TORA TORA Reunion To Help Cancer-Stricken Bassist PATRICK FRANCIS

Blues rock outfit TORA TORA, known for ’80s metal anthems like “Phantom Rider” and “Amnesia”, will reunite this Sunday, August 21 for a benefit concert at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Tennessee to help bassist Patrick Francis, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE and ROXY BLUE, both also from Memphis, will provide support at the show.

Said Catrina Guttery, on-air personality at Rock 103: “TORA TORA is a legendary Memphis band that lots of music fans grew up listening to during the ’80s hair metal era and still treasure to this very day. With their driving hard rock anthems with plenty of blues swagger, they stood out among many of those bands. We are excited to rally around low-ender Patrick Francis to support him during this difficult time. We have no doubt that he will win his battle with cancer and we’re here to support him every step of the way.”

The benefit’s $10 advanced admission includes a silent auction and special performances from some Memphis rock favorites. TORA TORA is calling upon the local community to join them for a throwback, rock and roll, good time to support and encourage Francis.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

For more information, go to this location.

TORA TORA started in 1985 in the garage of then high school students Antony Corder, Keith Douglas, John Patterson and Patrick Francis. They beat out sixty other groups in a local Battle Of The Bands contest and received some free studio time at Ardent Studios. They cut one track before using the prize money they had won to record an entire independent EP called “To Rock To Roll”. Ardent was so impressed with the recordings that they offered to help shop the demo and gave them even more free recording time. TORA TORA eventually singed with A&M. That debut album made the Billboard Top 100 and hovered on the brink of breaking wide open as songs such as “Walking Shoes”, “Riverside Drive” and “Phantom Rider” became local anthems. They followed up with “Wild America”, which produced two more singles. A third album, “Revolution Day”, was recorded but never released due to label restructuring. Due to the onset of the grunge era, TORA TORA, much like many other bands of their genre, called it quits in 1994.