Concerts to benefit music and arts in schools
by Doug Walker, Associate Editor
Mar 08, 2013 | 2525 views | 1 1 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Native Rome musician Curtis Reed will perform two concerts at the Rome City Auditorium on March 30. (Contributed photo by Nakia Vensel)
Native Rome musician Curtis Reed will perform two concerts at the Rome City Auditorium on March 30. (Contributed photo by Nakia Vensel)
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As many as 50 students from the Floyd County school system will be featured as background vocalists when Rome native Curtis Reed takes the stage later this month at the Rome City Auditorium.

Reed will kick off his “Take Me Back to Georgia: A Celebration in Song” concert series March 30 at 2:30 and 7 p.m.

Twenty-five percent of the profits will be donated to music and arts in Floyd County schools.

“I certainly appreciate the importance and lifelong value of music and fine arts departments in our school system,” Reed said. “This is the underlying purpose of having the children perform with me.”

Reed was the featured vocalist with the popular G.T.’s band in the Rome area in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Since that time, his career has taken him to concert halls, nightclubs and casinos all over the country. He settled in Lebanon, Tenn., and was a radio regular on “The Ralph Emery Show” out of Nashville.

His repertoire crosses the entire music spectrum, from pop to R&B and country. The show in Rome will feature a variety of songs that should appeal to virtually any music fan.

“There will be a couple of new songs that I’ve written about Rome,” Reed said. “One is called ‘All Roads Lead to Rome,’ which will be one of the opening songs.”

Reed’s back-up band for the show includes local musicians along with longtime Atlanta area keyboardist Tony Valentine. Marshall Plants, another former member of the G.T.’s, will serve as music director for the show and will also be among the musicians.

Sherri Childs, with the Floyd County school system, has helped assemble the students who will perform in four of the numbers during the concert.

After traveling all over the country, Reed decided to pen a song about his home state and “Take Me Back to Georgia” is the title song on his latest CD, which is available at the Last Stop Gift Shop run by the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau atop Jackson Hill. A dollar from the sale of each CD sold in Rome will also be donated to the music and arts in schools program in Floyd County.

Tickets for the show are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for children age 12 and younger. The tickets are now available at The Forum box office and the Last Stop Gift Shop Welcome Center.

Reed said he plans to average one show a month at venues across the state during the next 12 to 14 months. He will culminate the concert series with a finale in Rome. The date has not yet been determined.
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jchristi
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April 01, 2013
Saturday matinee for Curtis Reed was a show Rome must not miss when he is back in town. His is a talent we all can be proud to know belongs among us from Rome. His talent was not only tremendous but his personality was contagious. The show had a collection of wonderful personalities and talent all locals, as well. When we left the auditorium the crowd had both been in tears and laughing with joy from the emotions this production shared with us all.

We are excited he will be back at the end of his tour to share with us again.
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