{"key":"2332","name":"The Black Keys","bio":"The Black Keys are a two-man blues-rock group from Akron, Ohio, United States which formed in 2001, consisting of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. The band name was inspired by a schizophrenic artist and friend in Akron, who used the term \"black keys\" to describe things he disliked or people he did not trust. The Black Keys have roots in traditional blues and psychedelic rock stylings.They released their first album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, followed by Thickfreakness in 2003, and Rubber Factory in 2004. October 2005 saw the release of the DVD Live, recorded live at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005. In 2006 they released Magic Potion, as well as the lesser-known Chulahoma and a single version of Your Touch.One of their trademarks is their preference for simple, lo-fi recording techniques. They refuse to use big-name studios, and do most recording, producing, and mixing themselves. Most of Thickfreakness was recorded in about 14 hours in Carney's basement, using only an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Often, their recordings still have background noises (such as an owl hooting).The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which itself received praise from Rolling Stone magazine. Time magazine named them one of the \"10 Best Acts of 2003\" (behind OutKast and The White Stripes). They have supported a number of bands: they toured with Sleater-Kinney in 2003, had a short stint opening for Beck, have recently opened for Radiohead on the American leg of their brief 2006 tour, and performed at Lollapalooza in 2005 and 2007. In addition to this, they were also well-liked by influential British radio DJ John Peel and appeared on both Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman. Famous followers of the band include Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet. Matt Helders, drummer for the Arctic Monkeys, can be seen in a Black Keys T-Shirt in an interview on MTV's RAW. Their song \"When the Lights Go Out\" was featured in the 2007 film Black Snake Moan, and also on the soundtrack for that movie. The Black Keys were included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie School of Rock with their song, \"Set You Free\". \"Lies\" was featured in the conclusion of the February 4, 2009 episode of Lie to Me. One of their songs, \"Girl Is on My Mind\", was used in a 2006 Sony Ericsson advertisement, starring the tennis players Ana Ivanovi\u0107 and Daniela Hantuchov\u00e1, gaining the band more commercial recognition. It was also used in a 2006 Victoria's Secret commercial featuring Heidi Klum and could be heard in the movies Rest Stop and Cashback. Their song \"10 am Automatic\" was used in the video game MLB '06: The Show, The O.C., The Go-Getter, and was also used in a 2007 American Express commercial starring Shaun White. \"Your Touch\" was featured in a 2007 Lee's jeans commercial, and can be heard both in an episode of NBC's Friday Night Lights and in an episode of \"Eastbound and Down\". Their cover \"Grown So Ugly\" can be heard in the background of the going away party in the 2007 film Cloverfield. \"Strange Times\" is used in Grand Theft Auto IV on the in-game radio station Radio Broker. \"Strange Times\" can also be heard during a preview for ABC's The Mole, and the trailer for season three of the Showtime series Dexter, as well as a promo for Gossip Girl. Their song \"Just Got To Be\" is used on the soundtrack for the video game NHL 08, and \"Hard Row\" is featured in the premiere episode of the FX show Sons of Anarchy. Sons of Anarchy has gone on to use \"Keep Me\" in both Episodes 6 and 7, as well as \"Busted\" in episode 7. The song \"Lies\" is featured in the advertising campaign for the third season of HBO's Big Love. \"The Breaks\" can be heard in Guy Ritchie' film RocknRolla. \"Your Touch\" can also be heard in the HBO series \"Entourage\" in the episode \"Manic Monday\", during the opening scenes. The song \"Psychotic Girl\" is featured the episode \"Messin' with the Kid\" in season 6 of One Tree Hill. \"I'll Be Your Man\" is the opening theme song for the HBO show Hungand was also featured in an episode of the FX Network show Rescue Me. \"Your Touch\" can also be heard in the film Zombieland and in an episode of \"Eastbound and Down\" on HBO. The song \"I Got Mine\" has been used in HBO's sports reality series 24\/7 Pacquiao-Hatton\" as well as background music for the 2009 American League Championship Series. The song \"Next Girl\" is featured in the in game radio of Saints Row the Third.Their fourth record that Danger Mouse produced Attack & Release was out April 1st 2008. The duo's fifth album is the first one recorded in a proper studio.The Band's fifth album, \"Brothers\" was released in spring 2010 and has seen increasing amounts of exposure to the \"Dancing T-Rex\" video for the song \"Tighten Up\" that went viral\u2026until the band asked it to be removed because they felt it made light of their music. A proper video was released later in 2010, featuring Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney at a playground and was pushed on the band's official YouTube channel, as well as through the iTunes and Zune marketplaces. The track \"Tighten Up\" was also used as the background music for a Subaru Legacy commercial and on the FIFA 2011 Soundtrack.The Black Keys' seventh studio album, \"El Camino,\" was released on the 6th of December 2011. Co-produced by Danger Mouse, the album was released to critical acclaim, receiving positive reviews from The Rolling Stones, NME and more. Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly commented on \"El Camino\", saying that \"El Camino trades the soulful stylings of Brothers for harder-driving, faster-riffing rock & roll\". At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, El Camino won the award for Best Rock Album, while \"Lonely Boy\" received multiple honors, taking 'Best Rock Performance' and 'Best Rock Song'. The album has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States to date.The Black Keys' eighth studio album, Turn Blue, was released on May 12, 2014 to generally favorable reviews.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2332_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"2561","name":"Black Sabbath","bio":"Black Sabbath is an English heavy metal band that formed in 1968 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, originally comprising Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums). In the early 70s, they were the first to pair heavily distorted, sonically dissonant blues rock at slow speeds with lyrics about drugs, mental pain and abominations of war, thus giving birth to generations of metal bands that followed in their wake. Their name itself taken from a notorious horror film, they are often credited with creating the Heavy Metal genre as well as the doom metal subgenre.Black Sabbath was formed in Aston, a poor district of Birmingham damaged by bombing during World War II, under the name Polka Tulk Blues Band (soon shortened to \u201cPolka Tulk\u201d), later Earth. Initially a rockin' blues band, Earth moved in a darker direction when the group, especially bassist Geezer Butler, being fans of the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley, tried to make music to have the same effect as a horror movie or novel. Ozzy Osbourne wrote the lyrics to the second song they wrote together, \u201cBlack Sabbath\u201d (the song name was inspired by a 1963 Mario Bava film), and Tony Iommi wrote a riff based on the tritone, sometimes called \u201cDiabolus en Musica\u201d (\u201cthe Devil in Music\u201d).Later in their careers, Geezer Butler would write most of the lyrics to Black Sabbath songs, taking direct inspiration from Ozzy's instrumental ideas. In their Last Supper concert film, the band stated that the song is based on an experience Geezer had one night when he saw a black object at the end of his bed and noticed the next day that an occult book Ozzy had given him was missing. When the band found themselves being confused with another local band called Earth, which had a far lighter sound, they adopted the song title as their new name.As the band evolved, they added more European folk elements and gothic flourishes to their sound, which was like few groups during their time. Their lyrics dealt with darker issues than most conventional rock. Towards the late 60s, many British bands were into the peace movement and the hippie subculture, whilst Sabbath chose to distinguish themselves by dealing with heavier issues; the occult, war, apocalypse, drugs, and gothic storytelling. Their music conveyed a sense of anger and anti-establishment, the likes of which took previous rowdy vibes from the work of The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, and other such bands into a coarse, almost nihilistic direction.It was this mix of dark lyrical themes and a slower, ominous sound that made Black Sabbath a significant element in the genre that would later be known as heavy metal. Alongside self-consciously 'heavy' contemporaries such as Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf, and a few others of the late 60s, Black Sabbath would be massively influential as the years passed. Almost countless bands have covered their work either live or in studio.Despite their doom-laden image, much of the group\u2019s early material featured acoustic guitars, piano, symphony orchestras, keyboards, and even horns. The band's members strongly resisted labeling as being Satanists or other such things themselves; for example, Ozzy in particular decided to prank occultists setting up outside of one of their dressing rooms by re-arranging their candles to read 'Happy Birthday'. The label of making music dangerously seductive to the young would remain with the group throughout its career and be applied to many later metal groups.After the band\u2019s first four albums, the group became increasingly psychedelic, experimental, and progressive, leaving much of their dark, metallic roots behind. The last two Osbourne-fronted albums, 'Technical Ecstasy' (1976) and 'Never Say Die!' (1978) left a lot of fans dissatisfied with the band, as drugs and alcohol abuse began to take its toll on each member. Some signs seemed to point to the group's complete collapse.Osbourne was fired in 1978 for becoming increasingly unstable and unwilling to work with the material that, by this time, Tony Iommi was writing more or less entirely himself. Osbourne started a highly successful solo career in 1980. Still, his personal demons continued to haunt him for decades onward, even as he became one of the most iconic modern vocalists of all time.In 1979, Tony Iommi recruited former Rainbow members; singer Ronnie James Dio and bassist Craig Gruber. Gruber was recruited because Geezer Butler was unhappy with Osbourne\u2019s departure, and was rumoured to have quit the band. Gruber was dismissed and Geezer rejoined. Black Sabbath\u2019s first album with Dio, Heaven and Hell, proved to be a success, and saw the band\u2019s highest American charting since 1975\u2019s Sabotage. It was on this tour that Dio popularised the \u201cdevil horns\u201d hand gesture, which has since become a symbol of heavy metal music in general. The album also marked the inclusion of Quartz\u2019s guitarist-turned-keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (Nicholls has not been consistently credited as an official member, and has always been forced to play live shows from off stage (except on the Seventh Star tour in 1986 where he played on stage) supposedly for aesthetic reasons, but he has co-written many songs and has stayed with Black Sabbath through all subsequent incarnations, until he finally left in 2004. Adam Wakeman, son of Rick Wakeman, took over in 2005). Also during the tour, drummer Bill Ward quit the band for personal reasons (both his parents died within a rather short period, and Ward was struggling with alcoholism and other addictions). Drummer Vinny Appice joined to complete the tour and then record the next album Mob Rules, in which an early version of the title track appeared in the film Heavy Metal.Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice left the band after supposed disputes concerning the mixing of the live album Live Evil, and pursued a solo career together. Black Sabbath re-enlisted drummer Bill Ward, and, along with ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan (who agreed to join the band whilst heavily intoxicated), released Born Again in 1983. It reached a respectable number two in the U.K. music charts, a success not seen since Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, ten years previously. However, the album was not received particularly fondly by critics or fans alike, and not even by singer Ian Gillan. The tour that followed was to provide a wealth of material for the spoof documentary on rock \u2018n\u2019 roll culture, Spinal Tap. Drummer Bill Ward was still recovering from poor health and so did not tour for the Born Again album. Instead, fellow Brummie Bev Bevan, formerly of The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra, took to the drumstool for the tour obligations.Once the tour was over, Ian Gillan left the band to rejoin his Mk.2 Deep Purple band mates. From here on the line-ups of Black Sabbath changed relentlessly, with Tony Iommi being the only constant member. Between 1986 and 1995 Black Sabbath released 7 studio albums and one live album, including a reunion album with the Mob Rules line-up (1992\u2019s Dehumanizer). The 5 Albums 1987 -1990 & 1994 - 1995 feature 2nd Longest Serving Singer of Black Sabbath Tony Martin, both Headless Cross (1989) & TYR (1990) albums are considered Black Sabbath Classic's by Hardcore fans. In 1997 the original line-up reunited for a proper world tour (as opposed to the one-off Live Aid in 1985, and Costa Mesa gigs on Ozzy\u2019s \u201cFarewell\u201d tour in 1992) and have toured on and off since.In 2007, the Mob Rules line-up reunited under the banner Heaven & Hell and toured in support of Black Sabbath - The Best of: the Dio Years featuring three new tracks and a release of Black Sabbath Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1982. They released a live CD\/DVD and released a studio album of entirely new songs in April 2009. Ronnie James Dio died from stomach cancer in 2010, his Heaven & Hell album being the last of his studio performances. Neon Nights: Live at Wacken was released the following year on CD\/DVD.On 11th November 2011, the original line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward hosted a press conference in which they stated they would be touring once more, their first shows since 2005, and recording their first album together since 1978's Never Say Die! However, the tour was radically reduced in scale as Iommi sought treatment for Lymphoma. In early 2012 Bill Ward publicly stated he would no longer be involved in the upcoming tour and album as he had been offered an \"unsignable contract\". Tommy Clufetos (Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Firewind, ex-Rob Zombie, ex-Alice Cooper) was asked to to join for touring obligations. Black Sabbath selected Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk to record on their nineteenth album \"13\".VH1\u2019s \"100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock\" ranked them second, behind Led Zeppelin. They were inducted into the Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006.Aside from being arguably the first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath also directly influenced many later metal sub-genres with their sound and imagery. Examples can be seen especially in doom metal and stoner metal, which are directly descended from Black Sabbath\u2019s original sound, with songs such as \u201cBlack Sabbath\u201d, \u201cInto the Void\u201d, \u201cHand of Doom\u201d and others showcasing Black Sabbath\u2019s staple doom sound. Other sub-genres influenced by Sabbath\u2019s sound also include speed metal and thrash metal on the opposite side, \u201cParanoid\u201d and \u201cSymptom of the Universe\u201d are considered early examples of these genres. Black Sabbath\u2019s lyrical use of hell, death, Satan and horror as imagery also greatly influenced heavy metal, as these themes are prevalent in nearly all heavy metal sub-genres.In December 2008 Iommi filed a lawsuit against merchandise company LiveNation for continuing to use the Black Sabbath name and Tony Iommi\u2019s likeness to sell merchandise, even after their contract had ended. On May 26, 2009 Osbourne filed suit in a federal court in New York against Iommi alleging that he illegally claimed the band name. Iommi noted that he has been the only band member for the full forty one years of the band, and that his bandmates relinquished their rights to the name in the 1980s, therefore claiming more rights to the name of the band. Although, in the suit, Osbourne is seeking 50% ownership of the trademark, he has said that he hopes the proceedings will lead to equal ownership among the four original members.Alphabetical Personnel:Don Airey - keyboardsVinny Appice - drumsBev Bevan - drumsMike Bordin - drumsJo Burt - bassGeezer Butler - bassTerry Chimes - drumsTommy Clufetos - drumsGordon Copely - bassLaurence Cottle - bassBob Daisley - bassRonnie James Dio - vocalsDave Donato - vocalsIan Gillan - vocalsRay Gillen - vocalsRob Halford - vocalsGlenn Hughes - vocalsTony Iommi - guitarRon Keel - vocalsTony Martin - vocalsNeil Murray - bassGeoff Nicholls - keyboardsOzzy Osbourne - vocalsCozy Powell - drumsBobby Rondinelli - drumsEric Singer - drumsDave Spitz - bassAdam Wakeman - keyboardsRick Wakeman - keyboardsDave Walker - vocalsBill Ward - drumsJezz Woodruffe - keyboardsBlack Sabbath Studio Albums:Ozzy Osbourne Era:1970 - Black Sabbath1970: Paranoid1971: Master of Reality1972: Vol. 41973: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath1975: Sabotage1976: Technical Ecstasy1978: Never Say Die2013: 13Ronnie J. Dio Era:1980: Heaven And Hell1981: Mob Rules1992: DehumanizerTony Martin Era1987: The Eternal Idol1989: Headless Cross1990: TYR1994: Cross Purposes1995: ForbiddenIan Gillan Era1983: Born AgainGlenn Hughes1986: Seventh Star","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2561_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"300,000 - 500,000"}

{"key":"2522","name":"Aerosmith","bio":"Aerosmith is a prominent American rock band. Three of its members, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton, first met in Sunapee, New Hampshire in the late 60s, but it wasn't until 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, that the three decided to form a band together. Later, they met up with Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar). The band enjoyed major popularity throughout the 70s, making rock anthems such as \"Dream On\" and \"Sweet Emotion\", but they split from 1979-84 due to serious in-group arguments and substance abuse problems that contributed to their decline.Producing a wide variety of tunes influenced both by the 60s hard rock legends as well as the bombastic rhythm and blues artists that the band loved, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler became known as the \"toxic twins\" due to their rambunctious live performances and nasty lifestyles. The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia reportedly said Aerosmith featured \"the druggiest bunch of guys I've ever seen.\" Classics from their early area with much airplay also include 1974's \"Same Old Song And Dance\" and 1976's \"Back In The Saddle\", with 1973's \"Dream On\" being a concert favorite.Jimmy Crespo replaced Joe Perry for about five years as the band's fortunes failed. However, in 1984, chiefly due to the tireless efforts of Joe Perry's then manager, Tim Collins, to reform the band, Aerosmith was born again. Despite his own client Perry's insistence that it was unthinkable, Collins succeeded in helping the band resolve old differences and ultimately overcome their addictions. By 1989, the band had completely stopped their drug abuse. During this time, they enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that has endured since and has made them one of top-selling and most popular rock bands in the world today. Part of that renewal came in the form of a 1986 collaboration with hip-hop stars Run- D.M.C. on a new rap rock version of Walk This Way. This song served as an early step in bridging the gap between the hip-hop community and mainstream rock and roll fans, and its incredibly popular music video brought both musical groups much acclaim. Massive hits from the band's 80s comeback include 1989's \"Love In An Elevator\" and 1987's \"Rag Doll\" among others. Areosmith's greatest worldwide hit has been \"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing\", a single from the blockbuster movie 'Armageddon'. They have even infiltrated Disney Theme Parks in the U.S. and other countries with their own thrill ride 'Rock 'n' Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith'. Continuing the ubiquitous marketing plan, they are also featured in their own version of the popular \"Guitar Hero\" video game.In 2010, the band suffered a setback, and an on-again, off-again break-up following an on-stage accident in which Steven Tyler broke his collarbone, but by mid-year, European tourdates were announced and the band went on.The Legendary Child Songfacts states that This was released as the first single from Aerosmith's fifteenth studio album, Music From Another Dimension!, which will be released on August 28, 2012 . The lead single was \"Legendary Child,\" an unfinished piece originally put together in 1991 during the initial sessions for the Get a Grip album. The song was debuted live by the band on the finale of the eleventh series of American Idol on May 23, 2012.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2522_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"2323","name":"Eric Clapton","bio":"Eric Clapton (born Eric Patrick Clapton in Ripley, Surrey, England on 30 March 1945), nicknamed \"Slowhand\", is a Grammy Award winning English composer, singer and guitarist who became one of the most respected artists of the rock era, winning three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Clapton's musical style has changed during his career, but has remained rooted in the blues. Clapton is credited as an innovator in several phases of his career, which have included blues-rock with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds (1963-1965), early single hit \"Come With Me\" by The Roosters, blues-hard rock (with Cream), and work as a sideman and a solo artist; he has achieved chart success in genres ranging from Delta blues (Unplugged) and psychedelic rock (Sunshine of Your Love) to pop (Change the World) and reggae (I Shot the Sheriff).Eric Clapton was a friend of George Harrison of the Beatles. It is believed that he wrote Layla about Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, whom he married in 1979 after she divorced George Harrison. They divorced in 1988. Eric Clapton has also dated singers Marianne Faithfull and Rosanne Cash, actresses Patsy Kensit and Sharon Stone, and rock muses Cynrinda Fox and Geraldine Edwards, who was one of the inspirations for Penny Lane in Almost Famous. He is now married to Melia McEnry and has been since 2002. They have three daughters together.Clapton formed relationships with different artists in his career. From his start in The Yardbirds, then journeying forward to Cream, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Derrek and the Dominoes, he is an extremely gifted musician. Clapton would go on to play lead guitar in Roger Waters' first solo album, The Pros and Cons of Hitchiking. All this while compiling hit after hit in his solo career, has made Clapton one of the most enduring guitarists of the classic rock era.\"Tears in Heaven\" was written after his son's tragic death. It was co-written with Russ Titelman and acknowledged with a Grammy in 1993.Most recently, Eric Clapton has organized a benefit concert in honor of Hubert Sumlin, the great bluesman, that took place at the Apollo Theater in New York on February 24, 2012. He was joined by Jeff Beck, Keb Mo, Levon Helm, and Derek Trucks among others. Clapton is known to sponsor an array of charitable events and concerts. He has also established a rehabilitation clinic in Monserrat to help those with substance abuse problems.'Clapton' was released on September 27, 2010 by Reprise. A live album titled Play The Blues Live At Lincoln Center performed with Wynton Marsellis was released on September 13, 2011 by Reprise. Early 2013 saw the release of 'Old Sock', an album of 10 cover songs and two new originals, which was met with mixed reviews, some saying that it was lazy and unnecessary (\"little commitment to the music here and even less enthusiasm\") whilst others appreciated the mastery he still exhibits over his craft (\"winding down a legendary career with his typical class, reverence to the past and master\u2019s touch\").Eric Clapton is highly regarded as a premier musician, and continues to remain a force in music today.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2323_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"2516","name":"Lynyrd Skynyrd","bio":"Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced \/\u02ccl\u025bn\u0259rd \u02c8sk\u026an\u0259rd\/ LEN-\u0259rd-SKIN-\u0259rd) is a Southern Rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida, USA in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977. The band reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother Johnny as the frontman. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to tour and record. Of its original members, only Gary Rossington remains with the band as of 2010. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.HistoryEarly yearsIn the summer of 1964, teenage friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington, formed the band \"The Noble Five\", which then changed in 1965 to \"My Backyard\", when Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns joined in Jacksonville, Florida. Their early influences included British Invasion bands such as Free, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, as well as Southern blues and country & western music. In 1968, the group won a local Battle of the Bands contest and the opening slot on several Southeast shows for the California-based psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock.In 1970, Van Zant sought a new name. \"One Percent\" and \"The Noble Five\" were each considered before the group settled on Leonard Skinnerd, a mocking tribute to a physical-education teacher at Robert E. Lee High School, Leonard Skinner, who was notorious for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair. The more distinctive spelling was adopted before they released their first album. Despite their high school acrimony, the band developed a friendlier relationship with Skinner in later years, and invited him to introduce them at a concert in the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum.In 1970, the band auditioned for Alan Walden, who would later become their manager on the newly formed Hustler's Inc. Walden worked with the band until 1974, when management was turned over to Pete Rudge. The band continued to perform throughout the South in the early 1970s, further developing their hard-driving, blues-rock sound and image, and experimenting with making studio recordings.During this time, they went through a number of member changes, with Van Zant, Collins and Rossington remaining the only constants. Burns and Junstrom left the band, and were briefly replaced by Rickey Medlocke on drums and Greg Walker on bass. In 1971, with this lineup, they made some recordings at the famous Muscle Shoals studio. By the time they made a second round of Muscle Shoals recordings in 1972, Burns had rejoined the band and Leon Wilkeson had become Larry Junstrom's permanent replacement on bass, with Medlocke and Walker having left to play with the southern rock band Blackfoot. Around this time, the band occasionally played shows with both Burns and Medlocke participating, utilizing a dual-drummer approach similar to that of The Allman Brothers. Also in 1972, roadie Billy Powell became the keyboardist for the band.Peak years (1973\u20131977)In 1972 the band was discovered by musician, songwriter, and producer Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, who had attended one of their shows at a club in Atlanta. They changed the spelling of their name to \"Lynyrd Skynyrd\", (pronounced 'l\u0115h-'n\u00e9rd 'skin-'n\u00e9rd) and Kooper signed them to MCA Records, producing their first album (pronounced 'l\u0115h-'n\u00e9rd 'skin-'n\u00e9rd). Leon Wilkeson left just before the band was to record the album (Wilkeson rejoined the band shortly thereafter at Van Zant's invitation and is pictured on the album cover). Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined the band and played Wilkeson's parts on the album, along with some guitar. King switched to guitar after the album's release, allowing the band to replicate the three-guitar mix used in the studio. Released January 1, 1973, the album featured the hit song \"Free Bird\", which received national airplay, eventually reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and is still considered a rock and roll anthem today.Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly throughout 1973, largely due to their opening slot on The Who's Quadrophenia tour in the United States. On their 1974 follow-up, Second Helping, the band successfully avoided sophomore slump, with King, Collins and Rossington all collaborating with Van Zant on the songwriting. The album was the band's breakthrough hit, and featured their most popular single, \"Sweet Home Alabama\" (#8 on the charts in August 1974), a response to Neil Young's \"Alabama\" and \"Southern Man.\" (Young and Van Zant were not rivals, but fans of each other's music and good friends; Young even wrote the song \"Powderfinger\" for the band, but they never recorded it. Van Zant, meanwhile, can be seen on the cover of Street Survivors wearing a Neil Young t-shirt.) The album reached #12 in 1974, eventually going multi-platinum. In July of that year, Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the headline acts at The Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri.In January, 1975, Burns left the band and was replaced by Kentucky native Artimus Pyle on drums. Lynyrd Skynyrd's third album, Nuthin' Fancy, was released the same year. The album had lower sales than its predecessor, and Kooper was eventually fired. Midway through the tour, Ed King left the band, citing tour exhaustion. In January 1976, backup singers Leslie Hawkins, Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley (collectively known as The Honkettes) were added to the band, although they were not considered as official members. Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourth album Gimme Back My Bullets was released in the new year, but did not achieve the same success as the previous two albums. Van Zant and Collins both felt that the band was seriously missing the three-guitar attack that had been one of its early hallmarks. Although Skynyrd auditioned several guitarists, including such high-profile names as Leslie West, the solution was closer than they realized.Soon after joining Skynyrd, Cassie Gaines began touting the guitar and songwriting prowess of her younger brother, Steve. The junior Gaines, who led his own band, Crawdad (which occasionally would perform Skynyrd's \"Saturday Night Special\" in their set), was invited to audition onstage with Skynyrd at a concert in Kansas City on May 11, 1976. Liking what they heard, the group also jammed informally with the Oklahoma native several times, then invited him into the group in June. With Gaines on board, the newly-reconstituted band recorded the double-live album One More From the Road at the Fox Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia) in Atlanta, and performed at the Knebworth festival, which also featured The Rolling Stones.Both Collins and Rossington had serious car accidents over Labor Day weekend in 1976 which slowed the recording of the follow-up album and forced the band to cancel some concert dates. Rossington's accident inspired the ominous \"That Smell\" - a cautionary tale about drug abuse that was clearly aimed towards him and at least one other band member. Rossington has admitted repeatedly that he's the \"Prince Charming\" of the song who crashed his car into an oak tree while drunk and stoned on Quaaludes. Van Zant, at least, was making a serious attempt to clean up his act and curtail the cycle of boozed-up brawling that was part of Skynyrd's reputation.1977's Street Survivors turned out to be a showcase for guitarist\/vocalist Steve Gaines, who had joined the band just a year earlier and was making his studio debut with them. Publicly and privately, Ronnie Van Zant marveled at the multiple talents of Skynyrd's newest member, claiming that the band would \"all be in his shadow one day.\" Gaines' contributions included his co-lead vocal with Van Zant on the co-written \"You Got That Right\" and the rousing guitar boogie \"I Know A Little\" which he had written before he joined Skynyrd. So confident was Skynyrd's leader of Gaines' abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Gaines delivering his self-penned bluesy \"Ain't No Good Life\" - the only song in the pre-crash Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other than Ronnie Van Zant. The album also included the hit singles \"What's Your Name\" and \"That Smell\". The band was poised for their biggest tour yet, including fulfilling Van Zant's lifelong dream of headlining New York's Madison Square Garden.Plane crash (1977)On Thursday, October 20, 1977, just three days after the release of Street Survivors, and five shows into their most successful headlining tour to date, Lynyrd Skynyrd's chartered Convair 240 ran out of fuel near the end of their flight from Greenville, South Carolina, where they had just performed at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium, to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Though the pilots attempted an emergency landing on a small airstrip, the plane crashed in a forest in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were all killed on impact; the other bandmembers suffered serious injuries.Following the crash and the ensuing press, Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album and reached #5 on the U.S. album chart. The single \"What's Your Name\" reached #13 on the single airplay charts in January 1978.The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of the band, particularly Steve Gaines, engulfed in flames. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve's widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with a similar image of the band against a simple black background. Thirty years later, for the deluxe CD version of Street Survivors, the original \"flames\" cover was restored.Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting just once to perform an instrumental version of \"Free Bird\" at Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam in January 1979. Collins, Rossington, Powell and Pyle performed the song with Charlie Daniels and members of his band. Leon Wilkeson, who was still undergoing physical therapy for his badly broken left arm, was in attendance, along with Judy Van Zant, Teresa Gaines, JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins.Hiatus (1977\u20131987)Rossington, Collins, Wilkeson and Powell formed The Rossington-Collins Band, which released two albums between 1980 and 1982. Deliberately avoiding comparisons with Ronnie Van Zant as well as suggestions that this band was Lynyrd Skynyrd reborn, Rossington and Collins chose a woman, Dale Krantz, as lead vocalist. However, as an acknowledgment of their past, the band's concert encore would always be an instrumental version of \"Free Bird\". Rossington and Collins eventually had a falling out over the affections of Dale Krantz, whom Rossington married and with whom he formed the Rossington Band, which released two albums in the late 1980s and opened for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour in 1987-1988.The other former members of Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to make music during the hiatus era.Leon Wilkeson on bass and Billy Powellon keyboards played in a Christian Rock band named Vision, touring with established Christian rocker Mylon LeFevre (who, like Skynyrd, had once opened for The Who). During Vision concerts, Powell's trademark keyboard talent was often spotlighted and he spoke about his conversion to Christianity after the near-fatal plane crash. Pyle formed The Artimus Pyle Band in 1982, which occasionally featured former Honkettes JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins.In 1980 Allen Collins' wife Kathy died of a massive hemorrhage while miscarrying their third child. He formed the Allen Collins Band in 1983 from the remnants of the Rossington-Collins Band, releasing one tepidly-received album, but many around him believed that the guitarist's heart just wasn't in it anymore. Most point to his wife's death as the moment that Collins' life began to spin out of control; he spent several years bingeing on drugs and alcohol. In 1986 Collins crashed his car while driving drunk near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend and leaving him permanently paralyzed from the chest down. Collins eventually pled no contest to DUI manslaughter, but was not given a prison sentence since his injuries made it obvious that he would never drive or be a danger to society again.Return (1987\u2013present)In 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited for a full-scale tour with five major members of the post-crash band: crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle, along with guitarist Ed King, who had left the band two years before the crash. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter. Due to Collins' paralysis from the 1986 car accident, he was only able to participate as the musical director, choosing Randall Hall, his former bandmate in the Allen Collins Band, as his stand-in. As part of his plea deal, Collins would be wheeled out onstage each night to explain to the audience why he could no longer perform (usually before the performance of \"That Smell\", which had been partially directed at him). Collins was stricken with pneumonia in 1989 and died on January 23, 1990.The reunited band was meant to be a one-time tribute to the original lineup, captured on the double-live album Southern By The Grace Of God\/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - 1987. The fact that the band chose to continue after the 1987 tribute tour caused legal problems for the survivors, as Judy Van Zant Jenness and Teresa Gaines Rapp (widows of Ronnie and Steve, respectively) sued the others for violating an agreement made shortly after the plane crash, stating that they would not \"exploit\" the Skynyrd name for profit. As part of the settlement, Jenness and Rapp collect nearly 30% of the band's touring revenues (representing the shares their husbands would have earned had they lived), and hold a proviso which forces any band touring as \"Lynyrd Skynyrd\" to include at least two from among Rossington, Collins, Powell, Pyle, Wilkeson and King. Apparently, that proviso is not being enforced, seeing that Rossington is now the sole member of that group left in Lynyrd Skynyrd, as King was not allowed to remain in the band after missing a tour unable to tour due to heart problems, Pyle is on the outs with Rossington and Johnny Van Zant, and the others are now dead. Pyle has insisted in public appearances that \"Ronnie Van Zandt IS Lynyrd Skynyrd\", and wishes nothing to do with the current makeup of the band bearing that name. Two other founding members of the band remain alive, original drummer Bob Burns and bassist Larry Junstrom Bob Burns, but they have not participated in the post-crash band.The reconstituted Lynyrd Skynyrd has gone through a large number of lineup changes and continues to record and tour today. One by one, the members of the pre-crash band have left, been forced out, or have passed away. Artimus Pyle left the band in 1991 and his place has been taken by a variety of drummers since, with Michael Cartellone finally becoming his permanent replacement. Randall Hall was replaced by Mike Estes in 1993. Ed King had to take a break from touring in 1996. In his absence, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson. King has stated that his break from the band was to be temporary, but the band did not let him rejoin after he recovered. At the same time, Mike Estes was replaced by Rickey Medlocke, who had briefly played drums with the band in the early 1970's. Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001; his death was found to be due to emphysema and chronic liver disease. He was replaced in 2001 by Ean Evans. The remaining members released a double album called Thyrty which had songs from the original line up to the present. Lynyrd Skynyrd also released a live DVD of their Vicious Cycle Tour and on June 22, 2004, Lynyrd Skynyrd released the album Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour. On December 10, 2004, Lynyrd Skynyrd did a show for CMT, Crossroads, a concert featuring country duo Montgomery Gentry and other genres of music. In the beginning of 2005 Hughie Thomasson left the band to reform his disbanded Southern Rock band Outlaws. Thomasson died in his sleep on September 9, 2007 of an apparent heart attack in his home in Brooksville, Florida. He was 55 years old.On February 5, 2005, Lynyrd Skynyrd did a Super Bowl party back in Jacksonville with special guests 3 Doors Down, Jo Dee Messina, Charlie Daniels and Ronnie and Johnny Van Zant's brother Donnie Van Zant of 38 Special. On February 13 of that year Lynyrd Skynyrd did a tribute to Southern Rock on the Grammy Awards with Gretchen Wilson, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Dickey Betts. On May 10, 2005, Johnny and Donnie Van Zant released a country album called Get Right with the Man which featured the hit single \"Help Somebody\". In the summer of 2005, lead singer Johnny Van Zant had to have surgery on his vocal cord to have a polyp removed. He was told not to sing for three months. On September 10, 2005, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed without Johnny Van Zant at the Music Relief Concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, with Kid Rock standing in for Johnny. In December 2005, Johnny Van Zant returned to sing for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band performed live at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, as a part of their 2007 tour. The concert was recorded in high definition for HDNet and premiered on December 1, 2007.The band in 2008Mark \"Sparky\" Matejka, formerly of the country music band Hot Apple Pie, joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006 as Thomasson's replacement. On November 2, 2007, the band performed at Gator Growl, the world's largest student-run pep rally, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - also known as \"The Swamp.\" The event's 50,000-person attendance marked the largest crowd that Lynyrd Skynyrd had ever played in front of in the United States, until the July 2008 Bama Jam in Enterprise, Alabama where more than 111,000 people were in attendance.On January 28, 2009, keyboardist Billy Powell died at age 56 at his home near Jacksonville, Florida. Powell called 911 at 12:55 a.m., complaining of shortness of breath. He had previously missed his doctor's appointment on the day before his death; the appointment was for a checkup on his heart. The EMS responders found Powell unconscious and unresponsive, with the telephone still in his hand. Rescue crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at 1:52 a.m. Although a heart attack was suspected, and it was originally reported that an autopsy was to be performed, none in fact was ever done. Powell's death left Gary Rossington as the sole pre-crash member of the band, unless Rickey Medlocke's brief stint with the band in the early 1970's is counted. On March 17, 2009, it was announced that Skynyrd had signed a worldwide deal with Roadrunner Records, in association with their label, Loud & Proud Records, and released their new album God & Guns on September 29 of that year. They toured Europe and the United States in 2009 with Peter Keys of the 420 Funk Mob on keyboards and Robert Kearns of The Bottle Rockets on bass (in place of Ean Evans, who died of cancer at age 48 on May 6, 2009, at his home in Columbus, Mississippi). Scottish rock band Gun have been confirmed as special guests for the UK leg of Skynyrds tour in 2010.Leonard Skinner, the physical education teacher who inspired the name Lynyrd Skynyrd passed away on September 21st, 2010","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2516_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"150,000 - 300,000"}

{"key":"2401","name":"ZZ Top","bio":"ZZ Top is an American blues rock band, formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. The band members are Billy Gibbons (vocals and guitar), Dusty Hill (bass guitar and vocals), and Frank Beard (drums). They hold the distinction of being one of the few rock bands still comprised of its original members for over 40 years, and until 2006, with the same manager\/producer, Bill Ham.They reached the peak of their commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring many hit songs during that era; but they remain together today and are still touring and releasing albums. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004. Summarizing their music, Cub Koda wrote, \"As genuine roots musicians, they have few peers; Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the arena rock idiom \u2026 while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support.\" Their song lyrics often feature sexual innuendo and humor.Nearly as well-known as their music is the group's appearance: Gibbons and Hill are always pictured wearing sunglasses (a nod to their 1979 song \"Cheap Sunglasses\"), similar (if not matching) clothing, and their trademark chest-length beards, while Beard sports a mustache but not a beard. In 1984, the Gillette Company reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill US$1 million apiece to shave their beards for a television commercial, but they declined.The origin of the band's name was not officially known for many years. Some theories included: the two brands of rolling paper, Zig-Zag and Top; a tribute to blues legend Z. Z. Hill; Z-shaped barn-door braces Gibbons once saw at a farm; and\/or Billy Gibbons seeing the two words running together on a dilapidated bill board. The real origin, as told by Billy Gibbons and also recorded in his new book (Rock + Roll Gearhead), is derived from the name of blues master B.B. King. They wanted to call themselves Z.Z. King but sounded too similar to their blues legend hero. They figured that \"King\" was at the \"top\" so thus settled on ZZ Top.The men who would form ZZ Top had played in several different Texas-based groups (including the Moving Sidewalks, The Cellar Dwellers, The Hustlers, The Warlocks and American Blues) before joining forces in late 1969.They toured almost continually for several years, but first gained wide acclaim with their third album, Tres Hombres (1973). It contained the classic song \"La Grange\", referencing the bordello that is the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.The band continued touring, recording, and releasing albums until 1977, when they took an extended hiatus. Their long-time manager\/producer\/image maker Bill Ham used this time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings, which would be distributed by their new label, Warner Brothers. They reunited two and a half years later in order to start recording under that new Warner Brothers contract. Unbeknown to the other, both Hill and Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards that quickly became a part of their \"wildman\" image.They reached new heights of popularity with the 1983 album Eliminator, boosted to prominence by memorable music videos for the tracks \"Gimme All Your Lovin'\", \"Legs\" and \"Sharp-Dressed Man\" each of which featured a small bright red Ford '34 3 window hotrod called The Eliminator and a trio of mysterious, beautiful women who travel around helping various people. The album also featured a distinctive synthesizer-laced sound\u2013a rarity in the blues rock genre\u2013which added a modern, new wave edge to the music, and helped the album become successful. Eliminator remains their most successful album to date.Their next album, Afterburner, mostly featured the same blend of synthesizers, sequencers and blues rock. Some critics have expressed frustration at this approach. But on subsequent albums, less and less synth- and synchronizer-influenced music is heard. An occasional song with those elements and instruments is included on recent albums as a nod to their past.In 1994, ZZ Top signed a five-disc deal with RCA Record. Many fans (or, as they refer to themselves, \"fanzz\") feel that the recordings of this era are as artistically strong as the earlier London and Warner Brothers recordings, but have expressed disappointment with RCA's promotion of these releases. On several occasions Billy Gibbons was overheard refering to the execs at RCA as \"a bunch of cock suckers\". In July 2000, while on tour in Europe, Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which forced the cancellation of several dates in that tour. Hill has since made a remarkable recovery, joking, \"You just can't keep down ZZ Top!\"In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Brother years entitled \"Chrome, Smoke & BBQ\" was released.As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top is recording their 15th studio album.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2401_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"750,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"2382","name":"Jack White","bio":"Jack White (born John Anthony Gillis on July 9, 1975 in Detroit), American rock musician, producer, and actor. He is best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock duo The White Stripes (1997-2011) and more recently guitarist and vocalist of The Raconteurs, and drummer and vocalist for the band The Dead Weather.Jack White first played as a professional musician in the early 1990s, as a drummer for the Detroit cowpunk band Goober & the Peas. White produced Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose in 2004, which won them a Grammy for best country album, and an additional Grammy for best country collaboration for the song Portland Oregon. The Love Interruption Songfacts reports that his debut solo single, Love Interruption, was made available on January 30, 2012 at White's pay-to-join club Vault and at Jackwhiteiii.com. A week later, it was released on the singer\u2019s preferred format, vinyl. It was produced by the ex White Stripe and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville along with its exclusive non-LP B-side Machine Gun Silhouette. This was followed by his first solo album, Blunderbuss, later in 2012, and an accompanying tour. This is not said to indicate an end to either the Raconteurs or the Dead Weather.His blaring guitar solos and ability to pull sound from the simplest of \"instruments\" are his greatest strengths along with his desire to partner with female vocalists.He currently resides in Tennessee. He announced his divorce in 2011 from wife since 2005, fellow musician Karen Elson, and they have two children. Third Man Records (White's label) and Elson's clothing boutique are also located there.Last.fm Group: http:\/\/www.last.fm\/group\/Blunderbuss","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2382_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"2546","name":"The Dead Weather","bio":"The Dead Weather is an alternative rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States in 2009. They consist of Alison Mosshart (vocals, guitar), Dean Fertita (guitar, organ), Jack Lawrence (bass, drums) and Jack White (drums, vocals, guitar).All members of the band are from other, well known alternative rock groups. Mosshart is a member of The Kills, Fertita is a member of Queens of the Stone Age, Lawrence is a member of The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs and White was a member of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs.White produced their album, Horehound, which was released in the US on July 14th 2009. The album was recorded in three weeks at White's own Third Man Studio in Nashville. This group sparks particular interest because Jack White, well known for guitar skills, played drums with this band.. White\u2019s last booking as a drummer was with the Detroit punk outfit Goober and the Peas, aged 19.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2546_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"2559","name":"Whitesnake","bio":"Whitesnake are an English hard rock band, founded in 1978 by vocalist David Coverdale (formerly of Deep Purple) in North Yorkshire, UK. The current line-up of the band also include Joel Hoekstra (lead guitar), Reb Beach (rhythm guitar), Michael Devin (bass), Brian Ruedy (keyboards) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). While the group's membership has fluctuated, Coverdale remains the heart and soul of the band.In their early years, Whitesnake played in a hard-edged blues rock and heavy metal influenced style. By the mid-80s, the band had moved towards a more commercially friendly arena rock and pop metal ethos, garnering them major hits such as \"Love Ain't No Stranger\", \"Now You're Gone\", \"Slide It In\", \"Still of the Night\", and the iconic tune \"Here I Go Again\" (arguably their 'signature song'). They were named the 85th greatest hard rock band of all time by VH1.Whitesnake were active primarily in the 80s, but they still tour, albeit with an entirely new line-up (bar Coverdale), to this day. Some of the most famous musicians who have joined the band for a time include Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Rudy Sarzo, John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Tommy Aldridge, and Steve Vai.The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple. This is not only because three past members of the band were once in Deep Purple but also because of their sound and influences. Later, the band took on a sound more in line with the hair metal style popular in the mid to late 80s, but they never truly left their heavy, blues rock roots behindFormed in 1978 by David Coverdale after leaving Deep Purple, Whitesnake were originally a straightforwards heavy rock group with Jon Lord and Ian Paice from Deep Purple in the band. Despite a few album releases and constant touring, Whitesnake was unable to attain any significant commercial success in America, though becoming popular in the U.K., Europe, and Japan. Their critical reviews as well for their albums were somewhat mixed.After acquaintance with Chris Cuttler, Fred Frith and most importantly, young guitarist John Sykes, David Coverdale decided to turn to a slicker, more commercially viable sound. Whitesnake made their first major splash in the States in 1984 with the album 'Slide It In', featuring the self-titled single as well as rock tracks \"Slow An' Easy\" and \"Love Ain't No Stranger\". All three of them gained major airplay and were eaten up by fans. Sykes was not involved in any of the song writing for 'Slide It In', though re-did some of Micky Moody's guitar work in the American remastering of the U.K. version of the album.Three years later, thanks to radio-friendly, Zeppelin-ish songwriting and MTV friendly Tawny Kitaen's automobile acrobatics, Whitesnake became superstars with the album 'Whitesnake' (titled '1987' in Europe, and 'Serpens Albus' in Japan). Containing the U.S. smash hits \"Here I Go Again\", \"Is This Love\", \"Still of the Night\" and others, the album eventually sold over 10 million copies. Coverdale replaced the entire band for the subsequent tour, ditching Sykes for guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell. Also joining the band at this point were bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge.Campbell left shortly after the tour (going on to replace Steve Clark in Def Leppard. Vandenberg, despite penning most of the material on the follow-up album, was unable to record due to a freak wrist injury. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai was brought in to record all of the guitar parts for Slip of the Tongue, which was released in the spring of 1989. Despite going platinum, the album did not reach the stratospheric heights of Whitesnake (entitled 1987 in Europe, and Serpens Albus in Japan). With a divorce looming, and the alternative 'grunge' movement threatening to destroy the melodic rock movement, Coverdale dissolved Whitesnake.In the late 90s, David Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg finally recorded together again. Initially intended to be a Coverdale solo effort, the Whitesnake name was eventually attached (much like the Tony Iommi\/Black Sabbath projects of the late 80s). The resulting products were a new studio album entitled Restless Heart, and the live acoustic set, Starkers In Tokyo. In the early 2000's Coverdale relaunched Whitesnake fully with an entirely new lineup centred around guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich (previously of Winger and Lion\/Dio). This Whitesnake embarked on tours across the globe, releasing the \"Live In the Still of the Night\" DVD and \"Live\u2026 In the Shadow of the Blues\" on CD in 2006. A new studio album, \"Good to be Bad\", was released in 2008 reaching the top 10 in the UK album charts. Over the last few years Coverdale has been involved in a remastering project which has seen all albums from 1978's Trouble, to 1989's Slip of the Tongue reissued with bonus material. Whitesnake released Forevermore, on March 25, 2011 in Europe, and on the 29th in North America. They have released a number of scheduled 2011 tour dates on their website, with six scheduled UK tour dates and other European dates. In February 2011, Whitesnake was announced as one of the headliners to play the annual Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, on Memorial Day weekend. A digital single for the song 'Love Will Set You Free' was released, along with a video for the song, on February 21.The album Forevermore was released as a special edition 'Snakepack' through Classic Rock magazine on 25 March, a full 3 weeks before its commercial release. The fan pack includes the full, official new album Forevermore, a 132-page magazine, poster and pin badge. On 20 March 2011, Whitesnake announced that Brian Ruedy would play keyboards on the Forevermore World Tour.The album did not chart highly upon its official release in the UK (number 33, possibly due to the copies released as part of the aforementioned Classic Rock Snakepack, which are not eligible for the charts). It did, however, show signs of Whitesnake's slow rebuild of support in the US with the album charting at number 49 - the band's highest charting album since the 80s.Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are Whitesnake longest standing guitar players, both being in the band 10 years by 2012.Website: http:\/\/www.whitesnake.com\/","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2559_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}