Amboy Dukes - featuring Ted Nugent - "Baby Please Don't Go" - 2009 Detroit Music Awards

The 2009 Detroit Music Awards put on by the Motor City Music Foundation was well attended by a wide variety of industry professionals. It was definitely the place to be on Friday night with numerous sightings of local celebs and music aficionados. The 18th annual awards show featured 10 categories of music, a Motown 50th Anniversary Revue, a tribute to Ron Asheton by Powertrane featuring Scott Morgan, Hiawatha Bailey, Chris "Box" Taylor and Al King. The evening also featured a tribute to Lyman Woodard and the Woodard Organization who was a Detroit legend for many decades. The highlight of the night was certainly the long overdue reunion of the psychedelic group The Amboy Dukes organized by the legendary outspoken gun toting monster truck driving rocker Ted Nugent. Ted may be showing signs of his age but his licks on the guitar are sharp as ever. The Amboy Dukes featured Ted Nugent on lead guitar, Andy Solomon on Hammond B 3, Rick Lober on keyboards, Steve Farmer on rhythm guitar, Jim Butler on drums and John Drake on vocals, Bill White on bass. The original drummer David Palmer has not played drums in years so he wasn't there for the reunion. Greg Arama died in a motorcycle accident in 1979. Bill White who played bass on the first album and wrote most of the bass parts to the next record Journey was drafted and went off to Nam and that's when Arama stepped in. So it really was as close to the original Amboy Dukes as possible. Also sitting in on the drums for the third song was legendary drummer for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and the Rockets Johnny "Bee" Badanjek Kenny Crimewave, Julie Pulgini and I worked cameras. Kudos to Richard Blondy of Direct From Detroit Music for leading the way to a great main floor position. Thanks also to Matt Lee in PR/ Media.for The Motor City Music Foundation