For much of the 1970s, the Marshall Tucker Band was one of music’s most popular acts, with music that combined rock, country and jazz and spawned a string of gold albums.  In person, the band was celebrated for musical improvisation and memorable shows.  The band brings this magic to Lake Clementia Amphitheater on Sept. 5 to close the 2009 season of Entertainment, Theatre & Culture for Rancho Murieta.

The group released its first album, “The Marshall Tucker Band,” in 1973, and its peak came with the million-selling album “Carolina Dreams” and the top-15 single, “Heard It in a Love Song,” in 1977.

"The buying public never really cared whether we were country or rock and roll," says founding member Doug Gray in an interview on the group’s web site. "They called us a Southern rock band, but we have always played everything from country to blues and all things in between. We're still playing all of the classic songs, but we are moving ahead into other styles as well."

With hit singles like "Heard It In a Love Song," "Fire On The Mountain," "Can't You See" and "Take The Highway," the Marshall Tucker Band earned seven gold and three platinum albums in the 1970s. During the ‘90s, there were four hit singles on Billboard's country chart and one on Billboard's gospel chart.

While it once played 300 gigs a year, now the Marshall Tucker Band has eased off to 150 or 200.

The band got its start in Spartanburg, S.C., borrowing the name “Marshall Tucker” from a key ring found in the band’s rehearsal space.

At the height of its popularity, the Marshall Tucker Band was playing 300 shows a year.  Thirty-five years in, the band still keeps a grueling schedule.

"We never play less than 150 shows a year, and sometimes we play as many as 200 shows,” says Gray. “We feel we owe it to the fans who have supported us through the years to deliver the music in person."

The Lake Clementia show begins at 8:30 p.m.  Tickets are $35 for ETC members and $45 for non-members.  Tickets are available at the RMA, MarShaTes and the Rancho Murieta Business Center.

There’s more information here.