When guitarist Roger Fisher's band of five years asked the multi-talented Ann Wilson to join the group, little could he guess that romance, relocation, and world-fame were just around the corner. Roger's brother, Mike, was set to be drafted into the Vietnam war, and he promptly moved north to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Upon visiting Roger in Washington, Mike met Ann and the two quickly formed a … [Read more...]

What happens when you take two brilliant musicians, form a group intent on experimental sounds, and sponsor the whole thing by artistic genius Andy Warhol? The answer is The Velvet Underground. While the band may not have been the commercial success that other timeless bands are famous for, The Velvet Underground is arguably one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. When … [Read more...]

With the rock world so heavily fueled by testosterone, one group synonymous with the female rock vocalist is Blondie. With singer Debbie Harry serving as the blonde bombshell responsible for the group's name, Blondie has proven to be one of the most influential groups for female rock vocalists to date. Harry and guitarist Chris Stein began their career as members of The Stilettos, where the two … [Read more...]

After drummer Chris Curtis was able to get financing from a few London businessmen, he searched for musicians for a band that was to be called “Roundabout.” Jon Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore came on board and Curtis soon dropped out. Since Lord and Blackmore still wanted to continue with the project, they proceeded to find members. Bassist Nick Simper, a friend of Lord’s, joined, as did … [Read more...]

Steve Winwood, singer and keyboardist, met drummer Jim Capaldi and Guitarist Dave Mason in the late 60's, having already cut his teeth as the frontman in the Spencer Davis Group at the tender age of 15. After recruiting the multi-talented Chris Wood, the group, now called Traffic, began work on their first album in 1967. Influenced heavily by emerging sounds of the time, the band experimented with … [Read more...]

Despite the fact that they their fame was short-lived when compared to contemporaries at the time, The Byrds were nonetheless one of the most influential American bands created during the British Invasion. In fact, within roughly four years, The Byrds were among the founding fathers of not one, but three genres of music: folk rock, psychedelia, and country rock. Most surprising of all is that, … [Read more...]

Peter Gabriel was born in Chobham, Surrey, England, in 1960. His father was an electrical engineer, however his mother, more musically inclined, instilled in Gabriel a love for music as a child, teaching Gabriel to play the clarinet. Growing up in private schools around England, Gabriel eventually transferred to Charterhouse school, where history would begun to be made. Befriending classmates Tony … [Read more...]

Born James Newell Osterberg, Jr on April 24, 1947, the young Iggy Pop grew up in humble Michigan surroundings. With an English teacher for a father and a traditional homemaking mother, Osterberg's future as a wild, stage-performing musician is almost surprising. Beginning his musical endeavours as a drummer for a band called the Iguanas, Osterberg eventually left his home state to go explore the … [Read more...]

Before Soundgarden became the band known today, singer and drummer Chris Cornell, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto were part of an early-80's band known as the Shemps. After Yamamoto left the group, his replacement, bassist and guitarist Kim Thayil took over and the foundation for Soundgarden was laid. In 1984, following the breakup of The Shemps, Cornell, Yamamoto, and Thayil joined forces and assumed … [Read more...]

The band Malice formed in Crawley, West Sussex, England in 1976. The group consisted of lead guitarist Marc Ceccango, bassist Michael Dempsey, guitarist Robert Smith and two of their fellow classmates. When Marc Ceccango exited the band in January of 1977, they became known as the Easy Cure. Soon drummer Lol Tolhurst and lead guitarist Porl Thompson joined and after going through a few vocalists, … [Read more...]