Music is a fickle business. For every lasting superstar, there are countless smaller acts working the gig circuit to small crowds, ‘one-hit-wonders’, and varying levels of obscurity.
With this in mind, Tower of Power’s 50th anniversary as a band is all the more impressive.
The Oakland band, whose blend of soul is driven by an R&B-based horn section and sultry vocals, are celebrating their diamond milestone this year with a worldwide tour. And though the band’s founder Emilio Castillo considers the group blessed, their longevity can be attributed largely to the work ethic of the band members, and the familial relationship they share.
“It’s what we’ve done now for 50 years, we have it down to a science,” Castillo says.
“It’s like a family, but it’s far more functional than most families, because we’ve worked on it. We love each other. I’m very close to my brothers, and I love them, but I’m closer to these guys. I spend 200 days a year with them.
“When somebody’s having a rough day and need their space, we back off. When someone’s going through a rough time, we pray for him, support him, rally for him, and we let him know that we are concerned about him,” Castillo says.
It’s not the first time that Castillo mentions prayer. Within minutes of talking, it becomes apparent that faith and spirituality is an important part of both Castillo’s personal life and Tower of Power itself. In ‘88, Castillo entered a treatment facility and became sober after decades of drug and alcohol addiction, and in the process, found a new identity as a devout Christian. In ‘89, the band’s co-founder Doc followed in Castillo’s footsteps.
“One of the things about getting sober is you have to develop a spiritual life, and you have to develop a connection with a power greater than yourself. So I tried [prayer], and it worked. Eventually the whole band started to pray together and it brings us closer together,” Castillo says.
Unsurprisingly, sobriety isn’t the only big change the band has experienced over five decades. Though a ten-piece band, including a horn section, currently tours, this lineup has seen many shifts over the course of the band’s existence.
“We’ve had many musicians come through the band and many vocalists, we’re one of the few bands that can survive losing a great singer,” Castillo says.
“We always seemed to be blessed with great new talent, fresh new blood that stirs us all creatively and we’ve been very blessed to have wonderful players and singers come through the band.”
The most notable rotation is that of the band’s frontman. Though Lenny Williams is perhaps best known as the band’s vocalist, Marcus Scott joined the band in 2016, an addition that has earned a huge volume of praise, including the band’s first #1 spot on the Billboard Music Charts.
Castillo, now 69, was only 18-years-old when he met co-founder Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka and they formed a band. Over 200 days a year for 50 years, they’ve seen the band through many forms and embraced every change.
“We’ve grown in maturity, not surprising I suppose. And I just really made a distinct effort to hire men with strong principals, started praying together, and as a group, matured emotionally, spiritually, and physically, and the music seemed to mature right along with us. We got to know ourselves better, and we just chipped away at the sculpture.”
Referring to the band as Tower of Power 101, Castillo compares it to a university for new members. The core lesson of this class being, “that it’s a band, it’s not the Emilio show or the Doc show, it’s a band and we’re all to be listening to one another, building each other up, complimenting each other, and playing as a unit.”
Tower of Power come to The Croxton Bandroom on Thursday March 28. Grab your tickets via MJR Presents.
