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MAC ARNOLD

& Plate Full O' Blues      Greenville, SC

www.macarnold.com​​
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www.icandoanythingfoundation.org

Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues new CD "Give It Away" was released in April 2016. 

 

Mac,  Austin and Max gave away the whole CD for free for four months.

 

"Give It Away" can be purchased at www.macarnold.com

or cdbaby.com

 

NEWS

Mac Arnold must have known at an early age that his music career would read like a “Who’s who” of Blues/R&B Legends.  His high school band “J Floyd & The Shamrocks” were often joined by none other than Macon, Georgia native, James Brown on piano.  After deciding to pursue a professional music career, he joined the Charles Miller group until 1965 when he made the move to Chicago to work with recording artist/saxophonist A. C. Reed.​

In late 1966, at age 24, came the opportunity of a lifetime to join the Muddy Waters Band and help shape the electric blues sound that inspired the rock and roll movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s.  Regular guests of the band included Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, and Elvin Bishop.  The Muddy Waters Band (as a unit) shared the stage with the likes of Howlin’ Wolfe, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams, and Big Mama Thornton just to name a few.  During this time, Mac played on John Lee Hooker’s “live “album, Live at the Café Au Go-Go, as well as Otis Spann’s classic recording “The Blues is Where It’s At”.

​After more than a year with Muddy Waters, Mac formed the Soul Invaders which backed up many artists, including The Temptations and B. B. King.  In the early 70’s, he moved Los Angeles to work at ABC Television and LAFF RECORDS (Redd Foxx).  This led to working on the set of Soul Train from 1971 to 1975 and then working with Bill Withers (“Lean On Me”) before moving back to South Carolina in the 80’s.

Mac now resides in Pelzer, SC, where at the age of ten he got his first taste of the blues when he learned to play his brother Leroy’s home-made guitar.  Going back to his roots, Mac is serving up a mess of Blues with his own band, “Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues” with Austin Brashier on guitar and vocals, Max Hightower on keyboards, harmonica, guitar, bass and vocals, and Mac Arnold on vocals, bass and Gas Can Guitars.  Mac is also an organic farmer.      

 

On June 3, 2023 Mac Arnold was inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment and Music

Hall of Fame at the Greenville, SC Convention Center.

 

On September 23, 2017 Mac Arnold was inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame.

 The Ceremony was held at the Drish House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

2-28-14:  Mac Arnold:  I just received a call from the President of USC State in Columbia,

SC.  I will be receiving an Honorary Doctors Degree in Music at USC State Columbia, SC on

May 10th. So please reserve this day and I would love for everyone to be there to celebrate

this honorary degree that is being bestowed upon me that's a once in a life time honor.

​January 16, 2013:  Charlie Boyer of Jazz & Blues Florida www.jazzbluesflorida.com  posted

his "2012 Best Of" results 2012 Touring Blues Band Show of the Year: Mac Arnold and Plate

Full O' Blues at the Southwest Florida Blues Festival.

 

​The Blues Music Awards have taken notice of Mac Arnold over the past two years.  Mac was

on hand for the 31st annual Blues Music Awards held May 6, 2010 in Memphis.  Mac accepted

the award for Best Historical Album for his participation on the 1966 recording Muddy Waters

Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium (Geffen Records) The recording was

released in 2009.​

2012 Blues Blast Music Award Nominations for “Traditional Blues Recording Of The Year” – Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues – Blues Revival CD. 

On December 13, 2011 the Blues Foundation announced its nominations for the 33rd Blues Music Awards held May 10, 2012  in Memphis, TN – Mac Arnold was nominated for Traditional Blues Male Artist.​

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06-03-23 - SC Hall of Fame Award-1.jpg
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