SUN was a brainstorm of Byron Byrd, a young Ohioan given to stargazing and eventual pursuits of Aerospace engineering and research science. He's the one who developed the use of wireless microphones and guitars for the stage. But music began for him as a hobby. "My first instrument was alto sax," he says, speaking of the horn he played at Dayton's Roosevelt High School. "Then I picked up bass, guitar and keyboards. Ohio was a fertile stomping ground for scores of musicians in jazz, rock and, particularly, soul and funk. The list includes the Isleys Brothers, Slave, Heatwave, Midnight Star, Lakeside and Faze-0, to name only a few." Byron's first bands were Over Night Low and the Ohio Majestics, which gigged around the area and as support for acts like The O'Jays and The Spinners. The horn section even cut a session for James Brown at King Studios for VP Henry Glover. Members of this band included James "Diamond" Williams, Marvin "Merv" Pierce and Clarence "Chet" Willis, all of whom went on to The Ohio Players. It was in 1974 that Over Night Low, while opening for Mandrill at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus caught the attention of record producer Beau Ray Fleming, who'd worked with Mandrill, Jon Lucien and Zulema up to this point. He heard them on stage and came from the dressing room to peep the scorching band - up close. At the after party, Beau was doubly surprised to see them again. …. Continued at: https://www.sun.band/sun-history-page-1