The locally grown Morgan Leigh Band are slated to open for legendary rocker Pat Benatar.
How did this happen? The pop country group won the Bank of the West Celebrates America Opening Band Contest, giving them the chance of a lifetime: Performing on the same stage as a Benetar and Loverboy.
The band is set to deliver a 30-minute opening set at Memorial Park in Omaha, Neb., on June 28. Leigh told SoundDiego that the band is awestruck at the opportunity to provide support for the rock & roll powerhouse.
“She’s a legend; we’ve all been singing her songs for years,” Leigh said. “I’ve been listening to her since I was a kid, and our band members look up to her as inspirations as songwriters and guitarists. It’s amazing that we get the chance to open for her.”
The Valley Center native has been performing since age 7, getting her start in musicals. Leigh credits her success and dedication to her rural roots.
“I came from a small town, and we didn’t have much to do out there,” Leigh said. “When I decided to do music, I really honed in on what I wanted to do. When you come from a small town, there are no distractions.”
At 15, Leigh was cast for a lead role, and since then her career has been on the rise, including a stint on Season 12 of American Idol (she made it to the final 50).
SoundDiego
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The Morgan Leigh Band performed for the first time at last year’s San Diego County Fair and are scheduled to perform on the same date this year to commemorate the band's anniversary. These days, Leigh said she was working on a new album of upbeat “summer jams “ with light-hearted tracks about drinking Jack Daniels, kicking back at beach and dancing.
The Morgan Leigh Band will perform June 29 on the Plaza Stage at the San Diego County Fair at 9:30 p.m.
