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Exile music biography continued...

J.P. Pennington. The group relocated to Lexington, Kentucky, in 1968 and switched musical styles several times, also recording singles for labels ranging from Columbia to smaller local imprints. In 1977, they scored their first pop-chart entry with the minor hit "Try It On," which led them to a deal with Warner Brothers. With a lineup that included Pennington, lead singer Jimmy Stokley, keyboardist Buzz Cornelison, second keyboardist Marlon Hargis, bassist Sonny LeMaire, and drummer Steve Goetzman, they came out with their 1978 label debut, Mixed Emotions. The album yielded a huge hit in the disco-flavored pop number "Kiss You All Over," which topped the charts and also proved to be their only major success. After a few follow-up singles fared poorly Exile returned to the clubs of Kentucky and completely revamped their sound, taking it in the direction of country with the help of a new lead singer and guitarist, Les Taylor. Several of their songs were picked up by prominent country artists, and the exposure led to a record deal with Epic in 1983. They soon scored their first Top 40 hit on the country charts with "High Cost of Leaving," and followed it up with a string of hit singles in 1984-5, including "Woke Up in Love," "I Don't Wanna Be a Memory," and "Crazy for Your Love. Though there chart-topping production slowed in 1986-87, they still released several more hits, cementing their status as a superstar country band with an exciting southern rock edge.



Starting in 1987, Exile experienced several lineup and record label changes, and failed to reach their previous levels of success. The band split up in 1993, however, in 1996, Pennington and Taylor reunited to tour the nostalgia circuit with a new Exile lineup. The group has since continued to perform on a regular basis and appeared at the Kentucky State Fair with Dwight Yoakam in August 2006. Since their beginnings in the early 60s, Exile has seen 35 members come, go, and some come again, to the delight of country fans who have never given up on them.