An Evening with Murray Attaway, Don Dixon and Peter Holsapple

Murray Attaway is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for Guadalcanal Diary. After the band’s breakup, Attaway recorded one solo album, titled In Thrall, which was released by DGC Records in 1993 and produced by Tony Berg.  As a film composer, Attaway has written music for several independent films as well as having songs placed in numerous films and television shows.

In 2019, Attaway created the satirical “Dazzle Dudes” podcast, which tells the story of a fictional group of inept young males who attempt to start a glam rock band in central Georgia in the 1970s. The show is written, performed and produced by Attaway.

Don Dixon is an American record producer, songwriter, and musician. He is one of the key producers of what is called the jangle rock movement of the early 1980s, including working with R.E.M. and The Smithereens.

Dixon and several fellow freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill formed the band Arrogance. Arrogance recorded six albums and helped create a local music scene. Before breaking up in 1983, Arrogance became North Carolina’s top regional act. Dixon spent thirteen years as a member of Arrogance and learned the essence of record production during this time, producing all the band’s independent albums.

In 1982, Mitch Easter asked him to co-produce R.E.M.’s debut LP Murmur and their 1984 follow–up LP Reckoning.  Dixon then spent several years producing artists such as Chris Stamey (The dBs) The Smithereens, Fetchin’ Bones, Richard Barone (The Bongos), Guadalcanal Diary, Marshall Crenshaw, Tommy Keene and James McMurtry, among many others.

Peter Holsapple is an American musician who, along with Chris Stamey, Gene Holder and Will Rigby, comprised the dBs. He became the band’s principal songwriter and singer after Stamey’s departure. Holsapple played as an auxiliary musician with R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish before joining the Continental Drifters.  In 1997, he released his first solo album, Out of the Way. He followed it up 2018’s Game Day. In 2024, the dBs reformed and are currently touring behind the re-releases of their catalog.

Peter’s third solo album will be released January 17, 2025, produced by Don Dixon.