Upcoming benefit concert for Rolling Thunder veterans support group

Rolling Thunder Inc. New Hampshire Chapter 1, the local chapter of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. will be the beneficiary of an upcoming benefit event at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, NH on Friday, August 16.

Rolling Thunder®, Inc is a class 501(c) (4) non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters across the United States and members abroad. While many members of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. are veterans and many ride motorcycles, neither is a prerequisite. All are united in the cause to bring full accountability for the Prisoners Of War-Missing In Action (POW/MIA) of all wars, reminding the public by the watchwords: “We Will Not Forget.”

Though mostly recognized for their involvement with POW/MIA Veterans and families; they are a much broader based organization then most people realize.

The story begins in the fall of 1987 when two Vietnam Veterans, Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, met to discuss personal concerns about the POW/MIA's from the Vietnam War. Having honorably served their country and taken an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies..." they were troubled by the lack of attention for those who did not make it home with their lives or their freedom. There were reports of more than 10,000 sightings of live Americans living in dismal captivity; generally ignored by the government and mainstream press.

The Founders of Rolling Thunder®, Inc., understood the right to have their voices heard and created a plan for an event in Washington, D.C. for the 1988 Memorial Day weekend. Reaching out to their families, other veterans and veteran's advocates to unite and form a march and demonstration in the nation’s Capital. Their arrival would be announced by the roar of their motorcycles, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder. They came to call themselves "Rolling Thunder®, Inc." a title that would endure and eventually be trademarked. Word spread and on Memorial Day weekend in 1988, approximately 2,500 motorcycles from across the country converged on Washington, D.C. to demand a full accounting of all POW/MIA's.

This was the first Rolling Thunder®, Inc. demonstration and on that day, the foundation was laid for the annual "Ride for Freedom" to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall (also referred to as the "Ride to the Wall"). Over the years the number of participants/spectators in the Memorial Day weekend Ride for Freedom has blossomed from 2,500 to an estimated 900,000.

As we said, Rolling Thunder®, Inc is involved with assisting Veterans in many more ways than most people recognize. They have been instrumental in getting legislation introduced to assist small businesses owned and controlled by Veterans.

In 2007, Rolling Thunder® Charities, Inc. was established as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit organization allowing individuals and corporations to receive a tax deduction for funds donated to Rolling Thunder® Charities, Inc. These funds are used for veterans, active-duty military and their families in need of help. Rolling Thunder® Charities, Inc. spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in financial aid, food, clothing and other essentials to veterans, homeless veterans and veterans' families in need, women's crisis centers and toys for children.

Thousands of hours are logged in by Rolling Thunder®, Inc. members at local VA hospitals nationwide. Members visit and provide moral support to nursing home veterans and patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Rockin' 4 Vets will be bringing it’s “Rock n’ Roll Circus” to the Tupelo Music Hall, in Derry, NH, on Friday August 16, 2024.

Topping the bill will be Legendary New England Blues Artist James Montgomery, former longtime frontman for the Johnny Winter Band, along with guitar great Jon Butcher, of the Jon Butcher Axis.

Joining the show will be special guest, NH’s own, Johnny A, former guitarist and producer of the Peter Wolf Band and Rock & Roll HOF and British Invasion band, the Yardbirds. As well as his original work, Johnny is known for his love of legendary British performers through his projects “From A to the Beatles” and his most recent “Beck-Ola” tribute to guitar hero, the late Jeff Beck.

Supporting this great line-up will be DYER, GOODWIN, CHAKOUR compromised of a who’s who of great New England musicians Deric Dyer, Cliff Goodwin, Mitch Chakour, Marty Richards and Wolf Ginandes, current members of the Mohegan Sun All-Stars and former members of bands such as Joe Cocker, Tina Turner, J. Geils Band, Joe Perry Project, and Matt “Guitar” Murphy.

Montgomery came to town, from his home in Michigan, to get an education and play a little music. He presented a fresh image, a powerful sound, great backing musicians and a “party ‘til you drop” stage persona. Instead of putting that education to use, he opted to stay and become one of New England’s best-known performers through the 70’s and 80’s. There was no venue in the region Montgomery could not fill and was known for his epic 2+ hour long shows.

Though some contemporaries have long ago broken up, been inducted into, or nominated for the Rock and Roll HOF, James continues to be right where he belongs and relishes in it. Montgomery never noted as a trendy musician, but one who developed a style and has ridden it for over 50 years to a wonderful career.

If it seems like the name Jon Butcher has been popping up in the Boston area for a long time; IT HAS! Butcher came to town so long ago it’s impossible to imagine the local music landscape without his presence.

Between the early days of Johanna Wild, Jon Butcher Axis, Barefoot Servants, he is one of the most influential performers in Boston. He’s toured the country opening for the J. Geils Band, Def Leppard, Rush, the Scorpions, and INXS. As well he’s toured with the Experience Hendrix Tour over the years.

Not every kid in town who falls in love with music will be successful or even advance to the level of being able to pursue it as a passion. One Saugus High School grad had that great fortune. 1970 SHS Graduate, John Antonopoulos, more commonly referred to around the world as Johnny A. did and continues to do so, 50 years later!

The name ‘Johnny A.’ might not be mainstream, but there’s no doubt it’s synonymous with guitar. Bitten at an early age by the desire to perform like his idols (Clapton, Beck and Page), he never relented. A devote of the 1960’s British Invasion, it gave him a goal. By the 1970’s, he was performing throughout the New England area, drawing attention from established musicians, like Derek and the Dominos’ keyboardist Bobby Whitlock and Doug Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

All this is to say that Johnny A. has the chops, and that’s not to mention his prolific solo career. Spanning three full-length albums, Johnny A. has earned a Grammy Award nomination, the honor of Boston Music Awards, “Blues Artist of the Year 2010,” and a spot in the revered Boston Music Hall of Fame.

The names Dyer, Goodwin, Chakour may not mean anything individually to music fans, but I’m willing to bet if you follow rock music you have seen them perform somewhere between 2,000 seat theatres and 200,000 seat stadiums across the globe. They were long-time key members of bands such as Woodstock legend Joe Cocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Tina Turner, as well as Boston’s own J. Geils Band and the Mohegan Sun All-Stars.

Among the hundreds of shows the three of them have done are Tina’s incredible “Break Every Rule World Tour”, and Cocker’s “Unchain My Heart World Tour”. Performed on records by artists, aside from Turner and Cocker, such as Robert Palmer, and Ric Ocasek.

With a line-up like this you can expect some classic Montgomery songs, some Jon Butcher Axis tunes along with a mix of some great R&B classics. But you can also be looking forward to some Johnny Winter, Cocker and Yardbird. Jeff Beck songs mixed in for good measure and with some luck some Hendrix and Tina.

This show is being produced by Rockin’ 4 Vets/Alive & Kicking Productions, which produces Vets benefit concerts throughout New England to support organizations assisting Vets on issues related to PTSD, addiction, and homelessness.