FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Marshall Rowland passed away Saturday evening, January 11, 2025, in Fernandina Beach, less than two weeks before his 94th birthday.
Rowland was born January 23, 1931 in Brunswick to John Alexander Rowland and Chloe Frances Rowland (née Trippe).
His fat her’s family originated from Walhalla, S.C., and his mother’s from Vienna, Ga. At age 5, after losing his mother, Rowland moved to Waynesville where he was raised by the McSweeney family while his father traveled as a building contractor.
Growing up in Waynesville, Rowland was a good student, learned the value of hard work washing bottles at the Gibson dairy, and became a talented musician. At 16, after graduating from Nahunta High School, he got a call and was hired to play steel guitar for Tiny Grier and the Florida Playboys. On July 6, 1947, Rowland walked off his grocery bagging job and caught a bus to Jacksonville.
The Florida Playboys played live on the radio. Rowland caught the attention of station management, who hired him to be the morning disc jockey at WJHP in Jacksonville where he met his bride, Carol Casey.
Rowland parlayed his music career, with Carol, to own WQIK - Jacksonville, WQYK - Tampa, WDEN - Macon, and several more stations in Florida and Georgia.
Rowland and his brother, Bobby, both flowing with talent, enthusiasm, energy, and charisma, built those stations to legendary status in their respective markets.
Rowland was also a country music show promoter, booking the likes of Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell and many others, in cities across Florida and Georgia.
He “discovered' country comedian Jerry Clower and booked him on his first-ever live performances as opening act for Charley Pride. They remained lifelong friends.
Rowland had many friends in the Jacksonville business community and was even roasted by numerous country music stars for the Spina Bifida Association. He was given a key to the City of Jacksonville by Mayor Jake Godbold.
Rowland enjoyed many wonderful years with his wife and their boys, traveling to the Bahamas, across the U.S. and to Europe. He loved boating and was a member of the Northeast Florida Marlin Association where he won the 1986 Billfish Tournament with a 318-pound blue marlin.
Rowland was also president of the Greater Jacksonville Fair Association in the early 1980s. He loved his many musician friends in the Jacksonville area and greatly enjoyed playing at the Woodbine Opry and at the Dinsmore Community Center and having jam sessions with his friends. He was an excellent steel guitar player, and also played piano and guitar.
Rowland was a member of several Methodist churches over the years in the various places he lived and was most recently a member of First Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach.
He is pre-deceased by his parents; his sister, Dorothy Jane; his brothers Bobby, Paul, John and Ed; their wives, Gwen, Gloria and Frances; a daughter-in-law, Vicky; and his beloved wife, Carol.
Rowland is survived by his sons, Marty (Debi), Rick (Tara), Brian (Liisa) and Stephen (Meredith); granddaughters, Jacque, Casey (Ryan Underwood), Marlena (Artie Mellos), Hannah, Chloe and Linnea; a grandson, Patrick; great grandchildren, Monroe Burch, Harlow Koutnik, Wyatt and Isla Underwood, and Nicholas Mellos; niece. Valree Peralta, Laura Paul and Tonia Pickren; nephews, Robert “Bubba” Rowland, Jr., Gene Rowland, Gary Rowland, Vaughn Rowland and Sammy Rowland; bonus grandkids, Marshall Bernard, Heather Brackens, Lila DiBias, Alex DiBias, Sophie Cox, Maggie Raczynski and Harley Raczynski.
The family offers its sincere gratitude to Karen Elomaa and Jackie Cannon, Rowland’s nurses, who greatly assisted with loving care in his final months.
A funeral service was held Thursday, January 16, at First Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach.
A private burial followed at Oak Grove Cemetery in St. Marys, Georgia.
Rowland
