Jackson Heights Music

The name Jackson Heights is a new name to the Christian Music scene but the band has a rich history! In the 1980’s, the Dixie Melody Boys from Kinston, North Carolina, were a pure Southern Gospel four-part harmony quartet. While they were very successful in the business, Ed O’Neal, his son Allen, and Kent Humphrey, along with other group members had a desire to make a musical change. They all liked the style of that day’s country music but as Christians did not embrace the lyrics or lifestyle. So with the help of several producers and song writers they created the sound that launched the DMB Band. It was pure country music with a powerful message and positive lyrics. The band was made up of vocals, key boards, drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, steel guitar and acoustic guitars. This live music with a progressive country sound was a new beginning for the Christian music market. It was known as Christian country! While the public liked the sound, the DMB Band quickly discovered there was no radio market for their music. While several large stations, both southern and contemporary, played the DMB Band’s music; they were few and far between. Radio programmers found this new musical style too country for contemporary stations and too progressive for southern gospel stations. Still, the DMB Band had several songs that made the charts like Last Train to Glory, Good Ole Boys and Run Little Brother. While the band worked with many acclaimed producers such as Randy Scruggs and continued to travel for 8 years, the financial burden of keeping the group on the road eventually became too great. In September, 1988 the band called it quits and all members moved on to pursue other interests. In October 2012, after 25 years apart, the DMB Band gathered for a reunion in Kinston, NC; the place where it all began. The guys had a wonderful time renewing old friendships and reminiscing about their days on the road, playing the music they loved. The band had no idea if anyone would still be interested in their music after so many years, but friends and fans showed up anxious to hear the Christian country music the DMB Band pioneered. The years melted away as they performed together for the first time in a quarter century. Once on stage, this “band of brothers” fell right back into a comfortable rhythm vocally and musically. It was quickly evident the message and classic music of the DMB Band is timeless! But with Ed O’Neal still touring with his southern gospel quartet The Dixie Melody Boys, the name The DMB Band became a little confusing. So in 2015, the guys decided to make a name change and the name became Jackson Heights. Where did that name come from? At one time in the 1980’s, all of the guys lived in a little community called Jackson Heights and so the name was a natural fit! The band is busy planning their 2016 tour as well as writing and picking new songs to go into the studio soon to record some new Jackson Heights Music! Jackson Heights has a great past of pioneering a style of music in the 1980’s but the brightest days are still ahead! The name Jackson Heights is a new name to the Christian Music scene but the band has a rich history!