Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues: Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art

Mac Arnold’s first band included James Brown on piano. He 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 became associate producer of Soul Train with his friend Don Cornelius. He even played bass on the Sanford & Son television show. Mac also played bass with Otis Redding, B.B. King, Tyrone Davis, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and many other musicians. He retired from show business to be an organic farmer. Mac is back with his own band Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, building a new foundation in blues music.

GSH:  “Who is Mac Arnold?”

MA: “I am a legendary blues musician and singer and the lead singer for Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues.  I am also an organic farmer.  My basic reason for farming is to grow collard greens for the benefit of the Mac Arnold’s Cornbread and Collard Green Blues Festival. The festival benefits the “I Can Do Anything Foundation” www.icandoanything-foundation.org  which donates to music and art in the public schools. We have festivals in Charlotte and Ashville in NC, and Myrtle Beach and Greenville in SC. In 2013, we will start up on April 20 in Bristol, VA.”

GSH: “Why did you get involved in organic farming?”

MA: “I had been farming off and on and decided to get involved when Greenville stated a program of composting and I am using it as my fertilizer.  The idea for the festival came about during a rehearsal. Every weekend I like to cook for the group during the rehearsals. One day one of the guys said you cook so well, we should start something and they decided to adopt the Cornbread & Collard Greens Blues Festival  in 2007.”

GSH:  “Did you ever think that the band would be successful?”

MA:  “Oh yes that’s the reason I started playing music again. I had retired and then met Max Hightower (Harmonica and Keyboard) who found out that I used to play in Chicago. He stayed after me for and we looked for musicians and rehearsed with different ones for 10 years or more. I wanted to play Country Music, but we settled on playing Blues. All members are original except for our bass player.”

GSH:  “Can you share one of your favorite stories from being on the road?”

MA; “I have met some very interesting people but the most interesting experience was from Switzerland when we played June 30 of 2012. There must have been over 3,000 people facing us. The music was playing and when I was introduced the music stopped and everyone sang happy birthday to me.”

GSH:  “What is your favorite thing to do in your time off?”

MA: “Farming and doing the lawn.”

GSH:  “What can we expect from a Mac Arnold performance today?”

MA: “Bring your dancing shoes and leave your bad ears at home because the music will be extravagant. People who love the blues will have one of the greatest experiences in their life.”

GSH:  “Where is your favorite place to perform on the Grand Strand?”

MA: “We only played Myrtle Beach twice and there is not a favorite place yet. We played the Bowery and at The Pavilion before they moved it.”  I think we were the last band that played at The Pavilion before it moved to a new location.

GSH:  “What is your favorite thing to do on the Grand Strand?”

MA: “I have friends here and I like hanging out at the beach.”

GSH:  “What advice do you have for young musicians?”

MA: “I would love for them to take the music seriously and stick with it; rehearse every chance you get.  Think of music as your pet pea. Play with it every chance you get.”

GSH:  “What do you want the readers to know about you?”

MA: “I’m looking forward to coming to the beach and do a performance and I can guarantee everyone will like what we are doing.”