The devastation of Hurricane Katrina will be felt still for decades to come. Even so, out of all strife and tragedy, positive things do happen. One positive thing for us to come out of the hurricane-ravaged area is Earl Turner, a long time Las Vegas favorite

On March 2, at 8pm, Earl will open as the new headliner at Sound Trax, at the Palace Station. Not only will Earl be here, but he has gathered many of his band members from the New Orleans area, also affected by the flooding, and brought them here to Vegas to perform with him.

Earl’s career has taken him all over the country and to Canada. He got his start as a bass guitar player at the age of only 13, in Fayette, Missouri. His brother Darrell played drums, and together they played four songs over and over for three hours, earning only 50 cents each!

They say Earl was extremely shy, and so he was content in the background, playing piano and guitar, always behind the front man. This continued through his 7-year run with the Earl White Review. The Chicago-based band featured 13 members that toured the country, and Earl was so taken with them, he offered to join up with them for free. During that time he never made more than $75 a week, and was forced to take on odd jobs to make ends meet.

Earl’s star-turn came after joining the Vann Company Band in Shreveport. The leader, Charles Vann, died after a bout with leukemia, and Earl was thrust into the headlining position. This turn-of-events created a great deal of success for the club. Earl easily fell into the limelight, and in his new role made the band a ‘must-see.’

He comes from a family of musicians; his father was a gospel singer, and his mother a wonderful piano player. Earl’s talents in the business are largely inherent since he has only taken three singing lessons in his life, and has never had a dance lesson. Critics and fans marvel that his voice is so powerful and his “magic moves have made him famous.” Funny for a guy they used to say had two left feet. As for the singing lessons, it is said that they are recorded and that Earl still listens to them.

Probably the thing that people love most about Earl is his ability to use his own personal style when doing covers. They don’t sound like carbon copies of the originals, they sound like soulful remasterings. Along with reinventing great classics during a performance, Earl performs a few of his own unique tunes. Among them, the one everybody has probably heard, “Love Caught You by Surprise,” which reached the top 50 chart after its release.

You can be part of the history by coming out to see Earl at Sound Trax in the Palace Station. Shows will be Thursday through Sunday at 8pm with a second show on Saturdays at 10pm. Guests can purchase tickets by phone 702.547.5300 or www.stationcasinos.com. Tickets start at $34.95, with residents eligible for a $10 discount on up to 4 tickets with Nevada ID.