The Maines Brothers Band follows a musical tradition began in the 1950s by the original Maines Brothers, Raymond(Son), James and Wayne Maines. Younger Brother, Wayne began playing guitar while attending Roosevelt School in Acuff, Texas. Wayne would sometimes take his guitar on the school bus and happened upon another student on the bus by the name of Buddy Holley. Buddy's brothers recall Buddy learning some of his first guitar chords from Wayne. The original Maines Brothers played throughout the West Texas area, appearing at VFW halls and Rodeo dances. During the 1950s, alcoholic beverages were not legally available in Lubbock County. People would drive to Post, Texas (about 40 miles to the southeast) to buy their beer and dance. James Maines would sometimes bring along his sons, Lloyd, Steve, Kenny and Donnie to sing for the crowds. That was the beginning of the "Little Maines Boys".
After a portion of Lubbock County legalized the sale of package liquor, a number of nightclubs sprang up outside the City of Lubbock. One of those nightspots was the Cotton Club, one of the premier dancehalls in West Texas. During the mid 1960s, the "Little Maines Boys" began playing a Sunday Matinee Dance at the Cotton Club. The "Little Maines Boys" eventually became the "Maines Brothers Band" and carried on the tradition started by their dad and uncles. After graduating high school, the brothers went separate ways for several years. Kenny joined a show band in Las Vegas in 1974. Lloyd began working at Don Caldwell Recording Studio and then teamed up with a Lubbock singer/songwriter by the name of Joe Ely. Kenny returned to Lubbock in 1976 and began the process of bringing the Maines Brothers Band together again. The Brothers added Randy Brownlow on piano and Jerry Brownlow on bass guitar and vocals. Lloyd returned to the band in 1979 and the MBB released the "Route 1, Acuff" album in 1980. By this time, Richard Bowden had joined the band on fiddle, mandolin and trumpet. The band's recording of Terry Allen's "Amarillo Highway" was getting substantial regional airplay and became the song that defined the MBB style of West Texas Music. After two more independent albums, "Hub City Moan" and "Panhandle Dancer", the band attracted the attention of Jerry Kennedy at Mercury/PolyGram Records in Nashville.
The MBB signed a recording contract with Mercury/PolyGram in 1983. About that time, Cary Banks replaced Randy Brownlow on keyboards and guitar. The band recorded two albums with Mercury, garnering a "Top 25 Billboard Hit" with "Everybody Needs Love on a Saturday Night". During the "Mercury Years" the MBB toured across the country, appearing with Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, Reba, Barbara Mandrell, Dr. Hook, The Judds, Brooks & Dunn, Steve Wariner, Jerry Jeff Walker and a host of others. After some disagreement with Nashville executives about the direction the MBB wanted to head, the band left Mercury in 1986 and regained control of their recording career. They recorded two more albums, "Red, Hot & Blue" in 1987 and "Wind Storm" in 1990.
The MBB performs live on rare occasions. They will not perform as the Maines Brothers Band unless all seven members can make the date. They want to make sure the audience gets to see the "real" Maines Brothers Band and not a facimile. Those members are Lloyd Maines(steel guitar, electric guitar), Steve Maines(guitar & vocals), Kenny Maines(guitar, harmonica & vocals), Donnie Maines(drums), Jerry Brownlow(bass guitar & vocals), Richard Bowden(fiddle, mandolin & trumpet), Cary Banks(keyboards) and sister La Tronda "Maines" Moyers(the best looking Maines Brother) adds beautiful high harmony vocals. The MBB continues to sell CDs and are discussing the possibility of recording a compilation of the "Mercury Years", in order to make those songs available to MBB fans. And the family tradition continues..
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