By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
He was just a kid – and he knew.
Marty Connor knew music would be his life.
“After riding bikes and climbing trees,” he said, “my buddies formed a ‘band’ with sticks and our mom’s scrub buckets and jammed to songs like Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog.”
Well, the band broke up when mom needed her bucket.
And for punishment by Marty’s friends for laughing during their rehearsals, they dared him into singing Jailhouse Rock in the high school talent show.
Guess what? He won.
And the Marty Connor Band was born.
The four-piece version of the band will be featured at the Fourth Annual Boots ‘n Brews event, Saturday evening, October 8th at the DCCH Barn on Orphanage Road, Fort Mitchell.
Tickets are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door – and may be purchased on-line or by calling: 859-491-9111.
As a professional singer, the soon-to-be 58-year-old Connor sang for several soap operas – Guiding Light, Another World and As the World Turns.
“The coolest gigs,” said Connor, a native of Newport, “that come to mind are opening for country music recording artists Little Texas and then Sheryl Crow.”
He says his most rewarding performance was singing The National Anthem at the United States Marine Corps Ball in New Jersey.
“Music is my dominant passion,” said the grad of Walton-Verona High School. “To stand behind that mic and watch everyone enjoying life is an experience almost as touching as watching my grand babies grow up.”
Connor has raised two sons, and he and his wife of over 20 years now have three grandsons.
“My passion for music started at a young age by curiosity and the wonderfully talented musicians that I surrounded myself with,” he said.
Connor said working the bar and club scene has grown into performing at festivals, private events and casinos.
His band will perform close to 200 gigs a year, he claims. Yet, he’s worked at FedEx Freight for the past 10 years, as his day job.
“I had to get those insurance benefits somewhere,” he quipped.
Boots ‘n Brews is yet another of five events in the 50th anniversary year celebration of The Point/Arc the non-profit organization located in Covington.
Founded in 1972 by a group of parents fighting for the educational rights of their children, who were diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD), its mission – to help people with disabilities achieve their highest potential educationally, socially, residentially, and vocationally. More than this, The Point/Arc has been an organization that identifies gaps in services and provides care and support to fill these gaps – even when government funding sources are not available.
