Donny and Susan Trexler

            Donny Trexler began performing when he was only 9 years old in Summerfield, NC near Greensboro. His first band was formed when he was 14 and was called "Donny and the Blue Jets." In early 1959 his group, "The Six Teens," began and evolved into "Bob Collins and the Fabulous Five" in 1961. This group went on to become one of the hottest beach bands in the Southeast in the middle and late 60's.  They recorded what became a beach classic, "If I Didn't Have a Dime" (aka "Jukebox") with Donny singing lead vocals. They also recorded a well-remembered song that was written by Donny, "Inventory on Heartaches." In early 1968 he joined "The Music Era." In early 1969, at Bill Griffin's insistence, he joined "The O'Kaysions" as their guitar player and became their lead singer when Donnie Weaver left the group in late August, 1969. He appeared with the group as the lead singer on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" where he performed "Watch Out Girl," a song that he recorded with "The O'Kaysions" that was on Cotillion Records and was a "Pick" in Billboard Magazine and Record World.  Donny was given the CAMMY Award for "Lifetime Achievement" in November 2000. He was inducted into the South Carolina Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the field of music at the "OD Beach Party 2001" in November, 2001, and received the Palmetto Award from Governor Hodges.

            Although Susan is a Charlotte native, she and Donny met when she was in college in Greensboro. In 1972, Donny and Susan formed "Swing," a four piece Top 40 and Beach/Show band, and traveled the Southeast. "Swing" played their last date on New Year's Eve, 1988. Donny and Susan formed a duo called "Swing, Too" and are still performing together, although they no longer call themselves "Swing, Too."

            When not performing for clubs and private parties, Susan has been busy for the past 15 years in the studio recording her own material as well as session work with artists such as "The Fantastic Shakers," "The Entertainers," "The Embers," "Rocky Jarreau," "Bobby Smith," "Brook Benton," "Big John Ruth," and many, many others. Her voice is heard and recognized on innumerable regional hits, and she was beach music's CAMMY Award's "Female Vocalist of the Year" in 1995. She has been nominated every year since, and was given the CAMMY for "Best Female Vocalist" again in 2001. Susan also received the Palmetto Award when, in October of 2001, she became the first white female vocalist to be inducted into the South Carolina Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.  Susan again won the Female Vocalist of the Year at the Carolina Beach Music Awards (CAMMYs) ceremony in November of 2003, and her hit “Only Love Can Mend a Broken Heart” reached Top 10 in the Beach Music charts.  She was nominated  again for the CBMA for Female Vocalist in 2004, 2005, and 2006.   

            Together, Donny and Susan have several regionally successful recordings such as "Out of My Mind," "Sentimental Journey," "I Don't Do Duets," "Hang On In There Baby," "Something You Got," and “Make Time for Me" (which was written by Donny).  “I Don't Do Duets" was nominated for CAMMY Award's "Duo Recording of the Year" in 1998. In 1997, Susan recorded a version of "Give Me One Reason" for the compilation CD Talk That Talk from Forevermore Music and that CD won the CAMMY Award's "Compilation of the Year." Donny and Susan were inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony in mid-November, 1996. Donny and Susan recently released their second CD Our World…Vol. 2 – Duets and "Something You Got" from that CD was nominated in 2001 for the CAMMY Award’s "Duo Recording of the Year." Currently they have recordings on 24 CD's ( of their own and 22 compilations) released in the past three years. Their third CD "The Edge of Paradise" was released in October of 2008.

            Donny and Susan live and work in North Myrtle Beach, SC and have 23 and 27 year old sons.