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B-52's
The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland switched from drums to lead guitar. The band also added various members for albums and live performances. The group evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture, and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response-style vocals (Schneider's often humorous sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Rick ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cindy Wilson
Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays percussion during live shows. She is the younger sister of the late guitarist Ricky Wilson (1953–1985), who was also a founding member of the band. In addition to her work with the B-52's, Wilson has released two solo EPs, ''Sunrise'' (2016) and ''Supernatural'' (2017). In late 2017, she released her debut solo album, ''Change'', via the independent label Kill Rock Stars. Biography 1957–1975: Early life Wilson was born February 28, 1957 in Athens, Georgia. She had one elder brother, Ricky. When Ricky was 19 years old, he began learning to play guitar, and invited Cindy to harmonize along with his instrumentation. 1976–1984: Career beginnings and The B-52's The B-52's were formed when Wilson, her brother Ricky, keyboardist and backing vocalist K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Schneider
Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his ''sprechgesang'', which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.Interview: Fred Schneider of the B-52's Survivingthegoldenage.com; retrieved on 2012-11-28. Early life Frederick William Schneider III was born on July 1, 1951, in , and lived in |
Rock Lobster
"Rock Lobster" is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records. The song became one of their signature tunes and launched the band's career. "Rock Lobster" was well-received by critics, and went on to place at No. 147 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in December 2004. Composition and themes The original DB Records single version has a duration of 4:37, and is faster in tempo and more "raw" than the 1979 single version, basically due to lower sound quality and the absence of a bassline. It has the same lyrics as the re-recorded version, but with more lines during the sequence that lists marine animals. The 1979 version is edited down from the album version, which lasts about seven minutes and contains an additional verse. Ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ricky Wilson (American Musician)
Ricky Helton Wilson (March 19, 1953 – October 12, 1985) was an American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52's. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52's were founded in 1976, when Ricky, Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. Wilson's unusual guitar tunings were a large contribution to the band's quirky sound. On October 12, 1985, at the age of 32, Wilson died from complications related to AIDS following the recording of the band's fourth studio album ''Bouncing Off the Satellites''. According to Strickland, the album had been completed and mixed before Wilson's death, with only the cover art not yet designed (an illustration by Kenny Scharf was ultima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kate Pierson
Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born April 27, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52's. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the B-52s, she has performed alongside Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider, Ricky Wilson, and Keith Strickland. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main keyboard player and performed on a keyboard bass during live shows and on many of the band's recordings, taking on a role usually filled by a bass guitar player, which differentiated the band from their contemporaries. This, along with Pierson's distinctive wide-ranging singing voice, remains a trademark of the B-52's' unique sound. Pierson has also collaborated with many other artists including The Ramones, Iggy Pop and R.E.M. Pierson possesses a soprano vocal range. In February 2015, Pierson released her first solo album, '' Guitars and Microphones'', featuring material co-written by Sia. She later released the non-album single ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keith Strickland
Julian Keith Strickland (born October 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the founding members of The B-52s. He was born in Athens, Georgia. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985. Strickland also plays keyboards and bass guitar on many of The B-52s recordings, and has occasionally provided backing vocals. Strickland composes the music for The B-52s. He said of the process: "Ricky and I used to write the music together, but now I write the individual instrument parts and arrange the instrumental compositions myself. I'm trying to convey a feeling when I compose. I think of my instrumentals as soundscapes – the chord progressions, rhythms, harmonics and musical direction are used to evoke various sonic atmospheres or moods." Strickland came out as gay in 1992. On December 13, 2012, Strickland retired from touring for the B-52s. Fred Schneider ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julee Cruise
Julee Ann Cruise (December 1, 1956 – June 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released four albums beginning with 1989's ''Floating into the Night''. Cruise is best known for her 1989 single "Falling"; an instrumental version was used as the theme song for the television series ''Twin Peaks'' in which she appeared in a recurring role as a roadhouse singer. She reprised the role in the 1992 movie '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me'' (which also featured her music), and in the 2017 revival series '' Twin Peaks: The Return''. She was also featured in Lynch and Badalamenti's avant-garde 1990 theater production ''Industrial Symphony No. 1,'' which was filmed and released on home media. Other notable singles included " Rockin' Back Inside My Heart" (1990) and "If I Survive" (1999) by the band Hybrid, which featured her vocals. In th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Irwin
Pat Irwin (born May 17, 1955) is an American composer and musician who was a founding member of two bands that grew out of New York City's No Wave scene in the late 1970s, the Raybeats and 8-Eyed Spy. He joined The B-52s from 1989 through 2008. He currently performs and records witSUSSwho have released several records on the indie label Northern Spy. He composed the score for the Showtime series, '' Dexter: New Blood.'' Other television scores include HBO's '' Bored to Death,'' Showtime's ''Nurse Jackie,'' and '' The Good Cop'' on Netflix. He has composed scores for many cartoons including ''Rocko's Modern Life'', ''Pepper Ann'', ''A Little Curious'', and '' Class of 3000''. Independent film credits include ''My New Gun'', '' But I'm A Cheerleader'', and ''Bam Bam and Celeste.'' Biography Pat Irwin graduated from Grinnell College in 1977. He received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for international study and moved to Paris after graduation. In Paris he attended composition work ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Gordon (musician)
Paul Christian Gordon (October 19, 1963 – February 18, 2016) was an American musician, composer, and producer. A keyboardist and guitarist, he was a member of New Radicals and the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for the B-52's from 2007 until his death in 2016. Early life Paul Christian Gordon was born on October 19, 1963, in Everett, Massachusetts, to Rev. Calvin Paul Gordon and Barbara (Landry) Gordon. In 1966, the family relocated to Newport, Rhode Island, where Rev. Gordon pastored the Evangelical Friends Church. Paul Gordon graduated from Rogers High School in 1981. Career Gordon worked with Joseph Williams, TotoNatasha Bedingfield, Goo Goo Dolls, The B-52's, Danielle Brisebois, New Radicals, Prince, Jennifer Nettles, Lisa Marie Presley, Charles & Eddie, The Devlins, Eran DD, Jeffrey Gaines, John Gregory, Nona Hendryx, Carly Hennessy, The Juliet Dagger, Jill Jones, Chaka Khan, Lila McCann, Mandy Moore, Jenni Muldaur, Trine Rein, Wild Orchid and David Yazbek. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sara Lee (musician)
Sara Lee is an English-American bassist and singer-songwriter, who came to prominence replacing Dave Allen on bass guitar in post-punk band Gang of Four, which she was a member of from 1982 to 1984. She was also a member of Robert Fripp's short-lived band The League of Gentlemen and is also notable for work with B-52s, Ani DiFranco and Indigo Girls. As of October 2021, Lee rejoined Gang of Four with founding members Hugo Burnham and Jon King as well as David Pajo, to tour in 2022. Biography Lee confirmed in an interview on Rundgrenradio.com that Sara Lee is her birth name. Born in the West Midlands of England, Lee's entire family was musical. Both parents were music teachers (her father was latterly a bass song man in the choir of York Minster), her sister a cellist, and her brother a trombone player. Music formed an important part of her childhood. She played tympani and double bass in school and local orchestras as a teenager, until the day she discovered the electric bas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Maiuri
Kenneth Maiuri is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Florence, Massachusetts. Since early 2016, he has been the keyboardist for The B-52's. He has played in numerous other bands, such as Pedro the Lion and The Mammals. He has been part of the live band for performances of numerous "Picture-Stories" created by Ben Katchor and Mark Mulcahy, including ''The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island'', ''The Friends of Dr. Rushower'', ''A Checkroom Romance'' and ''Up from the Stacks''. Maiuri also co-composed the music to Jason Mazzotta's 2015 short film ''The Century of Love, Part I''. He has appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' and ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (as a member of the Young@Heart Chorus band), ''Fresh Air'' (with Mark Mulcahy), and ''Mountain Stage'' (with Mark Mulcahy and The Mammals). Career * MediaDarlings (1989-1994) (guitar/vocals, with Cullen Faugno on bass/vocals) * Sourpuss (1994-1995) (guitar, with Alyssa Marchese on bass, Brian Marchese on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Suran
Greg Suran is the lead guitarist in the B-52s, a role he has performed since 2013. He replaced Keith Strickland on the road after Strickland announced in December 2012 that he would no longer be touring with the B-52s but would continue as a member of the band. Before that, Suran had performed and toured with Joe Walsh, Mylene Farmer, Liz Phair, Jewel, Sunny Day Real Estate, and others. He plays guitar and mandolin, and sings backing vocals. Education * Bachelor of Music, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, June 19, 1993 Career Greg Suran is a guitarist and composer from Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles. He majored in classical guitar performance while also studying composition and arranging at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, near his birthplace. Throughout his life, though, Suran had played in well-known rock bands, including Sunny Day Real Estate, The Goo Goo Dolls (2002-2007), Machines of Loving Grace, Local H, Cupcakes (a band he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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