Bruce Hornsby kicking off Marietta College’s Esbenshade Series

MARIETTA -- Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers will open the 2023-24 Esbenshade Series at Marietta College.

Ticket reservations start 10 a.m. Aug. 28 for the free concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Peoples Bank Theatre. Reservations can be made at peoplesbanktheatre.com, at the box office on Putnam Street or by calling the box office at (740) 371-5152.

The series, funded by the Frederica G. Esbenshade Memorial Fund, will again feature five performances and all will be free of charge to the public starting two weeks prior to each show date.

Other performances will be announced soon, Todd Burge, director of the Esbenshade Series, said.

"I'm honored to announce this upcoming Bruce Hornsby concert so everyone can mark their calendars and I cannot wait to share the entire Esbenshade lineup soon," Burge said.

Hornsby, who is from Williamsburg, Va., first rose to national prominence with "The Way It Is," his 1986 Grammy-winning debut album with The Range.

"The Way It Is" became the most-played song on American radio in 1987. Tupac Shakur's "Changes" uses "The Way It Is."

In 1991, Hornsby collaborated with Bonnie Raitt on "I Can't Make You Love Me." Hornsby also was a part-time member of the Grateful Dead from September 1990 to March 1992, performing over 100 concerts in America and Europe.

Hornsby, a 13-time Grammy nominee, also is a highly sought-after collaborator. His 23 albums have sold over 11 million copies worldwide and he has appeared on over 100 records, including releases with Bob Dylan, Don Henley, The Grateful Dead, Stevie Nicks, Ricky Skaggs, Bob Seger, Chaka Khan, Bon Iver, Brandon Flowers, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Mavis Staples, and Willie Nelson, among others.

His most recent studio album, "'Flicted," was released in May 2022.

These events have been funded by the Frederica G. Esbenshade Memorial Fund, which provides annual income for the purpose of bringing lectures, performing artists, and programs of diverse nature to the campus and community at large. The endowed fund was established in 1980 by Harry H. Esbenshade Sr., and Harry H. Esbenshade Jr., husband, and son, respectively, of the late Mrs. Esbenshade of Uniontown, Pa. All events are free and open to the public.

More information on the series is available at www.marietta.edu/esbenshade-series or by contacting the Esbenshade Series director, Todd Burge, at toddburgemusic@gmail.com.