When The Pack takes the stage at the Ellis Performing Arts Center (EPAC) this Saturday, it will be a special performance for one of the members of the group who has ties to Latta.
Jason Stokes, a singer in the group, is the grandson of Edith Greene, who served as the school nurse in Latta for several years. His mother, Claudia, and his aunt, Barbara, are both graduates of Latta High School.
“Knowing that I’m performing in the city where my mother was born, my emotions will be a little heightened, I’m sure,” said Stokes. “I think my grandparents, who have been gone for many years now, will be smiling down on us as well.”
Stokes has fond memories of being at his grandmother’s house in Latta for the Thanksgiving holiday. “As a kid we would always spend Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house so, we would spend at least five days in Latta in the 1980s,” Stokes recalled. “She had a Lazy Susan on her kitchen table that I thought was the coolest, and she had a satellite antenna auto-tuner that we used to tune in one of the three channels,” he said.
Stokes’ interest in entertainment came at a young age, but not as a singer at first. “Honestly acting was my first love,” he said. “I started doing theatre in the 4th grade, but it was nothing serious; however, being on stage felt normal to me.”
“Growing up I loved the music of the 1950s and 1960s, and when I was in 7th grade, there was a solo part in the song ‘Rockin’ Robin,’ which is one of my favorite songs. I auditioned for it, and I’d never sung a solo before in my life. I got the solo and have never looked back when it comes to performing,” Stokes said.
The Pack performing this Saturday consists of Kevin Bush, Terrance Henderson, Johnathan Jackson, and Stokes. The idea to form a band in tribute to The Rat Pack was Stokes’ idea. The Rat Pack included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr.
“We had all worked in and around the Columbia area doing theatre, but we’d all never worked together until September of 2006,” Stokes said of he and his bandmates. “We were all cast in the musical ‘The Full Monty,’ and we all just clicked immediately. We would eventually take that show to Charleston and needed to do a little fundraising. I pitched the Rat Pack idea to the guys, and we’ve been playing exaggerated versions of ourselves in the Rat Pack philosophy-way for the last 19 years.”
Stokes said he developed a love for this type of music as an early teen. “I heard a recording of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ when I was 12 or 13 years old and just began to research and look for that type of music, which eventually lead me to the Rat Pack not only as a ‘group’ but their solo projects as well,” said Stokes. “There is a real heart, a real depth of feeling in those classic songs. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis were masters at making you feel a song, not just listen to it.”
Stokes doesn’t have a favorite member of the Rat Pack. “To me the beauty of the Rat Pack in that time is the friendship that’s on display when those five/six guys were onstage performing together. Hopefully, we call back to that friendship when we’re onstage because the four of us are such good, close friends,” Stokes said. His other musical influences include Sonny Rollins, Sam Cooke, Gordon Lightfoot, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, John Williams, James Horner, Howard Shore, Gregorie Maret, and the Eagles.
The public can come exp.ecting a great show on Saturday evening. “The beautiful thing about our show is no matter how many times we have performed together, the show is always new and different. The main objective we have, other than to entertain, is to make sure everyone leaves our show in a better place, better mood, than when they came in. If the audience isn’t smiling while watching and listening to us, and when they leave, then we haven’t done our job,” Stokes said.
“I think audiences are always surprised that we are full show, not just a cabaret,” said Stokes. “The interactions between us, the comedy and jokes we provide, and the music, of course, all come together to provide an audience with an overall joyful performance.”
If you want to see this performance, come out to the Ellis Performing Arts Center, 618 North Richardson Street, Latta, on Saturday, July 19th at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, and this event is open to the public. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. Seating will be first come, first served.
The Pack’s Performance At Ellis Performing Arts Center Will Be Special For Member With Latta Ties
