CHARLES TOWN British reggae band UB40 will take to the Event Center stage at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Saturday night.
The band, which started out as six young friends from Birmingham, England, has evolved over time. Jimmy Brown, drummer and one of the founding members, said the six founding members had known each other since they were 11 years old.
“Of the six members, our singer left 16 years ago, and our saxophonist and songwriter, Brian Travers, passed away after a battle with a brain tumor,” Brown said. “We replaced our singer with his brother, Duncan, in order to keep things in the family.
Brown later shared that Duncan had suffered a stroke and was no longer able to continue with the band. Matt Doyle joined the band.
We knew him well, he had supported us with his band on several tours and he also happened to be our percussionist nephew, Brown said.
The horn section has been with the band for more than 30 years. The newcomer to the group, Brown said, is Jahred Gordon, whom he describes as a very talented multi-instrumentalist from Jamaica.
The changes that have been made over the years have been very positive for the group, Brown said.
This is not the band's first tour of the United States, having toured all over the world during its 45-year history. It has visited places such as South Africa, the Polynesian Islands, South America, continental Europe, New York and even Russia, where it played in 1986.
We like to tour everywhere, because people are very welcoming, Brown said, adding that the band spends a lot of time on the road.
The schedule depends on the band promoting an album. In 2024, Brown said the band had been pretty quiet in the first half of the year, but were now embarking on a U.S. tour and planning a tour of New Zealand and the U.K. later in the year. The band is no stranger to the U.S., having toured there extensively.
“It’s one of my favorite places to visit,” Brown said.
During their concerts, Brown explained that the band plays a lot of their hits, while also adding some new material.
“It’s up to the band to make sure we put on a good enough show to keep the audience interested,” Brown said, adding that there’s a lot of motivation and desire in the band. “We love what we do and we realize how lucky we are to make a living doing something we love. We don’t take anything for granted and every member of the band gives 110 percent every night.”
Brown said the goal of each show is to encourage the audience to dance, sing and hopefully go home in a good mood.
The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Hollywood Casino Event Center at Charles Town Races. UB40 will welcome special guest Fastest Land Animal.
For more information on tickets, visit hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com.
