George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
.
[
] His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs "
Bad to the Bone
"Bad to the Bone" is a song by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1982 on the album of the same name by EMI America Records. The song adapts the hook and lyrics of Muddy Waters' 1955 song " Mannish Boy". ...
" and "
I Drink Alone
"I Drink Alone" is a Rock and Roll, rock song by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released as a single from the 1985 album ''Maverick (George Thorogood and the Destroyers album), Maverick''. The song describes a man who, as the name of ...
".
He has also helped to popularize older songs by American icons, such as "
Move It on Over", "
Who Do You Love?", and "House Rent Blues/
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" (originally "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer") is a blues song written by Rudy Toombs and recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953. It is one of several drinking songs recorded by Milburn in the early 1950s that pla ...
".
With his band, the Delaware Destroyers, Thorogood has released over 20 albums, two of which have been
certified Platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
and six have been
certified Gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
. He has sold 15 million records worldwide. Thorogood and his band continue to tour extensively and in 2014 the band celebrated their 40th anniversary of performing.
Music career
Thorogood began his career as a solo acoustic performer in the style of
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
and
Elmore James
Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...
after being inspired in 1970 by a
John P. Hammond
John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942 in New York City) is an American singer and musician. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as John Hammond Jr.
Background
Hammond is a son of record producer and ta ...
concert.
In 1973, he formed a band, the Delaware Destroyers, with high school friend and drummer Jeff Simon.
With additional players, the Delaware Destroyers developed its sound, a mixture of
Chicago blues
Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...
and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
.
The band's first shows were in the Rathskeller bar at the
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...
and at
Deer Park Tavern
Deer Park Tavern is a historic hotel located at Newark in New Castle County, Delaware. It was built in 1851 on the land where the remains of the burned down St. Patrick's Inn had resided since 1747. It is a -story "U"-plan building with nine bays ...
, both in
Newark, Delaware
Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is home to the Uni ...
. Eventually, the band's name was shortened to the Destroyers. During this time, Thorogood supplemented his income by working as a
roadie
The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This ca ...
for
Hound Dog Taylor
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor (April 12, 1915 – December 17, 1975) was a Chicago blues guitarist and singer.
Life and career
Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1915, though some sources say 1917. He first played the piano and ...
.
Thorogood's demo ''Better Than the Rest'' was recorded in 1974, but was not released until 1979. His major recording debut came with the album ''
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware.
His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs " Bad to th ...
,'' which was released in 1977. In 1978, Thorogood released his next album with the Destroyers titled ''
Move It on Over'', which included a remake of
Hank Williams's "
Move It on Over". He followed those recordings in 1979 with "Please Set a Date" and a reworking of the
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
song "
Who Do You Love Who Do You Love? may refer to:
* ''Who Do You Love?'' (film), a 2008 film biopic of American record producer Leonard Chess
* ''Who Do You Love?'' (album), by King Adora Songs
* "Who Do You Love?" (Bo Diddley song), 1956
* "Who Do You Love" (Be ...
", both released in 1979. The band's early success contributed to the rise of folk label
Rounder Records.
During the late 1970s, Thorogood and his band were based in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. He was friends with
Jimmy Thackery
Jimmy Thackery (born May 19, 1953, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter.
Career
Thackery spent fourteen years as part of The Nighthawks, the Washington, D.C. based blues and roots rock e ...
of the Washington, D.C.-based blues band,
The Nighthawks
The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. As of 2018, The Nighthawks are Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Dan Hovey (lead guitar), Paul Pisciotta (bass guitar), and Mark Stutso (drums).
History
F ...
. While touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks were playing shows in
Georgetown at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at the
Cellar Door and the Nighthawks at Desperados. At midnight, while both bands played
Elmore James
Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...
's "
Madison Blues" in the same key, Thorogood and Thackery left their clubs, met in the middle of M Street, exchanged guitar patch cords and went on to play with the opposite band in the other club. The connection with the Nighthawks was extended further when Nighthawks bass player Jan Zukowski supported Thorogood's set with
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
and
Albert Collins
Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. ...
at the
Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, PA, on July 13, 1985.
Thorogood gained his first mainstream exposure as a support act for
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
during their 1981 U.S. tour.
He was also the featured musical guest on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' (Season 8, Episode 2) on the October 2, 1982, broadcast. During this time, Thorogood and the Destroyers became known for their rigorous touring schedule, including the "50/50" tour in 1981, on which the band toured all 50 US states in 50 days.
[7th Inning interview on WGN Radio, June 27, 2007.] After two shows in
Boulder, Colorado, Thorogood and his band flew to Hawaii for one show and then performed a show in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
the following night. The next day, Thorogood and his band met his roadies in Washington and continued the one-show-per-state tour. In addition, he played Washington, D.C. on the same day that he performed a show in Maryland, thereby playing 51 shows in 50 days.
With his contract with Rounder Records expiring, Thorogood signed with
EMI America Records
EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records, which late ...
and, in 1982, released the single "
Bad to the Bone
"Bad to the Bone" is a song by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1982 on the album of the same name by EMI America Records. The song adapts the hook and lyrics of Muddy Waters' 1955 song " Mannish Boy". ...
" and
an album of the same name that went
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
. The song became the band's most well-known song through appearances on
MTV and use in films, television and commercials. Thorogood and his band went on to have two more gold studio albums in the 1980s, ''
Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Burea ...
'' and ''
Born to Be Bad''. The former features Thorogood's only ''
Billboard''
Hot 100 hit, a remake of
Johnny Otis's "
Willie and the Hand Jive
"Willie and the Hand Jive" is a song written by Johnny Otis and originally released as a single in 1958 by Otis, reaching #9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has a Bo Diddley beat and was partly in ...
", and his concert staple "
I Drink Alone
"I Drink Alone" is a Rock and Roll, rock song by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released as a single from the 1985 album ''Maverick (George Thorogood and the Destroyers album), Maverick''. The song describes a man who, as the name of ...
".
Thorogood's popularity waned in the 1990s, although he had a No. 2 hit on the ''Billboard''
Album Rock Tracks chart in 1992 with "
Get a Haircut".
In 2012, Thorogood was named one of the "50 Most Influential Delawareans of the Past 50 Years". He released his first proper solo album in 2017 titled ''Party of One''.
On March 14, 2020, Thorogood was inducted into the Mississippi Music Project Hall of Fame in Biloxi, Mississippi and was awarded the MMP Music Award for his lifelong commitment to the music industry.
Band members
The Destroyers
*George Thorogood – lead vocals, lead guitar, slide guitar, rhythm guitar (1973–present)
*Jeff Simon – drums, percussion (1973–present)
*Billy Blough – bass guitar (1976–present)
*Jim Suhler – rhythm guitar and lead guitar (1999–present)
*Buddy Leach – saxophone, piano (2003–present)
Former members
*Michael Levine – bass (1973–1976)
*Ron "Roadblock" Smith – rhythm guitar (1974–1980)
*Hank "Hurricane" Carter – saxophone (1980–2003)
*
Ian Stewart – keyboards (1982)
*Steve Chrismar – rhythm guitar (1985–1993)
*
Waddy Wachtel
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy ...
– guitar (1997)
Timeline
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id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion
id:saxophone value:drabgreen legend:Saxophone
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bar:Leach text:Buddy Leach
bar:Carter text:Hank Carter
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Discography
Studio albums with the Destroyers
*1977: ''
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware.
His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs " Bad to th ...
''
*1978: ''
Move It on Over''
*1979: ''
Better Than the Rest'' (Recorded in 1974)
*1980: ''
More George Thorogood and the Destroyers''
*1982: ''
Bad to the Bone
"Bad to the Bone" is a song by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1982 on the album of the same name by EMI America Records. The song adapts the hook and lyrics of Muddy Waters' 1955 song " Mannish Boy". ...
''
*1985: ''
Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Burea ...
''
*1988: ''
Born to Be Bad''
*1991: ''
Boogie People''
*1993: ''
Haircut
A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming ...
''
*1997: ''
Rockin' My Life Away''
*1999: ''
Half a Boy/Half a Man''
*2003: ''
Ride 'Til I Die
''Ride 'Til I Die'' is the twelfth studio album by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released in 2003.
Track listing
# "Greedy Man" ( Eddie Shaw) – 3:21
# "American Made" (Charlie Midnight, Steve Hunter) – 4:06
# "Sweet Little Lad ...
''
*2006: ''
The Hard Stuff''
*2009: ''
The Dirty Dozen
''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy ...
''
*2011: ''
2120 South Michigan Ave.''
Solo studio album
*2017: ''Party of One''
Personal life
Thorogood has been a baseball fan
for most of his life, playing semi-pro ball as a second baseman during the 1970s (drummer Jeff Simon played center field on the same team). He took his daughter to Chicago for her first major league game (
Cubs vs.
Rockies
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
), during which he sang "
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
". In a 2011 ''
Guitar World'' interview, he stated "I'm a
Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
fan. There aren't many of us but you know, that's me."
References
External links
George Thorogood and the Destroyers official websiteReview: ''The Hard Stuff''*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorogood, George
1950 births
Living people
Lead guitarists
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
American blues harmonica players
American blues singers
American rock guitarists
American rock singers
Musicians from Wilmington, Delaware
Slide guitarists
Blues rock musicians
University of Delaware alumni
Semi-professional baseball players
EMI Records artists
Rounder Records artists
MCA Records artists
Attic Records (Canada) artists
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
Singers from Delaware
Guitarists from Delaware
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers