Dr. Harmonica and Rocket 88 at Central Delaware Blues Society (CDBS) Sept 24th, 2026 Thurs 7-10pm

"Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88" is a Delaware-based band with roots going back to the late 1970s. The group was originally started by Ron Smith, who had played with George Thorogood’s Delaware Destroyers. When Rockett 88 was offered the opportunity to open an extended series of shows for Thorogood, Smith stepped away and Mark “Dr. Harmonica” Kenneally took over leadership of the band. Mark Kenneally has an especially interesting connection to George Thorogood. They knew each other when they were young, and Kenneally has said that seeing Thorogood play the organ part of “Gimme Some Lovin’” on harmonica inspired him to take up the instrument. Thorogood subsequently helped teach him harmonica. Rockett 88 developed into a full-time regional touring band, at one point playing about 200 nights per year. Their territory stretched from Richmond, Virginia, to New York City, and sources credit them with more than 3,000 performances. The band also made repeated trips to Chicago. They spent a period based in Ocean City, Maryland, before returning to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1990. The band was inducted into the Delaware Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. A 2025 profile described the lineup as Mark Kenneally on vocals/harmonica, Alan Yandziak on tenor sax, Quentin Jones on guitar, Patrick Redding on bass, and Danny Bendig on drums, with Jeff Simon occasionally sitting in and former Mavericks guitarist Nick Kane joining the mix. Also, Joey Stout - Keyboards coming out of Philly. Lineups have changed over the band's long history.