The Havalinas are an American gypsy-folk-rock band from California, formed in 1989 in

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Tim Scott McConnell Tim Scott McConnell aka Tim Scott or Footless (born March 23, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and 12-string guitarist who performs since 2007 under the artist name Ledfoot and created the music genre Gothic blues. He calls himself the ...

and Stephen Dennis Smith (

Smutty Smiff Smutty Smiff (born 5 July 1959 in East London, England), also known as Stephen Dennis Smith, is a British musician, one of the founding members of rockabilly punk band Levi and the Rockats, discovered by Leee Black Childers, tour manager of David ...

) - former bandmates in

Levi and the Rockats Levi and the Rockats are a British rockabilly revival band originally from Essex but currently based in New York City. They are recognised as one of the pioneering neo-rockabilly groups of the 1980s. History Levi & the Rockats were founded in ...

, a punk-styled rockabilly group. After four months of rehab, Smith travelled back from Arizona to find McConnell quitting the music business, making a living as a doorman and housekeeper. At first, they were playing at Smiff's home in the Fairfax district, then in a nearby Molly Malone's pub. They gained public attention for their unique sound, lyrics and anti-establishment vibes. After recruiting

Charlie Quintana Gonzalo Quintana III (January 29, 1962 – March 12, 2018), also known as Charlie Quintana or Chalo, was an American rock and punk drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band The Plugz and as the drummer for the punk rock band Soci ...

into the project, the band started to gain major label attention. They signed to

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

and released self-titled album in 1990. The band achieved success and toured with the

Beat Farmers Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby D ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

, and

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...

. The biggest recognition the band has received was in 2014 when

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

covered the song " High Hopes" on same titled album, which took number one place in 15 countries. Springsteen said that he is the biggest fan of McConnell's talent.

References

American folk musical groups {{US-folk-band-stub