John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

When you get kicked out of a group called Snakepit Banana Farm you might want to reconsider your career options. And what could be going through your mind when you start a ’60s cover band called Trash? You might also have second thoughts about the music business when the guy who got you signed to…

Incubus

Incubus

High school is a great place to start a Rock band. However, it’s difficult to keep the thing going once everyone graduates. In ’91, Incubus came together with school chums Brandon Boyd (vocals), Mike Einziger (guitars), Alex Katunich (bass) and Jose Pasillias (drums). Soon the group was playing the all-ages club circuit throughout their native…

Blink-182

Blink-182

Blink-182 is the story of a cancer survivor, UFO enthusiast and a publicity maven. Blink formed in Poway, CA. After releasing an EP and a couple of indie CDs, “Buddha” and “Cheshire Cat,” Blink found there was an Irish band with the same name. On top of that, the Irishmen had lawyers and were ready…

Allman Brothers Band

Allman Brothers Band

Phil Walden, head of Capricorn Records, suggested Duane Allman, a renowned session guitarist, start his own group. First, Duane installed his brother as the lead singer. Nobody liked that idea even though Gregg also handled keyboards. Dickey Betts was the second guitarist – you can never have too many guitars. Berry Oakley played bass. Also,…

Frijid Pink

Frijid Pink

“House Of The Rising Sun” is a traditional Folk song that was first recorded in the ‘30’s and later covered by Pete Seger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, among others, in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. That was before The Animals, a British Blues band, took it to #1 in the U.S., U.K. and…

Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon always had a unique perspective. He earned it. After his first album bombed, Zevon found work writing commercial jingles. If that doesn’t alter your point of view, nothing will. His return was marked by a self-titled album which contained several classic songs including “Hasten Down The Wind” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” (both…

Badfinger

Badfinger

Instead of Badfinger, they should have called themselves Bad Deal because that’s what they got. Badfinger was signed by The Beatles’ Apple Records. Paul McCartney wrote their first worldwide hit “Come and Get It” for Ringo Starr’s film (with Peter Sellers), “The Magic Christian.” The Beatle connection haunted the band. If you didn’t look too…

Extreme

Extreme

Countless bands are remembered for one thing: a song, an album or even involvement in a notorious event. It’s unfair since bands are often more accomplished than they are given credit for and find that their catalog of accomplishments goes unrecognized. What’s really crazy is when they are remembered for is something that is not…

China Crisis

China Crisis

College or Modern Rock radio listeners in the mid-‘80s likely remember the songs “Working With Fire And Steel,” “Black Man Ray,” “King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)” and “Arizona Sky.” They were created by Liverpool’s New Wave band, China Crisis. Founded in ‘79 by vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon, China Crisis released…

The Cure

The Cure

Was Robert Smith ever happy? At age fourteen, The Cure frontman, stated his ambition was to “sit on a mountain and die.” Don’t set the bar too high there, Robert. Just a scant seven years later (after failing to locate a suitable mountain) he was quoted saying he “didn’t see that there was much point…