The annual J.B. Hunt Scholarship Dance will once again reunite members of The Exotics in Orangeburg, offering fans a chance to enjoy a night of great entertainment and raise funds for aspiring musicians.
This will be the group’s 21st gala, original band member Rogers Jarvis said.
“The reunion started in 1998, but it skipped two years because we didn’t plan on continuing it. The first reunion was just a gathering of The Exotics members. About two years later, people wanted to be a part of the reunion. So that’s when we started that in 2000,” Jarvis said.
“We really didn’t plan to do that continuously. We were going to either do it that one time, or do it like a class reunion maybe every five years, or something like that. But, heck, that reunion where the public came through was overflowing at the Kappa House. We had to move out of there. The people were sitting on the floors,” he said.
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Jarvis, who plays the keyboard in the band, said, “It was overcrowded. We were pleasantly surprised by the reception.” The crowd was so large, they had to find a larger venue.
This year’s gala will be held at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, at the Orangeburg County Library and Conference Center at 1643 Russell St. in Orangeburg.
The band will be playing classics featuring a mix of soul and dance music under the theme “A Harlem Nights Christmas.” Attire is pearls and suspenders.
The event raises money for the Exotics Band Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to aspiring musicians.
Wilbur Shuler, a band member who plays the trumpet, is also the foundation’s treasurer.
Shuler said, “We’ve been able to give a scholarship each of the years that we’ve had the reunion. That’s the main purpose of the reunion right now. It is to give scholarships to people that are in music from the Orangeburg (County) School District because that’s where we got our start.”
The Exotics were one of the most sought-after bands of the late 1960s and early ’70s. It had a hit song, “Boogaloo Investigator,” and played back-up for some of the biggest names in the industry during its heyday – Marvin Gaye, Peaches and Herb, ZZ Hill and Clarence Carter, just to name a few.
Jarvis is one of only three original members of The Exotics who are still alive, including Harry Palmer and Dr. Walter “Wally” Bowers, M.D.
Dwight McMillan, who is credited with having organized The Exotics, died March 1, 2022.
As with all of the rest of the members, Jarvis was a student of James B. Hunt, the band director at Wilkinson High School. The foundation’s scholarship is named in honor of Hunt.
Jarvis recalled how The Exotics got their start.
“It was just five of us. Dwight was really the instigator. He pulled me, Walter Bowers, Harry Palmer and a guy named Stewart Thompson together. The origin came with two separate groups. I was a part of a singing group, which included me and Stewart Thompson. Walter Bowers, Dwight and Harry Palmer were a part of an instrumental group,” he said.
Jarvis continued, “The two of us got together and thought we’d form a band. Of course, maybe in about a year or two, we asked for some help from some older guys like Wilbur Shuler and John Morris Wright. … We changed our name from The Stereos to the Exotics.”
Shuler said the band’s longevity is a testament to the early instruction members received at Wilkinson High School under Hunt.
“To me, it’s trying to show a permanent recognition for the way we got started. That’s why we named the scholarship after Mr. Hunt. We want his name to be kind of enshrined in the minds of people when they start thinking about music in Orangeburg.
“Orangeburg at one time was kind of like a mecca for musicians. … So what it means to me as a member of The Exotics is to honor the person that got us all started in music and try to make sure his legacy goes on,” he said.
Jarvis said, “My feeling about it is I want to give back now. I want people to feel about me like I felt about our forefathers that picked us up and gave us a nickel or a dime here or there, or gave us a little job cleaning the yard.
“With The Exotics, we had help from local community members to help us buy instruments and equipment that we needed. It was a loan, but at least they could trust us to take care of that money. We repaid them with no interest, really. So that’s what it’s all about with me.”
Bowers, a retired medical doctor who now lives in Ohio, plays the saxophone in the band. He said it is a pleasure to come back to Orangeburg to participate in the scholarship gala.
He, too, gave Hunt credit for giving the early members their start in music.
“It means a lot to me. … Our common coming together was being in a school band under the direction of Mr. J.B. Hunt. Music has always been very important to us. You’ve got to be somewhat disciplined to thrive in that venue. We’ve all gone our different ways, but our music is our commonality. It’s what brought us together and still keeps us together,” he said.
Bowers continued, “It’s a noble cause to provide some monetary benefits to students, and I enjoy coming back and playing. I enjoy coming back renewing friendships, establishing new ones and being sort of a mentor to some of the young folks on the band. … It’s been a great experience, and I relish the memories that are cultivated over the years.”
A raffle will be held during the scholarship dance. A meal is also included as part of the festivities.
Individual tickets for the event, which raises money for the J.B. Hunt Scholarship awarded each year to an aspiring music major, are $35, and reserved tables of eight are available for $280.
Tickets for the dance are available at Jamison’s Pharmacy, Goldstein’s or from any member of The Exotics. Reserved table tickets are also available from Exotics members.
Individuals are asked to bring their ticket stubs to the event because they will be used in the night’s raffles.
Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow “Good News with Gleaton” on Twitter at @DionneTandD
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