{"key":"19383","name":"The Beach Boys","bio":"The Beach Boys are an iconic American rock band, frequently cited as one of the most influential and commercially successful groups of all time. They are recognized for their intricate vocal harmonies, studio innovations, and musical impact that is still felt today. After rising to stardom with a string of hits that defined the '60s California Sound, they delved into progressive pop, experimenting with songs inspired by classical music and the avant-garde. Following their most esteemed work, Pet Sounds (1966), the group became symbols of psychedelic counterculture.With the release of 1974's Endless Summer they became a more popular touring act, playing their greatest hits. They have recorded 36 Billboard Top 40 hits (including four number-one singles), have had over 100 million sales, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.Formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, the original group comprised singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friends Al Jardine and David Marks. South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar played and sang with the band on three key albums during the early 1970s. Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career: Brian Wilson's mental illness, drug addiction and eventual withdrawal from the group; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group.In December 2011, five of the group's surviving members - Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and David (But not Blondie or Ricky) - reformed in celebration of their 50th anniversary, announcing a new album and a 50-date international tour for 2012. The reunion ended immediately after the tour.Early YearsThe group was formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California under the leadership of Brian Wilson, and included his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine.The early inspirations of the group were the Wilsons' musician father, Murry, and the close vocal harmonies of groups such as The Four Freshmen. The group performed initially as The Pendletones, after the Pendleton woolen shirts popular then. Although surfing motifs were very prominent in their early songs, Dennis was the sole actual surfer in the group. He suggested to his brothers that they do some songs celebrating his hobby and the lifestyle which had developed around it in Southern California.At first Murry Wilson, by many accounts a hard-driving man, steered The Beach Boys' career, engineering their signing with Capitol Records in 1962. In 1964 Brian Wilson fired his father after a violent confrontation in the studio. Over the next few years they became increasingly estranged; when Murry died some years later, Brian and Dennis did not attend the funeral.The Beach Boys' early material focused on the California youth lifestyle (e.g., \"All Summer Long\", \"Fun, Fun, Fun\"), cars (\"Little Deuce Coupe\") and of course surfing (\"Surfin' U.S.A.\", \"Surfin' Safari\" and many others). Although their music was bright and accessible, these early works contained remarkably sophisticated musical ideas. During this period, Brian Wilson rapidly progressed to become a melodist, arranger, and producer of world-renowned stature. Their early hits made them major pop stars in America and other countries, although their status as America's top pop group was challenged in 1964 by the emergence of The Beatles, who became The Beach Boys' major creative rival.Like The Beatles, the Beach Boys showed very fast development during the mid-'60s, drawing upon the innovations of songwriters and producers such as Burt Bacharach and especially Phil Spector. They produced the enduring classic \"California Girls\" in 1965, a banner year for popular music which also saw similarly advanced singles by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, and James Brown. But it was the Beach Boys' role to create a myth of American freedom and dreams of adolescence, and increasingly, to articulate a dread of what lay after adolescence.Brian's innovations and personal difficultiesDuring 1964, Brian Wilson began to suffer from anxiety attacks, and withdrew from touring to concentrate on song writing and record production. Glen Campbell served as Wilson's replacement on tours, until his own career success required him to leave the group. Bruce Johnston was asked to locate a replacement for Campbell; having failed to find one, Johnston subsequently became a full-time member of the band, first replacing Wilson on the road, and then contributing his talents in the studio.Wilson's growing mastery of the recording studio and his increasingly sophisticated songs and complex arrangements reached an early peak with the acclaimed LP Pet Sounds (1966). Classic singles from that album, \"Wouldn't It Be Nice\" and \"God Only Knows\" showed Wilson's growing skill as a composer, arranger and producer. \"God Only Knows\" is said to have been the first pop single ever released in the U.S. to have the word \"God\" in the title (because of which many radio stations in the U.S. refused to play it.) \"Caroline, No\" also taken from Pet Sounds, was issued as a Brian Wilson solo single, the only time Brian was credited as a solo artist during the early Capitol years.The album's meticulously layered harmonies and inventive instrumentation (performed by the cream of Los Angeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew) set a new standard for popular music. It remains one of the more evocative releases of the decade, with a distinctive strain of melancholy and nostalgia for youth. The album is still widely regarded as a classic and Paul McCartney has named it one of his favorite albums of all time, (with \"God Only Knows\" as his favorite song) often saying that it was a major influence on The Beatles' album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Despite the critical praise it received, the album was poorly promoted by Capitol Records and failed to become the major hit Brian had hoped it would be (only reaching #10). Its failure to gain wide recognition hurt him deeply.Because of his withdrawal from touring, Wilson was able to complete almost all the backing for the album while the Beach Boys were on tour in Japan. They returned to find a substantially complete album, requiring only their vocals to finish it off. There was some resistance from within the band to this new direction. Lead singer Mike Love is reported to have been strongly opposed to it, partly because he feared the band would lose its audience if they changed their successful formula, and partly because he personally disliked the new material, which he famously criticized as \"Brian's ego music.\" At Love's insistence, Brian changed the title of one song from \"Hang on to Your Ego\" to \"I Know There's an Answer\". Another likely factor in Love's antipathy to Pet Sounds was that Wilson worked extensively on it with outside lyricist Tony Asher rather than with Love, even though Love had co-written the lyrics for many of their earlier songs and was the lead vocalist on most of their early hits. It should also be stated that Love, as recently as February 2008 in a top British music magazine, denies emphatically that he was opposed to Brian's new directions. Quite the contrary, contributing the lyrics to the classic form of \"Good Vibrations,\" which certainly seemed to usher in flower power. He really is tired of this view of him as being Brian's nemesis. He could see Brian was destroying himself and that was what he feared.Seeking to expand on the advances made on Pet Sounds, Wilson began an even more ambitious project, originally dubbed Dumb Angel. Its first fruit was \"Good Vibrations,\" which Brian described as \"a pocket symphony\". The song became the Beach Boys' biggest hit to date, and a US and UK # 1 single in 1966 \u2014 many critics consider it to be one of the best rock singles of all time. In 1997 it was named the \"Greatest Single of All Time\" by Mojo music magazine, in 2000, VH1 placed it at number 8 on their \"100 Greatest Rock Songs\" list, and in late 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 6 on their \"500 Best Songs of All Time\" list. It was also one of the more complex pop productions ever undertaken, and was reputed to have been the most expensive American single ever recorded, costing a reported $16,000 \u2013 more than most pop albums of that time \u2013 with sessions stretching over several months in at least three major studios.In contrast to his work on Pet Sounds, Wilson adopted a modular approach to \"Good Vibrations\" \u2014 he broke the song into sections and taped multiple versions of each at different studios to take advantage of the different sound of each facility. He then assembled his favorite sections into a master backing track and added vocals. The song's innovative instrumentation included drums, organ, piano, tack piano, two basses, guitars, electro-theremin, harmonica, and cello. The group members recall the \"Good Vibrations\" vocal sessions as among the most demanding of their career.Even as his personal life deteriorated, Wilson's musical output remained remarkable. The exact nature of his problems was a topic of much speculation. He abused drugs heavily, gained an enormous amount of weight, suffered long bouts of depression, and became paranoid. Several biographies have suggested that his father may have had bipolar disorder, and after years of suffering, Wilson's own condition was eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia.The story behind \"Smile\"Shortly after completing \"Good Vibrations,\" Wilson met session musician and songwriter Van Dyke Parks, and in late 1966 they began an intense collaboration that resulted in a suite of superb new songs for the Beach Boys' next album, which was originally going to be titled Dumb Angel but was renamed Smile. Using the same methods as on \"Good Vibrations,\" recording began in late 1966 and carried on into early 1967. Although the structure of the album and the exact running order of the songs have been subjects of endless speculation, it is apparent that Wilson and Parks intended Smile to be a continuous suite of songs that were linked both thematically and musically, with the main songs being linked together by small vocal pieces and instrumental segments that elaborated the musical themes of the major songs.But some of the other Beach Boys \u2014 especially Love \u2014 found the new music too difficult and too far removed from their established style; another serious concern was that the new music was simply not feasible for live performance by the current Beach Boys lineup. Love was bitterly opposed to Smile and was particularly critical of Parks' lyrics; he has also since stated that he was becoming deeply concerned about Wilson's escalating drug intake. The problems came to a head during the recording of \"Cabinessence,\" when Love demanded that Parks explain the meaning of the closing refrain of the song, \"Over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield.\" After a heated argument, Parks walked out and his partnership with Wilson came to an abrupt end.Many factors combined to focus intense pressure on Wilson as Smile neared completion, including mental instability, the pressure to perform against fierce opposition to his new music, the relatively poor response to Pet Sounds, Carl Wilson's draft resistance, and a major dispute with Capitol. Matters were complicated by his reliance on both prescription and illegal drugs, particularly marijuana and amphetamines, which only exacerbated his underlying mental health problems.Just weeks before The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, Smile was shelved. Over the next 30 years the legends surrounding Smile grew, until it became the most famous unreleased album in the history of popular music. Some of the tracks were salvaged and rerecorded at Brian's new home studio in drastically scaled-down versions. These were released, along with the completed versions of \"Good Vibrations\" and \"Heroes and Villains\", on the 1967 LP Smiley Smile, which would prove to be a critical and commercial disaster for the group.Despite the cancellation of Smile, interest in the work remained high and versions of several major tracks \u2014 including \"Our Prayer\", \"Cabinessence\", \"Cool, Cool Water\", and \"Surf's Up\" \u2014 were assembled by Carl Wilson over the next few years and included on later albums. The band was expecting to complete and release Smile even until 1972, when it became clear that only Brian would ever be able to make sense out of the endless fragments that were recorded. A substantial number of original tracks and linking fragments were included on the group's 30th anniversary CD boxed set in 1993. Smile itself, in its original conception, did not surface until Wilson and Parks completed the writing and Brian rerecorded it as a solo project in 2004.Mid-career brings changesFollowing their peak popularity with the song \"Good Vibrations\" was a period of declining commercial success, with Smiley Smile and subsequent albums doing poorly on the US charts (although they fared better in the UK). Their image problems were not helped by the criticism that followed their withdrawal from the bill of the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival as a result of Carl's draft problems, an event that would undoubtedly have been crucial in establishing their new sound had they been able to present their new material there.The 1967 album Wild Honey, regarded by many critics as a classic, features exuberant upbeat songs written by Brian and Mike, including the hit \"Darlin'\", and a cover of Stevie Wonder's \"I Was Made to Love Her\". Friends (1968) is a quiet, tuneful, and largely acoustic album, influenced by the group's adoption of the practice of transcendental meditation. The title single, however, backed by Dennis' songwriting debut Little Bird, was their least successful since 1962. This was followed by the single \"Do It Again\", a return to their earlier \"fun in the sun\" style, which was moderately successful in the US, but went to #1 in the UK.As Brian's health deteriorated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, his song output diminished and he became increasingly withdrawn from the group. To fill the void, the other members of the group began writing songs, and Carl gradually took over leadership of the band, developing into an accomplished producer. To complete their contract with Capitol Records before signing with Reprise, they produced one more album, 20\/20 (1969), primarily a collection of leftovers (including some from Smile), cover songs, and several new songs by Dennis. One of Denny's songs, \"Never Learn Not To Love\", featured lyrics by Charles Manson originally titled \"Cease to Exist\". Besides \"Do It Again\", the album included their cover of The Ronettes' \"I Can Hear Music\", their last top 40 hit for seven years.Their first two Reprise LPs were Sunflower (1970) and 1971's Surf's Up, featuring new songs by Brian and all the group members, plus selections from the aborted Smile project. According to the liner notes for the 2004 version of Smile, Reprise expected the legendary album to be completed and released as part of the new contract, but this was never to be; however, these albums included some of their most evolved and complex music since the Smile period.The addition of Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin in 1972 led to a dramatic departure in sound for the band. Carl and The Passions - So Tough was an uncharacteristic mix including several songs unrecognizable as the Beach Boys. Although it includes the classic \"Marcella\", many consider the album among their poorest efforts. Continuing with Fataar and Chaplin, Holland (1973) was more successful. The album's lead single \"Sail on Sailor,\" a brief return to the collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, was one of the more emblematic of Beach Boys songs. Although it did not produce any top-40 hits, Holland was popular on free-form FM-radio, and includes several classics including Al Jardine's \"California Saga\/California\".In the summer of 1974 Capitol, in consultation with Love, released a double album compilation of the Beach Boys' pre-Pet Sounds hits, entitled Endless Summer. Helped by a sunny, colorful graphic cover, it caught the mood of the country and surged to #1 on the Billboard album chart, becoming their first gold record since \"Good Vibrations\", and stayed on the album chart for three years. The following year another compilation, Spirit of America, also did well. These sales performances demonstrated that the classic Beach Boys sound was back in fashion.In 1975, the Beach Boys staged a highly successful joint concert tour with Chicago, with each group performing some of the other's songs, including their previous year's collaboration on Chicago's hit \"Wishing You Were Here\". Beach Boy voices were also heard on Elton John's 1974 hit \"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me\", but following Holland, the group produced no new music until 1976.Brian's return15 Big Ones marked the return of Brian Wilson as a major force in the group. This album includes several new songs composed by Brian, and several of his arrangements of favorite old songs by other artists, including \"Rock and Roll Music\" (which made #5), \"Blueberry Hill\", and \"In The Still of The Night\". Brian and Mike's \"It's OK\" was a return to their earlier \"fun-in-the-sun\" style, and was a moderate hit.In 1977 the Beach Boys released the LP Love You, a collection of 14 songs mostly written by Brian alone, including more \"fun\" songs (\"Honkin' Down The Highway\"), a mature love song (\"Let's Put Our Hearts Together\") - a quirky mix ranging from infectious to touching to downright silly. Although not a commercial success, the album has since gained the status of a classic within the Beach Boys' oeuvre.Brian's contributions diminished over the next several albums until he again virtually withdrew from the group. Although he appeared sporadically with them in concert, he contributed little to their performances or recordings. Despite a much-publicised \"Brian's Back\" campaign in the late '70s, most critics believed the group was past their prime. Many expected that Brian would one day become the latest in a long line of celebrity drug casualties.Deaths of Dennis and Carl WilsonIn the late 70s Dennis Wilson also began to suffer increasingly from drug and alcohol abuse, and some of the group's concert appearances were marred when he and other band members showed up onstage drunk or drugged. The band was forced to publicly apologize after a shambolic performance in Sydney in 1979 during which several members of the group appeared to be drunk. In spite of his own frequent drinking, Dennis Wilson managed to release his first solo work, Pacific Ocean Blue, and to launch the now famed work-in-progress Bambu, with friend and musician Carli Mu\u00f1oz.In 1980, the Beach Boys played a Fourth of July concert on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. before a vast crowd. This tradition continued for the next two years, but in 1983 Secretary of the Interior James Watt banned the group from playing on the Mall, saying that rock concerts drew \"an undesirable element\". This drew howls of outrage from the many of the Beach Boys' American fans, who stated that the Beach Boys sound was a very desirable part of the American cultural fabric. First Lady Nancy Reagan apologized, and in 1985 the group appeared on the Mall again. The group most recently appeared on the Mall in 2005 for the Fourth of July concert.Dennis Wilson's problems had escalated in the early 1980s, and he accidentally drowned in late 1983 while diving from his boat as he drunkenly tried to recover items he had previously thrown overboard. Despite Dennis's death, The Beach Boys soldiered on, and they enjoyed a resurgence of interest later in the 1980s, assisted by tributes such as the David Lee Roth version of \"California Girls\". In 1987, they played with the rap group The Fat Boys, covering the song \"Wipe Out\" and filming a video for it. They scored their first #1 in 22 years with the 1988 song \"Kokomo,\" which was featured on the soundtrack of the hit Tom Cruise movie Cocktail and which became their biggest-selling hit ever. In 1996 they guested with Status Quo on a re-recording of Fun, Fun, Fun, which was a British Top 30 hit.Members of the band appeared on sitcoms such as Full House (starring sometimes drummer John Stamos) and Home Improvement in the 1990s, as well as touring occasionally, but their declining career contrasted dramatically with the massive public interest and rabid critical praise that followed Brian's gradual return to touring in the 1990s. The critically acclaimed documentary I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, important in restoring Wilson's reputation, saw him performing for the first time with his now adult daughters, Wendy and Carnie, and included glowing tributes to his talents from a host of major music stars of the '60s, '70s, and '80s.Tragedy struck the Wilson family again in 1998 when Carl Wilson died of lung cancer. In 1997, while Carl was in the hospital fighting his cancer, David Marks rejoined the group, subbing for Carl. After Carl's death, Al Jardine was forced out of the group due to a conflict with Love. Brian Wilson was pursuing a solo career at the time, and had no desire to work with the Beach Boys. Permission was given to Mike Love to tour under the Beach Boys' name, and from 1998 to 2011, \"The Beach Boys\" consisted of Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. Marks toured with them from Carl's death until the summer of 1999, when he left the group due to health reasons. Their tours remained popular, even as they came to be viewed primarily as a nostalgia act. Meanwhile, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine each separately pursued solo careers with their new bands.Personnel changes through the yearsFrom the start, The Beach Boys have undergone many variations in composition, being represented by fill-ins as often as not. Wilson neighbor David Marks appeared on their first four albums and was a member from 1962 to 1963 as a temporary replacement for Jardine, who had left the group to pursue a career in dentistry. Marks rejoined the band in 1997, during Carl Wilson's last illness, and remained with them for two years.Glen Campbell toured for several months with the group in 1965, as a touring replacement for Brian, who had played bass in concert. Campbell was subsequently replaced by Bruce Johnston, who later became a permanent member. During the mid-1970s drummer Ricky Fataar and guitarist Blondie Chaplin joined the band.Though not official members, The Beach Boys' supporting band has featured many notable musicians over the years. Keyboard player Daryl Dragon, later famous as half of the pop duo Captain & Tennille, toured with the band, along with his future wife Toni Tennille. Carli Mu\u00f1oz, who had been playing percussion with the band since 1970, in 1971 replaced Daryl Dragon as keyboard player until 1981. Jeff Foskett joined the touring band in 1981 as a guitarist and vocalist and remained with the group until 1990, Foskett is currently a member of Brian Wilson's group. Billy Hinsche, of Dino, Desi, & Billy fame, was also a longtime member of the supporting band throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Daryl Dragon's brother Dennis Dragon was a percussionist for the group in the early '70s. Bobby Figueroa was a drummer and percussionist for the Beach Boys in the 1970s and 80s. Mike Meros was a longtime keyboard player for the group, leaving in 2001 to join Alan Jardine's Endless Summer Band (Meros passed away in late 2007). Mike Kowalski was a longtime drummer for the band, starting his Beach Boys tenure in 1969, and continuing with the group throughout the '70s, '80s,' 90s, and '00s, only to leave in 2007. Ed Carter played guitar and bass for the group from 1969 through the late 1990s. Carter joined Al Jardine's Beach Boys Friends and Family in 1999.Some of the changes in The Beach Boys' organization were less formal. They enjoyed a casual collaboration with fellow Southern Californians Jan and Dean. Much to the consternation of other band members, Wilson composed \"Surf City\" and gave the song, without compensation, to Dean Torrence. Jan and Dean, at the time not nearly as popular as The Beach Boys, recorded the song and scored their first number one single, long before the Beach Boys reached the same milestone. Years later, Torrence happened upon the studio where the Beach Boys were recording their \"Beach Boys' Party!\" album. He joined in the singing, and can be heard singing harmony in the \"Barbara Ann\" cut from that album.After the death of Carl Wilson, Mike Love received permission from Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, and the estate of Carl Wilson to tour under the Beach Boys name. In 1998 and 1999, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks toured under this incarnation of the Beach Boys. In 1999, David Marks left so he could focus on fighting his Hepatitis C (He was fully cured in 2004.). From 1999 to 2011, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston have played up to 100 shows a year, sometimes more, under the Beach Boys banner.Jardine toured for a while with the Beach Boys Family & Friends (which for legal reasons quickly became Alan Jardine Family & Friends Beach Band), featuring his sons Matt and Adam, Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy, former Beach Boys sidemen Ed Carter , Bobby Figueroa, and Carl's brother-in-law Billy Hinsche, among others. Jardine now tours as the Endless Summer Band which includes his two sons, Hinsche, and several other performers including members of the pop\/rock band Tripsitter.50th AnniversaryIn December 2011, surviving members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston reunited for a new studio album and an extensive 70-plus date \"50th Anniversary Celebration\" world tour. They used musicians from both Brian Wilson's solo band and Mike Love's touring \"Beach Boys\" as sidemen. The reunited Beach Boys played to enthusiastic crowds all over the world. In 2012 Mike Love announced that he and Bruce Johnston had booked shows for their scaled down version of the Beach Boys. Wilson, Jardine, and Marks wanted to continue with the reunited line up, but for various reasons, Love did not. In 2013, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston are continuing to tour under the Beach Boys name. Brian Wilson has been in the studio, it is not known whether the sessions are for the Beach Boys, or for Brian solo material. Brian Wilson also plans to play two shows with Al Jardine and David Marks, one show in Ohio, and the other at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. A live album and\/or DVD, and a career-spanning box set entitled \"Made In California\" was released in 2013.Official site: http:\/\/www.thebeachboys.com","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/19383_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"100,000 - 200,000"}

{"key":"20372","name":"Nancy Sinatra","bio":"Nancy Sandra Sinatra Jr (born June 8, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States) is a singer and actress. She is the daughter of the legendary singer Frank Sinatra and his first wife Nancy Barbato.Her career peaked in the late 1960s with a string of pop music hits. Her best-known hit, These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - which popularized and made her synonymous with Go-Go boots - was written by Lee Hazlewood. These Boots\u2026 has been covered by many artists such as Geri Halliwell, Megadeth, Jessica Simpson, Lil' Kim, Little Birdy, Billy Ray Cyrus, Crispin Hellion Glover and KMFDM.Nancy also co-starred in a number of films, including Roger Corman's The Wild Angels with Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern, and Speedway with Elvis Presley, made guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, and starred in a number of television specials, most notable among them the 1967 Emmy Award-winning special \"Movin' with Nancy\", in which she appeared with her father and his Rat Pack pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.. In the 1970s, she slowed down her musical activity and ceased acting in order to concentrate on being a wife and mother. She returned to the studio in 1981 to record a country album with Mel Tillis called, Mel & Nancy. At the age of 54, she posed for Playboy in their May 1995 issue, released a new CD, One More Time, and made guest appearances on TV shows to promote the new material.Most Recently, the song Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (originally recorded by Cher) was used on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's hit Kill Bill.On July 28, 2006, for the film Another Gay Movie (2006), she released the song \"Another Gay Sunshine Day\" from the Another Gay Movie Soundtrack.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/20372_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"30,000 - 50,000"}

{"key":"27330","name":"Tom Jones","bio":"Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, KBE (born 7 June 1940), best known by his stage name, Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop singer particularly noted for his powerful voice. He was born in Treforest, near Pontypridd in South Wales.He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular amongst his peers at the time. He was known for his overt sexuality, before this was as common as it became in subsequent years.In 1963 he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a local beat group. Clad all in black leather, Tom soon gained a reputation in the South Wales area. The Senators were still all unheard of in London.In 1964 they laid down a few tracks with maverick Telstar producer Joe Meek, and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal. The plan was to release a single, Lonely Joe \/ I Was A Fool, but the ever-flighty Meek refused to release the tapes. The group returned to South Wales and continued to play gigs at dance halls and working mens clubs. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery, Tom was spotted by Gordon Mills, a London-based manager originally from South Wales. Mills became Tom's manager, and took the young singer to London. He also renamed him Tom Jones. The Senators became the Playboys, and later still the Squires.Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist for 1965. It's Not Unusual, after the song having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the UK charts in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the US, peaking at #10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the Parrot label and also reached #3 on Billboard's easy listening chart. Jones used this song as the theme for his late 1960s-early 1970s musical variety series This Is Tom Jones. It has since become Jones' signature song.In 1965 Tom sang the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball.Jones' recording career slumped on the pop charts during the 1970s and 80s, although he placed 16 singles on the Billboard Country Music charts between 1976 and 1985, the biggest of which was \"Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow\" (# 1 Country, # 15 pop) in 1977, and his touring continued successfully. When his son Mark became his manager in 1987, his musical style was taken in a different direction. His recording career was revived with his first major hit single in over a decade, \"A Boy From Nowhere\", taken from the musical Matador. In 1988 he collaborated with The Art of Noise to record Prince's popular song \"Kiss\". Following this, he started to record in collaboration with a younger generation of musiciansHis Reload album, released in 2000, became the biggest hit of his career. An album of cover versions recorded as duets with contemporary artists, using their record producers, and utilising their recording methods, it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. In 2002, he released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean and included the singles \"Tom Jones International\" and \"Black Betty\". In 2003, he was honored with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, his \"Sex Bomb\" single became a major club hit.On New Year's Eve 2000 President Bill Clinton invited Tom to perform at the Millennium Celebrations in Washington. Throughout 2000, Tom garnered several honours for his work, including a Brit Award for Best Male. In 2001 Tom toured throughout the Middle East and Europe. In subsequent years Tom recorded albums in collaboration with such artists as Wyclef Jean and Jools Holland.In celebration of his 65th birthday, on 28 May 2005 Tom returned to his homeland to perform a spectacular concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. This was Tom's first performance in Ponty since 1964.For his contribution to the recording industry, Tom Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Blvd.In 2005 the album Together In Concert, was recorded live with John Farnham and his band.He has collaborated with Chicane for \"Stoned in Love\", a dance track that was released 24 April 2006. It entered at number eight in the UK charts the following Sunday.In 2007, he signed to New York-based independent label S-Curve, owned by music executive Steve Greenberg. The singer was awarded an OBE in 1999 and a Knight Bachelor in the 2006 New Years Honours list for his services to music and was subsequently knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London on 29 March 2006.On 1 July 2007, Jones was one of the invited artists who performed at Wembley Stadium at the Concert for Diana, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith and British soul singer Joss Stone. He sang the British National Anthem before Ricky Hatton's fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on 8 December 2007. On 19 April 2008 he sang the Welsh National Anthem at the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight in Las Vegas.Although his manager and public relations staff have attempted to change his sex-bomb image and neutralize the knicker-throwing fans, to the delight of his audiences Jones has never felt the need to tone down his behavior in the shows. Tom Jones has remained highly respected by other singers and continues to attract audiences of all ages. As of 2008, Jones continues to tour and record. A major portion of the year he regularly performs his show at the MGM Grand hotel, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA. His show at the MGM is performed in a cabaret-style theater. Other venues on his yearly schedule include numerous shows at Atlantic City, NJ and appearances in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada. In February 2007, Jones made a long-awaited South American tour. On 17 September 2008, Jones announced the release of his retro-tinged album \"24 Hours\" on S-Curve Records, his first for 15 years in the US; notably, this is the first record in which he's had a direct song-writing input. It was produced largely by drum'n'bass stalwarts Future Cut. \"It's all very well just singing songs,\" says Jones, \"but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal. I've been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song. This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me.\"","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/27330_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"6099","name":"Connie Smith","bio":"Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador 14 August 1941, in Elkhart, Indiana) is an American country music singer. She is best known for her 1964 hit song \"Once a Day\", which spent 8 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Country music charts, the longest of any female country music artist in history. This was Smith's only single to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.In less than a year, Connie Smith moved from being a small-town Ohio housewife to country stardom with a number one single to her credit. Perhaps overly compared to and identified with Patsy Cline, Smith is still considered by many to be one of the best and most underrated vocalists in country history. Her lonely desperation came straight from the heart, also: Her father was abusive when she was a child, causing Smith to suffer a mental breakdown while she was in her teens. \"Once a Day\" launched Connie Smith straight to the top of the country music industry and, for a brief period, she was one of the top female stars of the genre during the mid 1960s. Although she never achieved the level of commercial success as some of her contemporaries, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson and Dolly Parton, she is often hailed by music critics as one of the finest voices in country music, voted in 2001 by fellow artists and members of the Country Music industry as #9 of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music of all time (CMT).Biography & career Early life & rise to fameSmith was born Constance June Meador in 1941 in Elkhart, Indiana. Although she was born in Indiana, she spent much of her early years in West Virginia and later in Ohio. Both of Smith's parents were from West Virginia. Her father was abusive when she was a child, causing Smith to suffer a mental breakdown while she was in her teens. In West Virginia, she began to start singing locally. She was soon married and became a housewife and had children. By the early 1960s, Smith had already become a married woman with a four-month old son, living in Marietta, Ohio. During this time, Smith started singing locally again and appeared on local TV shows around her hometown area. While singing near Columbus, Ohio in August 1963, she was discovered by country singer Bill Anderson after winning a talent show contest. He recognized Smith's talents and offered his help into getting Smith a recording contract, Smith accepted his offer. A few months later, she was signed onto RCA Records, where she worked with legendary RCA producer Chet Atkins. The success of \"Once a Day\" & the peak of her career in the 60sAt RCA, Smith recorded her signature song, \"Once a Day\" during one of her first sessions at the studio. The song, written by Bill Anderson took him over two years to write. He finally finished the song after hearing Smith needed songs for her recording sessions. \"Once a Day\", was released as a single in September and hit the top of the country charts, reigning as number one for eight weeks. To date, \"Once a Day\" is still the longest song in Country music history to stay at the No. 1 spot on the Country charts. The only other frmale singer who has recently came close to Smith's long-standing record was Carrie Underwood, who's 2006's \"Jesus Take the Wheel\" spent six weeks at the No. 1 spot. \"Once a Day\" is Smith's only No. 1 Country hit to date.Image:Connie Smith-Opry.jpg Connie Smith performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee in June 2004.Smith's follow-up, \"Then and Only Then,\" hit number four (even the flip side reached the Top 25), and her Top Ten streak continued until late 1968, including the big hits \"If I Talk to Him,\" \"Ain't Had No Lovin',\" and \"The Hurtin's All Over.\" Between 1965 and 1966 Smith had three No. 1 Billboard Country albums, Connie Smith, Cute 'n' Country, and Born to Sing. At this time, Smith was one of the most successful female vocalists of the genre, having the similar success Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette would later have. During this time, Smith had been twice nominated for Grammy Awards, one for \"Once a Day\" in 1965 and another for \"Ain't Had No Lovin'\" in 1967.Meanwhile, her success began to take a toll; constant appearances on the road, in films, and on The Lawrence Welk Show pushed Smith to the brink of suicide in 1968. She credits her Christian faith with saving her from killing herself. In 1969, Smith did a cover version of Marty Robbins' 1965 No. 1 hit \"Ribbon Of Darkness,\" that made it to No. 13 on the Country singles chart. That same year, she recorded a duet album with Nat Stuckey entitled Young Love. A single also called \"Young Love\", which was originally a hit for Sonny James in 1956, only made it to No. 20 for Smith. Connie and Nat also did a gospel album in 1970 called Sunday Morning With Connie and Nat \u2013 later re-released in 2001 under the title God Will.She was a top draw in country music concert venues and even branched into minor movie stardom, appearing in such films as Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966) with Ferlin Husky and Jayne Mansfield, and \"Hell's Angels on Wheels\" (1967) with Marty Robbins. Nevertheless, Smith did not give her career 100 percent like many of her contemporaries, touring considerably less, stating her main priority was being a wife and mother. Career slows down in the 1970sAfter Smith recovered from the pressure of being a female country star, she began to balance chart success with a lighter schedule. Though her country hits were rarer than in her mid-'60s heyday, she was a better performer \u2014 and person \u2014 for it. Smith still managed the Top Tens \"You and Your Sweet Love\" in 1969, \"I Never Once Stopped Loving You\" the following year, and \"Just One Time\" in 1971. Her most successful year during the '70s was 1972. She recorded three big hits: the number five \"Just What I Am,\" the number seven \"If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone),\" and the number eight \"Love Is the Look You're Looking For.\" Smith continued to cut a lot of hits by Bill Anderson, but also cut a lot by Dallas Frazier, including, \"If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)\".By 1972, Smith began to incorporate more Gospel into her act. With the help of her third husband, Evangelist Marshall Haynes, she turned her live show into a traveling gospel road show and signed with Columbia, which permitted her to record more straight gospel songs. Though the material didn't score as well on the charts as her secular singles had, she managed to stay in the Top 20 during much of the '70s. Smith recorded more Gospel albums under Columbia, including 1974's God Is Abundant, and was nominated for Grammy for Best Gospel Performance for her song, \"All the Praises\". Smith's Country career, didn't remain as successful, her hits rarely hit the Top 10. Her last Top 10 came in 1976 with \"('Til) I Kissed You\", which peaked at No. 10, the very top of the top 10.Image:Connie Smith-Newer.jpg Connie Smith later photo.When Smith was signed to Monument, she broke away from recording too much Gospel. Instead, Smith's Country music got more Pop-sounding, as Smith was keeping up with the times, during a the time when Country music was becoming more Pop-sounding. This type of sound was evident in some of her biggest hits from the late 70s, including the Top 10, \"(Till) I Kissed You\" and \"I Don't Want to Talk It Over Anymore\".After she signed with Monument in 1977, most of her singles dropped out of the Top 40. Her 1978 single \"I Just Want to Be Your Everything\" was Smith's last significant hit on the country music charts, making it to No. 14. The single was originally a hit for Barry Gibb, who formed the popular Pop group The Bee Gees. Smith's version has been said to be the only notable cover version because it sounds like the original. As for her other singles released between 1978 and 1979 (most notably, \"Smooth Sailin'\" and \"Ten Thousand and One\"), they failed to become hits, and peaked outside the Country Top 40. Although these songs were updated to fit the time period, Smith was not one hundred percent focused on touring, performing and promotiing, focusing more of her time on family and later raising her children, which is one of the reasons for why she later temporarily left the business.Smith was nominated three times for the Country Music Association \"Female Vocalist of the Year\" award and earned 10 various Grammy nominations but has won neither. Smith has also occasionally dabbled in songwriting, penning over 30 songs and earning a Broadcast Music Incorporated award for her 1967 hit \"I'll Come Running.\" Another Smith-penned hit \"You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me\" was later recorded by Reba McEntire. Later career & life todaySmith left Monument records in 1979, and officially left recording and touring for awhile for Smith to raise her children. However, in 1985, Smith returned on the Epic Records label to record one single titled, \"A Far Cry From You\", which peaked at only at No. 71. No album was ever released from the label. Smith did not release any studio albums in the 1980s.In 1992, she released her first album in many years called The Wayward Wind. The following year, Smith did a live album entitled Live In Branson, Missouri, USA. Since 1997, she has been married to 90s Neo-Traditionalist Country star Marty Stuart, 17 years her junior. Connie and Marty actually met back in the 60's when as a kid he went to see her in concert. On the way home he reportedly told his mother \"One day I'll marry her!\" The two met again while Stuart was producing Smith's 1998 comeback album, Connie Smith. Although the album didn't gain any attention, Smith co-wrote nine of the ten tracks on the album. The album was released on Stuart's label, Warner Brothers. In 2003, Connie Smith released a Christian album with Barbara Fairchild and Sharon White (from the country group The Whites) entitled Love Never Fails.In 2002, Smith was voted at No. 9 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music, one of the highest honors of her career. George Jones also credits Smith as his favorite female country music singer in his book I Lived To Tell It All.Dolly Parton has also credited Smith by once saying, \"There\u2019s only three real female singers: Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. The rest of us are only pretending.\" The quote was put on Smith's 1995 comnpilation album by RCA, The Essential Connie Smith.Most recently country singer Martina McBride recorded a cover version of Smith's signature tune \"Once a Day\" and was put in McBride's 2005 album, Timeless. Smith continues to be a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, and when not on the Opry, she does occasional dates with her husband. As a solo artist, Smith continues to tour on her own. In May 2007, she sang \"A World of Our Own\", a hit for Sonny James, at the Country Music Hall of Fame's Medallion Ceremony honoring James' induction into the Hall of Fame. In 2007, Smith joined her husband on his album, Compadres for a duet. Personal lifeSmith has been through many marriages. Now Smith is married to Stuart. Smith has five children and five grandchildren. One of children lives overseas in Norway. Smith is a devout Christian, and has made pilgrimages to Israel in the past, including one with Waylon Jennings and his wife, Country singer Jessi Colter. Awards & NominationsYear Award Program Award Result 1964 Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal, \"Once a Day\" Nominated 1964 Grammy Awards Best New Country Artist Nominated 1964 Grammy Awards Best Country & Western Single, \"Once A Day\" Nominated 1966 Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal, \"Ain't Had No Lovin'\" Nominated 1966 Grammy Awards Best Sacred Recording, \"Connie Smith Sings Great Sacred Songs\" Nominated 1967 Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal, \"Cincinnati, Ohio\" Nominated 1967 CMA Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Nominated 1969 Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal, \"Ribbon Of Darkness\" Nominated 1969 Grammy Awards Best Sacred Performance, \"Whispering Hope\" with Nat Stuckey Nominated 1970 CMA Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Nominated 1972 CMA Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Nominated 1972 Music City News Top Female Vocalist Nominated 1973 Grammy Awards Best Inspirational Performance, \"All the Praises\" Nominated 1974 Music City News Top Female Vocalist Nominated 1975 Music City News Top Female Vocalist Nominated 1975 Grammy Awards Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel), \"Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel\" Nominated 1979 Music City News Gospel Group\/Act of the Year Won DiscographyMain article: Connie Smith discography DVD Releases featuring Connie Smith1966 Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar (performs \"Once a Day\"). Time Life, 2006. See review of the movie on this URL: In the Balcony - Latest DVD Views. 1966 The Las Vegas Hillbillys (performs \"Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)\"). VCI Home Video, 2000. URL: VCI Entertainment 1967 Road to Nashville (performs \"I'll Never Get Over Loving You\", \"Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)\"). Rhino, 2000. URL:Rhino. 1967 Hell on Wheels (performs 2 songs). Rhino, 2000. References^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith at All Music ^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith biography at All Music Guide ^ Connie Smith at All Music Guide Cooper, Daniel. (1998). \"Connie Smith\". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 490-1. External linksConnie Smith at CMT.com Connie Smith at Opry.com Connie Smith at All Music Guide Connie Smith Brief Biography & Annotated discography Connie Smith at LP Discography to the left: scroll down to 'S' and to 'SMITH Connie' (this discography is quite complete w\/ original picture sleeves, chart positions and lyrics)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/6099_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"25,000 - 75,000"}

{"key":"4485","name":"The Drifters","bio":"The Drifters are a long-lived American doo wop Pop R&B band, originally formed by Clyde McPhatter (of Billy Ward & the Dominoes) in 1953 from New York City, NY, USA. There have been over 60 members since 1953. www.theofficialdrifters.com shows the current lineup and tour dates.The original DriftersAhmet Erteg\u00fcn of Atlantic Records approached Clyde McPhatter after he left The Dominoes and signed him. McPhatter first recruited several members of his former group, The Mount Lebanon Singers: William \u201cChick\u201d Anderson (tenor), David Baldwin (baritone), and James \u201cWrinkle\u201d Johnson (bass), plus David \u201cLittle Dave\u201d Baughan (tenor). This aggregation lasted for only a single session (from which \"Lucille\" was the only song released), after which Atlantic asked McPhatter to form a different group. He finally settled on Gerhart Thrasherand Andrew Thrasher on baritone and second tenor, respectively, Bill Pinkney on high tenor, Willie Ferbee as bass, and Walter Adams on guitar. This is the group on the second session, which produced the group's first major hit: \"Money Honey\".After the session, Ferbee was involved in an accident and left the group and Adams died (to be replaced by Jimmy Oliver). Ferbee was not replaced and the voice parts were shifted around: Gerhart Thrasher became first tenor, Andrew Thrasher was now the baritone, and Bill Pinkney shifted down to bass. The group released several more hits (\"Such A Night,\" \"Honey Love,\" \"Bip Bam,\" \"White Christmas,\" and \"What'cha Gonna Do\") before McPhatter was drafted in May 1954 (after which he pursued a solo career). McPhatter had demanded a large share of the group's profits, which he had been denied in The Dominoes, but, upon his departure, did not ensure that this would continue for his successor. He sold his share of the group to [bandmember from=1953 to=1956George Treadwell, manager, former jazz trumpeter, and husband of legendary singer Sarah Vaughan. As a result, the Drifters cycled through copious members, none of whom made much money. McPhatter later expressed regret at this action, recognizing that it doomed his fellow musicians to unprofitability.McPhatter was first replaced by David Baughn, who was on the group's first session. While his voice was similar to McPhatter's, his erratic behavior made him unsuitable in the eyes of Atlantic Records executives. Baughn soon left the group, and was replaced by Cleveland native Johnny Moore (of The Hornets). This lineup had a major R&B hit in 1955 with \"Adorable,\" followed by several others (\"Ruby Baby,\" \"I Got To Get Myself A Woman,\" and \"Fools Fall In Love\"). Johnny Moore was drafted in November 1957 and replaced by Bobby Hendricks (who had briefly been with The Swallows), but to no success; the group was not able to break into mainstream markets.In the mid 1950s, the Drifters began working with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, legendary songwriters, who eventually became the group's producers as well. This is widely considered the group's golden age, inaugurated by the 1956 hit \"(April, 1993)I Gotta Get Myself a Woman.\" Low salaries contributed to burnout among the members, particularly Bill Pinkney, who was fired after asking Treadwell for more money. Andrew Thrasher left as well, in protest. Pinkney formed another group, called The Flyers, with lead singer Bobby Hendricks (before he joined the Drifters to replace army-bound Johnny Moore).Bill Pinkney was replaced by Tommy Evans (who had replaced Jimmy Ricks in The Ravens). Charlie Hughes, a baritone, replaced Andrew Thrasher. By early 1958, the lineup was: Bobby Hendricks (lead tenor), Gerhart Thrasher (first tenor), Jimmy Milner (baritone), Tommy Evans (bass), and Jimmy Oliver (guitar). By May 1958, both Hendricks and Oliver had quit, returning only for a week's appearance at the Apollo Theater. During that week, one of the members got into a fight with the owner of the Apollo. That was the last straw for manager George Treadwell, who fired the entire group.Since Treadwell owned the rights to the name \"Drifters,\" and since he still had a year's worth of bookings for the Apollo, he recruited another group, The Five Crowns, featuring lead singer Ben E. King. The group changed its name to the \"Drifters\" and went out on the road to tour for almost a year, although this new group had no connection to the prior Drifters.Bill Pinkney's \"Original Drifters\"Meanwhile, Bill Pinkney and other \"fired\" Drifters once again joined with the Thrashers and David Baughan to begin touring as \"The Original Drifters\" (although their first recordings, for End in 1959, were as the \"Harmony Grits\"). Baughan left after a short time, leaving the group a trio. Bobby Lee Hollis joined in 1964 and took over the lead spot. Later that year, Andrew Thrasher was out and Jimmy Lewis was in. Bobby Hendricks returned, making the group a quintet for a short time, before Lewis left. Andrew Thrasher returned, replacing Hollis. Hollis and Baughan bounced in and out through the 1960s. By 1968, the group was Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Hollis, and Hendricks. At this point, the group split.Pinkney met with an existing group, The Tears, and recruited them as the new Original Drifters. The Tears were Benny Anderson, George Wallace, Albert Fortson, and Mark Williams. Shortly after recruiting them, they broke away from Pinkney and continued touring as the Original Drifters for over a decade (Pinkney filed suit and successfully stopped them at that time).Pinkney then brought in new members Bruce Caesar, Clarence \"Tex\" Walker, and Bruce Richardson. The lineup changed rapidly. In 1979 the group was Pinkney, Andrew Lawyer, Chuck Cockerham, Harriel Jackson, and Tony Cook. Their 1995 album Peace in the Valley, on Blackberry Records, credited vocals to Pinkney, Cockerham, Richard Knight Dunbar, Vernon Young, and Greg Johnson. They appeared on the PBS special, Doo Wop 51 with Pinkney, Dunbar, Johnson, and Bobby Hendricks. The current lineup is Pinkney, Cockerham, Dunbar, Young, and Clyde McPhatter's son, Billy McPhatter. Greg Johnson is now in Bobby Hendricks' Drifters.The second DriftersTreadwell had approached Lover Patterson, the manager of The Five Crowns. All but one member of The Five Crowns went along with the name change to become the Drifters. The new line-up consisted of: Benjamin Earl Nelson (known professionally as Ben E. King; lead tenor), Charlie Thomas (tenor), Dock Green (baritone), and Elsbeary Hobbs (bass). James \"Poppa\" Clark was the fifth member; he was not included in the new group.This new lineup released several singles that became chart hits: \"There Goes My Baby,\" the first commercial rock-and-roll recording to include a string orchestra, \"Dance With Me,\" \"This Magic Moment,\" \"Save The Last Dance For Me,\" and \"I Count The Tears.\" However, personnel changes started almost immediately. Lover Patterson (who had managed the Five Crowns and was now the Drifters' road manager) got into a fight with George Treadwell. Since Patterson had Ben E. King under personal contract, he refused to let King tour with the group. Thus, King continued to record with the group for about a year before beginning a successful solo career. New member Johnny Lee Williams did the touring (although he can be heard leading \"True Love, True Love\"). Williams was subsequently replaced by Rudy Lewis (of The Clara Ward Singers), who led the Drifters on hits such as \"Some Kind Of Wonderful,\" \"Please Stay,\" and \"Up on the Roof.\" While recording \"Please Stay,\" songwriter Burt Bacharach met Dionne Warwick, a backup singer, thus beginning a legendary partnership.Bass Elsbeary Hobbs was drafted and eventually replaced by the returning Tommy Evans (from the 1958 group). Dock Green left in 1962 and was replaced by Eugene Pearson (of The Rivileers and Cleftones). Tommy Evans left again in 1963 and was replaced by Johnny Terry. After his military service and a failed solo career, Johnny Moore returned in 1964, making the group a quintet of Moore, Charlie Thomas, Rudy Lewis, Gene Pearson, and Johnny Terry.Later that year, the group was scheduled to record \"Under the Boardwalk\" on May 21. However, Rudy Lewis died the night before the session, and Johnny Moore took over as the sole lead (he and Lewis had been alternating). Terry was replaced in 1966 by Dan Dandridge for a couple of months, then by William Brent, who had been with Johnny Moore in The Hornets in 1954. Gene Pearson was replaced by Rick Sheppard that same year. By late 1966, baritone\/bass Bill Fredricks replaced William Brent. Charlie Thomas, the group's last \"original member\" (from the day The Five Crowns had become the Drifters), left in mid-1967 and was replaced by Charles Baskerville, a former member of The Limelites. Baskerville stayed only a short time, leaving before a session (which was done as a trio). Baritone Milton Turner was added by the end of 1967. In late 1969, Milton Turner left and was replaced by another singer named Charlie Thomas (who took the nickname Don Thomas to avoid confusion with the former member). This lineup lasted only a few months. By March 1970, the Drifters had broken up. Johnny Moore and Bill Fredericks reunited in January 1971 (along with two unknown singers) to do an independently-produced session that was subsequently sold to Atlantic. \"A Rose By Any Other Name\" and \"Be My Lady\" became the Drifters' last Atlantic release.Post-Atlantic careerAfter this, the Drifters moved to [place[England and underwent the usual bewildering personnel changes. Throughout the 1970s, the only charted records for the group were on the British charts - notably \"Kissing In The Back Row Of The Movies\", \"There Goes My First Love\" and \"You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book\". Along with Moore and Fredricks, Butch Leake and former Ink Spots mamber Grant Kitchings[\/bandmember were members initially. Fredricks was replaced by Clyde Brown the next year, and Kitchings by Billy Lewis the year after. Leake was replaced by Joe Blunt in 1976, making the lineup Johnny Moore, Clyde Brown, Joe Blunt, and Billy Lewis. This year, Faye Treadwell renamed the group's management company Treadwell Drifters Inc.Moore left in 1978 and was replaced by Ray Lewis. Blunt and Billy Lewis left in 1979 and were replaced by the returning Johnny Moore and former Temptations lead Louis Price. Moore left again in late 1982, along with Clyde Brown. They were replaced by two returning members, Ben Nelson (a.k.a. Ben E. King) and Bill Fredricks.Around this time, members left and rejoined frequently. Fredricks, Lewis, and Price left in 1983 and were replaced by the returning Johnny Moore, Joe Blunt, and Clyde Brown. In 1986, the group changed all of its members and the new lineup consisted of new member Jonah Ellis and former members Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, and Louis Price. The next year, more former members came in as replacements, making the group Moore, Billy and Ray Lewis, and Gene Jenkins (replaced shortly after by George Chandler, then John Thurston). Ray Lewis was out in 1988, and was replaced by Joe Cofie. In 1989, Billy Lewis left, and replaced by the returning George Chandler, then Tony Jackson, Keith John, and finally Peter Lamarr in 1990.Thurston was out at the end of the year and was replaced by Roy Hemmings. Patrick Alan was in for Lamaar briefly. Lamaar left in 1991 and was replaced by Rohan Delano Turney. This lineup lasted until 1996, when Cofie was out and Jason Leigh was in. Leigh was replaced after two years by the returning Peter Lamarr.Tragedy struck in 1999 when the group's longest serving member, Johnny Moore, died. Patrick Alan returned to the group, keeping it a quartet. Lamarr left again in 2003, and was replaced by Victor Bynoe. Hemmings left in 2004 and was replaced by the again-returning Lamarr. The group's current lineup is Peter Lamarr, Rohan Delano Turney, Patrick Alan, and Victor Bynoe. This line up is fully endorsed by Johnny Moore's wife and in Allan, Lamarr and Turner actually contains three of the longest serving Drifters members.In 2001, Faye Treadwell left the United Kingdom, allegedly due to bankruptcy. Two members of her company, Mark Lundquist and Phil Lunderman, started a new management company, Drifters UK Limited, to run the group. Their new duties included stopping a patent by an imposter Drifters group. As of December 2006, writs have been served in the London High Court by Tina Treadwell, daughter of George and Faye, against Lundquist and Lunderman, alleging they are not the rightful controllers of The Drifters. Tina's group features Roy Hemmings and Jason Leigh. It should be noted that Hemmings remained with Lundquist and Lunderman initially, leaving three years after the formation of Drifters UK Limited. It will be interesting to see how things transpire should Treadwell win her case, since the current Drifters lineup touring the UK has built up a fan base selling out one tour after another with Johnny Moore and continuing after his death. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has inducted both 'The Original Drifters' (1998) and 'Ben E. King and The Drifters'(2000).In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Drifters #81 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.On July 4, 2007, Bill Pinkney died of a heart attack in his room at the Hilton Hotel, Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was in town to perform for the 4th of July Red, White and Boom Event.In 2009, the lineup consists of Damion Charles, Michael Williams, Steve V. King and Maurice Cannon. For tour dates and more info go to www.theofficialdrifters.com There was also a Japanese vocal group called the Drifters although the romanisation of their name (\u30b6\u30c9\u30ea\u30d5\u30bf\u30fc\u30b9)\u3000yields many variations: Doriftas, Dorifutas, Dorihutasu, etc.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/4485_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"200,000 - 50,000"}

{"key":"25696","name":"Barry Manilow","bio":"Barry Manilow (born June 17, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American pop singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as \"Could It Be Magic\", \"Mandy\", \"Can't Smile Without You\", and \"Copacabana (At the Copa).\"In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-selling charts simultaneously, a feat equaled only by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Mathis. He has recorded a string of Billboard hit singles and multi-platinum albums that have resulted in his being named Radio & Records number one Adult Contemporary artist and winning three straight American Music Awards for Favorite Pop\/Rock Male Artist. Several well-known entertainers have given Manilow their \"stamp of approval,\" including Sinatra, who was quoted in the 1970s regarding Manilow, \"He's next.\" In 1988, Bob Dylan stopped Manilow at a party, hugged him and said, \"Don't stop what you're doing, man. We're all inspired by you.\"As well as producing and arranging albums for other artists, such as Bette Midler and Dionne Warwick, Manilow has written songs for musicals, films, and commercials. From February 2005 to December 30, 2009, he was the headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton, performing hundreds of shows before ending relationship with the hotel. From March 2010, he has headlined at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/25696_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"750,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"25707","name":"Smokie","bio":"Smokie is an English pop rock band from Bradford who found success in Europe and the U.S. in the 70s. They formed in 1966 in Yorkshire, England and did some early records under the name \"Smokey\". The band broke into the mainstream after teaming up with songwriters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, artists known for also working with Pat Benatar and Sweet among others. Smokie is perhaps best known for \"Living Next Door to Alice\", one of their top hits that was a U.K. top 5 single.While touring in Ireland, the discovered the audience would cheer back \"Who the Fuck is Alice?\". As it turns out , this was a ritual at a Caf\u00e9 in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) called \"Gompie\". The group decided to \"cover\" this version with comedian Roy Chubby Brown having the honor of yelling \"Alice, Who the Fuck is Alice?\" during the chorus. Thus, Smokie holds the record as the first group to have a top ten song with the word \"fuck\" in it.http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Smokie_(band)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/25707_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"33846","name":"The Guess Who","bio":"The Guess Who is a rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba that was one of the first Canadian groups to establish a major successful following both in their own country as well as abroad. In their late 60s and early 70s heyday, the guys took influence from late period British invasion bands as well as stuck alongside them on the charts. They were notably the first Canadian rock n roll group to have a #1 hit in the United States thanks to the success of 1970's \"American Woman\".The band evolved out of \"Chad Allan and the Expressions\" (often shortened to The Expressions), which was a pop rock group with a British Invasion feel fronted by Chad Allan and featuring guitarist Randy Bachman. Both of them had great potential as singer-songwriters. After their cover of \"Shakin' All Over\" sold well as a single, their record label released the band's album with \"Guess Who?\" written on the cover, hoping to mislead unsuspecting buyers into thinking it was a British group. The name stuck, however, and from then on they were 'The Guess Who'. The Who musician Pete Townshend later jokingly said that he allowed the Canadian group to take both their style and name, calling himself a fan.Singer and keyboardist Burton Cummings joined upon Allan's departure in 1966, and the band's classic line-up was born. The guys mixed some jazz-inspired sounds such as flute and electric piano playing into their sound, and they scored hits in Canada with tracks such as \"These Eyes\", \"Undun\", and \"Laughing\". Yet it was when they turned to psychedelic-influenced rock and rock with 'American Woman' (the third album with the Bachman\/Cummings line-up) that they broke through in the U.S. The anti-war title cut (a song ironically embraced by some Americans as a patriotic anthem despite the cynical lyrics, though the band didn't complain as the record royalties came in) has received airplay on classic rock radio for years and years now. The Guess Who's success after that album came out proved to be hit and miss, however, and they would have members go in and out.After the release of 'Share the Land', their second album of 1970, Bachman left to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, leaving Cummings as the band's leader and main songwriter. Though Bachman and his band-mates had achieved huge commercial success, the singer-songwriter felt like he wanted to go off into a whole other muscial direction. Afterwards, the Guess Who experimented in various styles through the 70s, including blues, down-home bluegrass, jazz fusion, and Cummings's trademark piano-based rock ballads. The novelty pop single \"Clap for the Wolfman\", a 1974 track made for the popular DJ Wolfman Jack that the band members were fans of, ended up being the Guess Who's last chart appearance.Various combinations of former members of the band have reunited at various times since their breakup in 1975. The Guess Who's classic songs remain radio staples, even into the new millennium. Various greatest hits and multi-artist collections featuring their music have also been released.See Guess Who for the Romanian rapper Laurentiu Mocanu.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/33846_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"26660","name":"The Troggs","bio":"The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in the UK and the US. Their most famous songs include the chart-topping \"Wild Thing\", \"With a Girl Like You\", and \"Love Is All Around\". \"Wild Thing\" is ranked #257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock. Fronted until 2012 by Reg Presley (born June 12th 1941, as Reginald Maurice Ball; died 4 February 2013), The Troggs formed in the town of Andover, England. A version of the band is continuing to tour featuring original guitarist, Chris Britton, Long standing members Pete Lucas (bass), Dave Maggs (drums) & Chris Allen on lead vocalsOriginally called The Troglodytes, the Troggs formed in 1964 and were signed by the manager of The Kinks, Larry Page in 1965. They recorded on Page's Page One Records, and Page also leased them to CBS for debut single \"Lost Girl\". Their most famous hit was the single \"Wild Thing\" (written by Chip Taylor), which with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the United States in June 1966. Its combination of a simple heavy guitar riff and flirtatious lyrics helped it to quickly become a garage rock standard. It was recorded in one complete take (take two) at Olympic Studios in London, with Keith Grant engineering. Because of a dispute over US distribution rights, \"Wild Thing\" was released (along with the first album of the same name) on two labels: Fontana and Atco. The band's success in the US was also limited by not touring there until 1968.They also had a number of other hits, including \"With a Girl Like You\" (a UK number 1 in July 1966, US number 29), \"I Can't Control Myself\" (a UK number 2 in September 1966 \u2013 this was also their second and final dual-label release in the US, with Fontana retaining the rights to all subsequent releases), \"Anyway That You Want Me\" (UK number 10 in December 1966), all at Olympic Studios, \"Night of the Long Grass\" (UK number 17 in May 1967), and \"Love Is All Around\" (UK number 5 in October 1967 and US number 7 in February 1968). With chart success eluding the band, they split up in March 1969. Ronnie Bond was the first to release a solo record, with the \"Anything For You\" single in March 1969, followed in April by Reg Presley with \"Lucinda Lee\". Chris Britton released a solo album, As I Am, the same year. The band reformed later that year, with former Plastic Penny bassist Tony Murray replacing Staples, and in 1974, after a spell on Pye Records, in an attempt to re-create their 1960s successes, the Troggs re-united with Larry Page, now running Penny Farthing Records. The resulting cover version of the Beach Boys hit \"Good Vibrations\" did not capture the public's imagination. A reggae version of \"Wild Thing\" also failed to chart. The band found a sympathetic ear at French label New Rose in the 1980s, the label releasing 1982's Black Bottom LP and 1990's AU.In 1991, the Troggs recorded Athens Andover, an eleven-song collaboration between themselves and three members of R.E.M. It was recorded in the American band's hometown of Athens, Georgia, and was released in March 1992.The band attempted to capitalize on this new exposure with a couple of bizarre collaborations on new versions of \"Wild Thing\". In 1992 they teamed up with notorious drinkers Oliver Reed and Alex Higgins, with another version the following year featuring Wolf from the TV show Gladiators, which actually reached number 69 in the UK Singles Chart.The band's original drummer, Ronnie Bond, died in 1992. Dave Wright, another founding member, died on 10 October 2008.Legacy and influenceThe Troggs are widely seen as a highly influential band whose sound was one inspiration for garage rock and punk rock. For example, Iggy Pop of the Stooges has cited the Troggs as influential to their sound, and the early version of British pop-punk pioneers Buzzcocks featured I Can't Control Myself in their live repertoire. The Ramones are also amongst punk bands who cited the Troggs as an influence. The MC5 covered \"I Want You\" at their live shows and recorded the song for the album \"Kick out the Jams\", although they renamed it \"I Want You Right Now\".The Jimi Hendrix Experience famously covered \"Wild Thing\" during their appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, introducing it as the British\/American joint \"national anthem\", and climaxing with Hendrix burning his guitar.In 1990, the first hit for the band Spiritualized was a cover of \"Anyway That You Want Me\". This cover was later used in the movie Me and You and Everyone We Know.\"With a Girl Like You\" is featured uncut in a school dance scene from the 1991 Nicole Kidman\/Noah Taylor movie Flirting.In 1991, \"Love Is All Around\" was covered by R.E.M. during live performances and was released later that year as a B-side on their \"Radio Song\" single. They also performed an acoustic version of the song on MTV Unplugged.In 1994, Scottish band Wet Wet Wet's version of the song spent fifteen weeks at number one in the UK after its inclusion in Four Weddings and a Funeral.A modified version of \"Love Is All Around\" was featured in the film Love Actually (2003), performed by actor Bill Nighy.An in-studio tape of Reg Presley's running commentary on a recording session, filled with in-fighting and swearing (known as \"The Troggs Tapes\") was widely circulated in the music underground, and was included in the Archaeology box set. The in-group infighting is believed to be the inspiration for a scene in the comedy film This Is Spinal Tap where the band members are arguing. Some of this dialogue was sampled by the California punk band The Dwarves on their recording of a cover version of the Troggs song \"Strange Movies\".In January 2012, after over 40 years of touring, Reg Presley retired due to lung cancer, apparently ending the Troggs. However, the remaining members, Chris Britton (guitar), Pete Lucas (bass) and Dave Maggs (drums) are continuing the Troggs. They are joined by special guest Chris Allen on lead vocals, who has been in the Denny Laine Band, the Commitments and part time with the Animals. Reg Presley died on 4 February 2013.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/26660_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}