Greg Rowles sets his sails to the winds of change

By RUBEN LOWMAN

Greg Rowles is a true throwback to a bygone era.

A good looking, smooth talking crooner with the talent and ability to match his megawatt smile and warm, inviting personality, Rowles is unique among his peers. 

In an era where musicians and entertainers are frequently more flash than substance and build their success around well-crafted personas that revolve around little more than braggadocio, Rowles stands out for his humble, good-natured charisma and deep reservoirs of vocal and instrumental skills. His understated approach and down-to-earth charm belies his well-honed and prodigious musical prowess, the product of a lifetime of performing on stages big and small for anyone that would care to listen. 

Before Rowles was wooing audiences at The Alabama Theatre, as he has for the past 22 years here in North Myrtle Beach, he was watching his father perform onstage as a child. As many musicians of-ten are, Rowles’ father, Lewis, was his inspiration and role model, raising him with music and instilling the beliefs that have stayed with him throughout his life and career. Rowles’ father, a country musician himself, steeped a young Greg in the spirit of country music and gave him an early lesson in show business. Some of Rowles’ earliest memories are of falling asleep on dancehall tables while his father played when he was young. 

“I was four or five years old, and my dad would play a lot around the Washington, D.C., area and, of course, my hometown of Fredericksburg. And that was a big deal to go on a Saturday night to a dancehall, when the dancehalls were alive and thriving. To hear my dad sing and play was very inspirational. I remember at six years old he was playing for a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse up in Vienna, Virginia. It was the grand opening of this place and it was on my sixth birthday. He dedicated a song to me, he said, ‘This is for my son Greg, who’s celebrating his sixth birthday today. He sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and he dedicated the song and I remember pointing to my dad and telling my mom, ‘I want to be like him.’

“And the rest of my life I was aspiring to be just like my dad. He was a great man of integrity, he was a great entertainer, he was a great guitar player and my favorite country singer of all time.” 

During Rowles’ childhood, the family bonded over music, playing instruments around the kitchen table. One day his father thought that maybe everybody could join in the band with him. A new family band was formed, “The Nashville Connection”, with Greg’s mother singing harmony and playing rhthym guitar, Greg on the bass guitar with his brother, Jeff, on drums and their father singing lead and playing lead guitar. 

“So this started as a little family bond, and for a couple years we practiced in the basement. We bought a little P.A. system and that kept growing as our interest in music kept growing, my brother and I,” Rowles explained. “I jokingly say that we started playing the animal circuit – we played the elks lodge, the eagle lodge and the moose lodge. And that grew. So on Friday and Saturday night usually we were out in the area somewhere playing music.”

They played everywhere that had a dance. In a small town that meant all the American Legions, the National Guard Armories, wedding receptions, firehalls and rescue squads. 

“And it kept us really tight as a family, because I spent all my week with mom and dad rehearsing, and then out on the weekends playing music with them, so we were always together,” Rowles described. “And looking back, that was probably the most precious gift that my dad gave to us as a family is starting this band. Because it not only gave us the gift of music that was a God-given gift that he honed and we kept working on, but it kept us really tight as a family. My mom and dad were my best friends.”

Like his father did with him and his brother, Rowles has passed along the musical traits to his own children, ensuring his father’s lessons continue throughout the family. When Rowles speaks about his family, it’s clear just how much they mean to him.

His daughter, Courtney, is an online content producer for WPDE-ABC 15 and “she sings like an angel,” Rowles said. His oldest son, Grayson, enjoys playing guitar and just graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a degree in communications. And his youngest son, Ashton, attends Horry-Georgetown Technical College and produces rap music. 

“I’m amazed by what these kids are doing,” Rowles said. “They were around music all their life because it’s always in the house. So it’s fair to say that some of that rubbed off on them somewhere along the line. I get emotional talking about it.”

When Rowles first came to the Alabama Theatre, which he will be stepping away from at the conclusion of this year, he was 33 years old and coming directly from living in Nashville and spending much of his time playing out on the road. By Rowles’ own admission he considers himself a “part-time dad” during that period as his time at home was broken up with his kids. 

“I was gone quite a bit on the road, playing fairs and casinos and festivals across the country,” Rowles explained. “And when I came here the great thing about the theatre was it gave me some stability as far as regularity of being home. At least I was home every night.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened and shut down the theater for nearly a year over two spells, Rowles said he began to realize how much he enjoyed being at home more often with his wife, Brandee, and making their own schedule with the free time they had. The couple will be celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary this New Year’s. With the free time they shared together, they began to collectively think about what they could do moving forward after the pandemic began to lift a little. 

“We realized during the pandemic like a lot of people, ‘Man, I’ve got a lot of extra time on my hands, what am I doing with it?” And I really enjoyed it,” Rowles said. “The schedule was just incredible, I was home at night and it was just wonderful. And Brandee and I discovered that we still like each other, which is pretty cool. I’m a praying fella and we started praying about our next steps. But I think at that time, God was showing me, ‘Hey, you know this is a time I’m going to present some opportunities to you Greg.’” 

When the theater shut down for the second time in a year, Rowles got his guitar and started playing shows in local restaurants like he did when he was 19 years old. Barefoot Bistro, owned by Patti Hilton, was one restaurant in particular that was instrumental in making his decision to step away from the theatre a permanent change in his career. 

“I went to her place and sang for free,” Rowles explained. “I said, ‘Patti can I come up on Friday and Saturday night and sing for free?’”

When Hilton tried to pay him for the shows, he refuted the offer. He told her he was nervous getting up onstage, just him and his guitar. But he was surprised by how much he enjoyed performing for such an intimate audience again, and it allowed him to truly envision a future where he might be able to do that more.

“I’ve always had a band behind me, world-class musicians. Yes I sing and I play but I’m nervous about going out and doing this by myself, even in a small atmosphere like that. And so not only did I play for two nights but I had the time of my life. I had a ball,” Rowles explained. 

“I could have been opening at Carnegie Hall, headlining there. It was a whole different feeling, it was a different stage and it was a different atmosphere.”

“I forgot how much I loved singing and playing my guitar just me. And I do this at the house all the time but I had an audience. So one thing led to another and started snowballing and other restaurants started calling, immediately, because they were seeing this stuff on Facebook. Before you knew it I really had more gigs than I knew what to do with but I was playing all the time,” Rowles said. 

After the Alabama Theatre opened back up earlier this year, Rowles began to get back into his routine, playing six nights a week there. But the lasting effect those intimate shows had left with him just wouldn’t go away. 

“I love all things Alabama Theatre. I love the people in it and I love my time there,” Rowles explained. “But I was still longing to go back and do what I was doing before and also knowing that I could create my own schedule. So Brandee and I made a decision this fall after deep prayer that it was time for me to go and pursue my next step.” 

Getting back out on the road is something Rowles will be doing next year, with over 120 shows on the books already for 2022. 

“It’s going to be a busy year. I’m playing everywhere from Virginia down to Florida and I’m also playing some smaller theatres. It’s my one-man show. It’s me, my guitar and my stories. And the stories that kind of wrap around some of these songs and why I sing them,” Rowles said in explaining his future plans. 

“From my experiences in Nashville from when I was a child and earlier, about my times on the road, winning Ed McMahon’s Star Search, my trips over to the Vatican to play for the Pope, my appearances and being a summer regular on Music City Tonight on the Nashville Network. 

“My career has really spanned, not only for many years, but just so many places and I’ve got so many stories to tell. And I’ve found that going through these gigs that I’ve been doing that people have been asking for my stories as much as they’ve been asking for my songs. People like to hear the stories. So I have found a brand new platform to showcase my God-given talents and talents that He’s honed through His stories by taking me to different places,” Rowles said. 

Rowles has performed in many illustrious venues throughout his career. Winning Star Search, playing the Grand Ole Opry and at Opryland, performing for the Pope at the Vatican in Rome – he’s played to audiences all over the world and graced some of the most iconic stages in music. 

The next step for Rowles will be getting back out on the road with his one-man show, while also spending more time at home with his family. There are also a few other entertainment ventures that he said he wasn’t privy to discuss yet, but that would keep him here locally. 

Artists play and perform for themselves, but it’s also about the connection they have with their fans and the audience, and Rowles will be looking forward to that feeling with his new show. 

He will also be performing all types of music, songs he has always wanted to sing and play but hasn’t had the opportunity to so far in his lengthy career. Tunes by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Loggins & Messina, Chicago, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and everything in between are lined up to be part of his setlist. He also received some suggestions from his wife and children about some songs they felt he should play. 

After many years and many friends made with the cast and crew, one thing that will be extremely difficult about leaving the Alabama Theatre is the sense of camaraderie he has felt during his time there. 

Rowles has had his dressing room tricked out to look just like an old-school barbershop because of the sense of community working at the theatre has engendered in him. Barber chairs sit alongside special features like his most prized guitars and a sign with his logo that was made to look like a guitar pick by his daughter. 

“This is called the barbershop. We laugh here more before a show than some people laugh all week long,” Rowles said. “I will miss this, the barbershop and the people. The stage, I’ll find another stage. It’s the people that make up the show. It’s just a great environment and it’s a lot of fun.”

Steve Gannon, a fellow vocalist at the Alabama Theatre, described how integral Rowles and the barbershop are to the show.

“The first place I put my stuff down I come in here to see if Greg is here,” Gannon said. “We come in here because it’s just communion and story-telling and joke telling and fun stuff. It’s just a great time.”

“My kids grew up here,” Rowles said. “When Ashton was small I’ve got pictures of him sleeping underneath the dressing room counter, watching little DVD players.”

I told Rowles that one of the reasons I wanted to do this story about him was just how much he meant to my family and my father, in particular, who passed away in late 2020 from a heart attack. Growing up here in North Myrtle Beach, my family and I have seen Rowles perform countless times, often more than once a year for almost every year he’s been with The Alabama Theatre. 

My father, who was left-handed like Rowles and always harbored a desire to be a musician, looked up to him and his talent and ability, someone getting to live his dream out on a stage. The admiration my father shared for Rowles made him a big inspiration to me as a child and as I grew up, and I picked up a violin and guitar for the first time with aspirations of one day making my own name on the stage. I sheepishly told Rowles this, and the genuine warmth and generosity he responded with floored me. 

“It’s important for you to share those stories,” Rowles told me. “Those stories inspire others. Strength in others, people draw comfort from those. And don’t be afraid to tell those. Just like you’re doing today, finding the good and the good in those things that he left you. I will tell you, honestly, my prideful self will miss that. 

“I’ve already told Brandee, if she can applaud when I wash the dishes, that would be great. And I’m going to have to change pajamas a few times before I go to bed because I change throughout the show so many times. We tend to forget that we have been part of people’s families for a long time that we’ve never even met. Since this has happened I’ve had many people reach out and say you don’t even know me but I know you. It’s really humbling,” Rowles said with tears in his eyes. 

It’s clear that North Myrtle Beach means a lot to Rowles, as well, having called the city home for the past 20 years since he started his career at the theatre in 1999. 

“It’s been the most incredible place to raise my family, to take my career to another level and become part of a community,” he said. “Because I was always kinda nomadic, but I’ve really rooted myself in this community as much as I can. Every time I reached out, somebody was reaching back to me. And it has been amazing. This is my home. I just love it here. And this is all my kids have ever known. 

“Where else can you make a living and live right next to the ocean? I still pinch myself,” Rowles continued. “I’m still living my dream. These are the good old days. Everyday that I have a chance to sing, every time I have a chance to meet somebody and maybe hear a story and tell a story, these are the good old days. That’s what it’s all about. 

“A hundred years from now, shiny cars, big old houses, these cool guitars, these ain’t going to matter nothing. We’re going to leave all this stuff behind, just like your dad did. But what are we leaving behind? That will matter. And this is the stuff I believe that we take with us for eternity.”

It is no exaggeration to say that Rowles is an icon and a legend to this community and he will be greatly missed by those that have come to know him and see him on the stage at Barefoot Landing. In explaining his reasoning behind venturing out onto his own at this time in his career, Rowles said that words of wisdom his father gave him when he was younger has always resonated with him. 

“My dad, just like your dad, gave so much great advice. But he said in entertainment the old motto is leave them wanting more,” he explained. “You’ve shown them everything that you can do. Leave them while they’re still going, ‘Man, I want a little bit more of that.’

“The way you treat people matters. A smile will get you through more doors than a degree ever will because people love helping people. They want to see people win, succeed. God wants that from us too. Music brings warmth and invites people together. Every time I’m picking a guitar, and the same thing with me hearing it, it just brings a comfort. That’s been my tool. 

“We all want to think that everything that we do would leave an impact,” Rowles continued. “And mine here, they’re not going to remember me being a great vocalist or a great guitar picker or even a host. Hopefully they will remember that he was a great guy, that he made me feel welcome while I was here and I sure would like to see him again.”