At 17, keyboardist David Bryan hooked up in a band with Jon Bon Jovi in suburban New Jersey. The 10-piece included a horn section and, in addition to classic Springsteen tracks, the group played vintage Memphis soul tunes like “Knock on Wood” and “Hold On, I’m Coming.”

Many years later, Bryan found himself laboring over the score for a new musical called “Memphis,” which would begin life at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly in 2003 and eventually make its way to the Broadway stage.