed me to be in the music business, really, really be in the music business, you know for that, I'll forever be grateful.

Doug: I was a soundman for them and that was the easiest job in the world.

I made my chops, a soundman for Exile.

Soundman for exile, you set the mics up and go smoke a cigarette.

It's gonna sound good no matter what.

Clarence: I lived with them for years on that bus.

You know, at one time I think there was 13 of us on the bus, we were carrying all the gear underneath the bus and merchandise was in the back lounge.

Sounded so nice when I took the job.

Not a year in, wish the damn governor would call and let me out of prison.

Marlon: We signed with Buddy Killen, a great producer and went to Nashville and started recording and then things started happening and we had, what I think 10, 11, something like that number one hits over, I mean, over the next two or three or four years we were pretty much on fire.

It was, everything was number one.

♪ Four o'clock this morning ♪ ♪ If she should come a-calling ♪ ♪ I wouldn't dream ♪ ♪ of turning her away ♪ If you go see an Exile concert right now and they do a medley of songs, it'll blow you away.

♪ And if it got hot and hectic ♪ ♪ I know she'd be electric ♪ ♪ I'd let her take ♪ ♪ her chances with me ♪ ♪ You see, ♪ ♪ she gets what she wants ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's heart and soul ♪ ♪ She's hot and cold ♪ Right now, with Exile, you've got three lead singers and you've got perfect harmony no matter who's singing lead.

♪ Woah ♪ ♪ Woah ♪ So, we have a good night.

There's something that happens that we're going, this is...

This sounds...

This is...

This is good.

♪ I let her take advantage of me ♪ ♪ You see, she got what she wanted ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's heart and soul ♪ It's not one person always on lead because they have different people that are doing it.

So, depending who's singing lead, everybody else has to match it and they flow with that.

♪ She's heart and soul ♪ ♪ She's hot and soul ♪ ♪ Woah ♪ ♪ She's heart and soul ♪ ♪ Take me down where I want to be ♪ ♪ Turn around, ♪ ♪ this man who lives inside of me ♪ ♪ Take me down and love me all night long ♪ ♪ Hold me close ♪ ♪ and make me strong ♪ ♪ Take me down, ♪ ♪ take me down tonight ♪ Is everbody still think all right?

♪ The closer you get, ♪ ♪ the further I fall ♪ ♪ I'll be over the edge now ♪ ♪ in no time at all ♪ ♪ I'm falling faster and faster ♪ ♪ and faster with no time to stall ♪ ♪ The closer you get, ♪ Woke Up in Love was a song title that I had had for a lot of years.

Turns out it became our first number one single.

[crowd cheering] ♪ Somewhere in the night ♪ ♪ Fell in love with you ♪ ♪ Wandered through my dreams ♪ ♪ And you stole away my blues ♪ ♪ All of a sudden a random feeling ♪ ♪ Opened up inside ♪ ♪ And I don't know whether To jump through the roof ♪ ♪ Or break right down and cry ♪ ♪ C'mon ♪ ♪ Woke up in love with you ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful day ♪ ♪ Am I still dreaming?

♪ ♪ Is it supposed to feel this way?

♪ ♪ Running around with a foolish grin ♪ ♪ Painted all over my face ♪ ♪ Woke up in love with you ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful day!

♪ I think one reason we had so many hits through the years and the reason people remember the songs is they're not particularly heavy political or message songs.

They're just basic songs about relationships.

♪ couldn't make a connection ♪ ♪ Last night when you held me tight ♪ ♪ You turned my life around ♪ ♪ And I opened up my eyes this morning ♪ ♪ Said, "Look what I found!"

♪ ♪ Woke up in love with you ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful day ♪ ♪ Am I still dreaming ♪ ♪ Is it supposed to feel this way ♪ ♪ Running around with a foolish grin ♪ ♪ Painted all over my face ♪ ♪ Woke up in love with you ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful day!

♪ If you look at their hit songs, a lot of them were love songs or songs about a man singing to a woman.

♪ Woke up in love with you ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful such a beautiful, ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful day!

♪ ♪ Oh, it's a beautiful...♪ [crowd cheering] She's a Miracle is a song that means a lot to me personally and to my co-writer Sonny because it was written with our daughters in mind.

Because she is a miracle and it is is for all you ladies in here tonight.

Let's here it girls, c'mon.

♪ I don't need a shooting star ♪ ♪ To make my wish come true ♪ ♪ I don't need a four-leaf clover ♪ ♪ Or a crystal ball to see through ♪ ♪ Don't need a claim to fame ♪ ♪ Like some folks always do ♪ ♪ Got my very own big-time star ♪ ♪ And she shines the whole night through ♪ ♪ She's a miracle, a sight to see ♪ ♪ Oh, the way she touches me ♪ ♪ Way down deep in my soul ♪ ♪ Something's got a hold and it won't let go ♪ ♪ If I stumble, and if I fall ♪ ♪ She's waiting right there to catch me, ♪ oh She's a miracle, a miracle to me I think what Exile continues to do is dissect relationships and speak to women directly.

♪ Always hanging around ♪ ♪ Don't need any wishing well ♪ ♪ To throw my money down ♪ ♪ Don't need to make the front-page news ♪ ♪ Be the talk of the town ♪ ♪ I'm telling all the world, I've got a heavenly girl ♪ ♪ Right here on the ground ♪ I think when women hear them singing these songs, maybe sometimes they can imagine that their partner is also feeling those things and maybe saying those words to them.

If I stumble, and if I fall She's waiting right there to catch me, ♪ oh She's a miracle, a miracle to me ♪ [crowd cheering] The Hang On to Your Heart album was the most R&B sounding album that in my opinion that we've done in country music.

You better hang on to your heart, hold on tight Or I'm gonna steal it away tonight I'll take you in my arms and never ever let you go ♪ There's a new moon out, ♪ ♪ the stars are shining bright ♪ ♪ You're here with me and it feels so right ♪ ♪ So hang on to your heart ♪ ♪ Or I'm gonna steal it away ♪ Hang On to Your Heart was kind of a... We wanted it to have kind of an R&B kind of groove because we felt like in those days in Nashville you could kind of get away with that.

♪ It'll always be ♪ ♪ Just you and me ♪ ♪ Here together ♪ ♪ You better hang on to your heart, ♪ ♪ hold on tight ♪ ♪ Or I'm gonna steal it away tonight ♪ ♪ I'll take you in my arms ♪ I Could Get Used to You, we had always wanted to do a song that had sort of a reggae kind of feel.

♪ Just one little bitty touch from you ♪ ♪ You could make me feel so fine ♪ ♪ If you're so inclined to ♪ ♪ If you feel like dancing ♪ ♪ Let it show ♪ ♪ Tell me anything But please don't say no ♪ ♪ I could get used to you ♪ ♪ Oh, darling, ♪ ♪ you're so fine ♪ ♪ I could grow accustomed to ♪ ♪ Your body layin' right next to mine ♪ It ended up being a number one record as was Hang On to Your Heart.

You know, so, I guess we were doing something right.

Dancing all through the night Holding each other tight Darling that's what I'd like to do with you babe I could get used to you Oh, darling, you're so fine It makes you feel good as an artist, a singer if you perform lead vocal on a song and it's a number one record.

Yeah, it's a great feeling and it means everything to me.

♪ How strong my passion is for you ♪ ♪ But every time I've tried to tell you ♪ ♪ I can't find the right words to say ♪ ♪ No matter how hard I keep trying ♪ ♪ I just haven't found a way ♪ ♪ I can't get close enough, ♪ ♪ I can't get close enough to you ♪ Steve: It's a miracle that we are alive.

We're all in our seventies now.

But you know what?

Music keeps you young.

♪ I can't get near enough, ♪ ♪ I can't get near enough of you ♪ But you know that, it's a good kind of thing I'm going through One of the things that has kept us going is the fact that we have actually three really good songwriters, that'd be J.P., Les and Sonny.

A lot of bands have to look outside for material, and we haven't had to, you know, when we need songs, they always come through with something.

♪ no difference, you see ♪ ♪ I'd give anything ♪ ♪ to make you understand how much you mean to me ♪ ♪ I can't get close enough, ♪ ♪ I can't get close enough to you ♪ ♪ Just holding you tight, all night, ♪ ♪ doesn't seem to do ♪ ♪ I can't get near enough, ♪ The nature of a band, it's a fragile thing and when it works, it's a beautiful thing, and when something kind of upsets that, it's difficult, you know, and through our career, after our pop success and country -- beginning in country, members decided for whatever reasons, you know, to pursue individual projects, they decided to leave the band.

J.P. Pennington and Les Taylor left the band to do other things.

Paul Martin joined as the lead singer.

Marlon had already left, we had Lee Carroll as the keyboard player.

We had Martin Jones on acoustic guitar.

Steve was still the drummer.

Sonny was still the bass player.

Steve: And Steve and I were left standing, you know, trying to keep Exile going.

And as each member departed, they were replaced with incredibly qualified great musicians, singers, you know, Lee Carroll, Paul Martin, for example.

We carried on.

When I joined Exile, those guys had been at it for a long time, and they'd been starving, and I came in knowing that I was gonna starve with them.

So, I had a van, I sold that van put the money in the bank to live on.

The thing that became clear to me from the very start was this quality of stick-to-it-iveness, that's what I call it.

These guys, they weren't gonna let go of anything.

They weren't gonna give up no matter what happened.

And so, I moved right into that, and that has been the foundation of this band.

And I also think it's a huge part of the glue that has held us together for so long.

Just ain't gonna quit.

When you're trying to follow up a hit act with new people, no matter how good the replacements are, you know, people long for that what was original.

Sonny and I were the surviving members of Exile.

And we had brought in Paul Martin, and Mark Jones, and Lee Carroll, and got a deal on Arista Records and had some hits and we did well.

When that ended Les, J.P. and Marlon came back into the fold and that's where we are now.

I think, the thing that we learned when the five of us sort of reformed back in 2008 is you don't sweat the small stuff you used to.

You learn what the other band members' quirks are, and you just let it go.

You know, maybe it's because we're old, but we, you know, just don't worry about stuff like that anymore, and it is a family.

Your first band.

You know, of course, the picture, that one band picture, where you all standing there, your little white shirts and ties.

And you're band.

Marlon: And we're called The Savages.

The Savages.

It looked too savage.

I don't know where that came from.

You know a little white shirt.

Oh my God.

Les: I remember my cousin and I -- we started a band.

It was called The Wanderers.

And we... -Marlon: Cool name.

-J.P.: I like that.

Les: And we -- it was an all-instrumental band.

And his mom and dad owned a tire shop in north London, and we used to rehearse down in the area where all of the tire recapping machines were.

And then we're rehearsing and then once and now you hear a machine go psss& J.P.: My first band was with my two cousins who were Red Foley's nephews, right?

And we were called Clyde Foley and the Le Sabers featuring Elroy Pullins.

Seemed like everybody got billing but me.

But we were mostly an instrumental band, but Elroy sang a few funny songs, he was like a Roger Miller type guy.

His real name was Leroy.

And he showed up one day and announced, I'm changing my name to Elroy, okay?

Because I feel like it sounds more sophisticated.

So, he became Elroy.

I've got many pictures of this guitar, my mom playing it with the Coon Creek Girls in Renfro Valley, of my Aunt Rosie, she played it a lot too.

It was built between 1942 and 1945, during the war, and it's got a special banner on it that only those years had, that says only a Gibson is good enough, which I think is cool.

♪ Oh, no, look down on the multitude ♪ ♪ to say the man up in heaven didn't plan for you ♪ ♪ Crying out when shot was heard ♪ ♪ Good God told man he gonna flood here ♪ ♪ Animals coming, two by two ♪ ♪ Elephant then the kangaroo ♪ ♪ Noah cried no, you're full of sin ♪ ♪ God got the key and you can't get in ♪ ♪ In the east, in the west ♪ ♪ In the door, in the sound ♪ ♪ All day, all night ♪ ♪ Oh, tell me, didn't it rain, children?

♪ ♪ Didn't it rain on my Lord ♪ ♪ Listen to the rain ♪ ♪ Listen to the rain ♪ ♪ Didn't it fall, my Lord now ♪ ♪ Didn't it rain.

♪ ♪ Didn't it rain.

♪ ♪ Drip, drop ♪ ♪ Drip, drop ♪ ♪ Drip, drop ♪ ♪ Drip, drop ♪ ♪ Didn't it rain on my Lord now ♪ ♪ Listen to the rain ♪ ♪ Listen to the rain ♪ ♪ Didn't it, on my Lord now ♪ ♪ Didn't it rain ♪ ♪ Didn't it rain ♪ That was one of the Coon Creek Girl's song that I love Didn't it Rain.

The minute that the cue comes on to come on stage, they will give you their 90 minutes or 120 minutes of whatever it is that they're out there to perform and you're gonna love every second of it.

Those 90 minutes that we're up there playing, all of us still get the thrill of a lifetime from that.

[Rough Around The Edges by The Exile] ♪ I am rough around the edges ♪ ♪ I didn't come out of no GQ magazine ♪ ♪ I don't use a lot of big words ♪ ♪ But I'm big on love if you know what I mean ♪ Rough around the edge, we're getting feedback from radio that guys our age have come to radio with a rocker.

♪ I ain't got no big degree from college ♪ ♪ And I guess to tell the truth I need a shave ♪ Thinking back to all of us country boys who grew up on a farm, you know, we were and still are a little rough around the edges.

And that's kind of the point of the song is, you know, the guys, they may not be the most cultured guy in the world, but he's a good guy, you know.

And so, I think it fits us very well because it can still get a little rough sometimes around the edges.

♪ I stand right up and say what I believe ♪ ♪ I'm a little rough around the edges ♪ ♪ But I think I'm exactly what you need ♪ ♪ You may think I'm just a hayseed plowboy ♪ ♪ But just give me a chance to strut my stuff ♪ ♪ I don't shine like some pinup poster cowboy ♪ ♪ But neither does a diamond when you dig it up ♪ Looking at an artist like Exile, a band like Exile, that really has a new beginning, even though they've traveled a million miles.

♪ I stand right up and say what I believe ♪ ♪ I'm a little rough around the edges ♪ ♪ But I think I'm exactly what you need ♪ ♪ I'm a little rough around the edges ♪ ♪ But I think I'm exactly what you need ♪ We've got a brand-new album.

We did a cover version of the old classic Sixteen Tons.

[Sixteen Tons By The Exile] ♪ Some people say a man is made outta mud ♪ ♪ A poor man's made outta muscle and blood ♪ ♪ Muscle and blood and skin and bones ♪ ♪ A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong ♪ ♪ You load 16 tons, what do you get?

♪ ♪ Another day older and deeper in debt ♪ ♪ St. Peter, don't you call me ♪ ♪ 'cause I can't go ♪ ♪ I owe my soul to the company store ♪ ♪ I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine ♪ ♪ I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine ♪ ♪ I loaded 16 tons of number nine coal ♪ ♪ And the straw boss said, "Well, a-bless my soul" ♪ ♪ You load 16 tons, what do you get?

♪ ♪ Another day older and deeper in debt ♪ ♪ St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go ♪ ♪ I owe my soul to the company store ♪ 16 tons was a really important song to us when we were kids.

We all loved it because it was so different and it was dark, you know, as was the guy who wrote it, Merle Travis, who was one of my favorite all-time guitar heroes.

♪ I owe my soul to the company store ♪ Steve: Tennessee Ernie Ford made that song famous.

It was probably his biggest hit.

So, it's a song that we've always loved and because of the coal mine connection in our Kentucky roots endeared us to that song.

[crowd cheering] When people talk about soundtracks to their life and the bands that you grew up on, you know, we can all talk about the Stones and The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and blah, blah, blah.

If you're from Central Kentucky, you know, that region, you'll talk about The Exiles.

♪ It started out as just a dream ♪ ♪ But here we are, as crazy as it seems ♪ ♪ We're better off, a little worse for wear ♪ ♪ But somehow we made it on a wing and a prayer ♪ J.P.: It's such a beautiful ride, that, and it's what we chose to do, and I'm so glad that we're still able to do it and having fun doing it.

♪ Even when I seemed lost on some dead end street ♪ ♪ Now a million miles later, ♪ ♪ ten thousand nights with you ♪ ♪ We've climbed a lot of mountains ♪ ♪ and even moved a few ♪ ♪ Made mistakes and memories wherever we've been ♪ ♪ Now a million miles later, I'd do it all, ♪ ♪ even through it all I'd do it all again ♪ You have to approach this as a job, you have to have passion, but you also have to approach it as a job or you're not gonna last.

♪ Where do we go, go from here ♪ ♪ We'll find our way even if it's not clear ♪ ♪ Will figure it out in our own sweet time ♪ ♪ The answer's somewhere in between the white lines ♪ ♪ We need each other to make this happen.

♪ ♪ A million miles later, ten thousand nights with you ♪ ♪ We've climbed a lot of mountains ♪ ♪ and even moved a few ♪ ♪ Made mistakes and memories wherever we've been ♪ ♪ Now a million miles later, ♪ ♪ I'd do it all, ♪ ♪ even through it all I'd do it all again ♪ They love each other and for a group of guys to spend that kind of time together, away from their families, they become a unit.

♪ Now a million miles later, ♪ ♪ ten thousand nights with you ♪ ♪ We've climbed a lot of mountains ♪ ♪ and even moved a few ♪ ♪ Made mistakes and memories wherever we've been ♪ ♪ Now a million miles later,♪ ♪ I'd do it all, ♪ ♪ even through it all ♪ ♪ I'd do it all, do it all over again ♪ Bev: Most groups don't make it half this far.

So, for them to accomplish this and to be genuine friends with everybody and take all those personalities and blend them together, that's a miracle right there.

♪ Made mistakes and memories wherever we've been ♪ ♪ Now a million miles later, ♪ While we've brought joy to all these people, what they have given me, what they've given us, is so much more.

And you know, I just wanna say from my heart to them, you know, thank you for what you gave to me because it's real special.

That's it.

♪ It started out as just a dream ♪ ♪ But here we are, and again, and again ♪ ♪ The turning of the wheels, ♪ ♪ the hum of the road ♪ ♪ You're always with me ♪ ♪ everywhere I go ♪ ♪ Where we go, go from here ♪ ♪ find our way even if it's not clear ♪ [crowd cheering] Narrator: Funding for this program is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.