Get ready to 'cut a rug' with Shaggie Maggie

One of Burlington's big beach bands is back. Shaggie Maggie is coming to town to make the people of Burlington "cut a rug."

The Sunset Rhythms Concert Series presents Shaggie Maggie from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today at the Historic Depot in downtown Burlington, intersection of South Main and Front streets. Free of charge, the crowd will have the opportunity to listen to a selection of Carolina beach music, regional hits, national hits, dance music, ballads and Shaggie Maggie's own recordings and hits.

"There's a lot of beach music that comes out of the Burlington area, and I think Shaggie Maggie is considered a Burlington band," lead vocalist Pam Russell said in a recent phone interview. "We came and played (for a previous Sunset Rhythms Concert Series) and we loved playing for the Burlington people, because its not like the 3 Thirty 3 club, it's everybody - you know, people you don't usually see in the clubs."

The band actually had its first performance as Shaggie Maggie at 3 Thirty 3 Sports Bar in Burlington four years ago. The name Shaggie

Maggie was developed by Chip Allred, who was the band's first drummer, but is no longer a member.

"I have no idea where he came up with it, but it stuck with us," Russell said. "There was no need to vote, it just fit."

Although "Maggie" is nowhere to be found in Russell's name, people often think she is Maggie. The other original members of the band are: Ted Keaton as a lead vocalist playing the B-3 organ, Bob Sykes as a vocalist playing the guitar, and Doug Dennis as a vocalist playing the bass. Newer band members include James Kipple, a lead vocalist on the keyboard, and Roy Brown on the drums. Steve Hill, a native of Burlington, takes care of sound and lights. Three of the four original band members met through different performances for a man named Rick Church, who eventually got them all together. Keaton was actually Church's neighbor and was invited to the first practice.

"Ted had said to me he had always wanted to play with somebody who could sing like me," Russell said. "It was something that I wanted to do all my life, was play with some really good musicians."

Russell said one of Shaggie Maggie's greatest challenges was last year when she realized she had breast cancer. She admitted that it was difficult for the band to stay together. However, one of Shaggie Maggie's great successes was during that time when the band's song, "What's A Matter Baby?" went to No. 1 on Fessa Hook's Top 40 Countdown.

"I'd say that were really successful in the beach music world," Russell said. "The biggest reward is when there is the visible evidence that joy and happiness is taking place in this room where you're performing - the people are really happy with what you're doing."
Russell said with the blues, Motown, rhythm and blues, and northern soul, beach music is a kind of a "catch-all term." A lot of the music, Russell said, is representative of the era she and other members of the band grew up in, and it "plucks at the heart strings." Shaggie Maggie is working on a few new tunes, but some of the songs the band will be playing are the popular beach music song "Ten Ways," and the band's most recently learned song "I'm Just a Fool."

Shaggie Maggie recently sang and recorded the song "Green River," and is back in the studio working on a new song which Russell said she cannot reveal. The song should be coming out within the next month.

Russell said she's actually in heaven when the band gets to practice, and that there is so much about what the band does that is rewarding - especially when it comes to the people.

"Our beginnings were in Burlington," Russell said. "We've got a sense of loyalty and belonging to that community, so we're really excited to come out."

Shaggie Maggie will also be playing on July 3 at Thirsty's 2 in Greensboro, and will be back in Burlington Sept. 20 for the Burlington Carousel Festival at Burlington City Park.