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America biography

America is an American folk rock musical band, composed originally of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became a musical sensation during 1972, with their main popularity during the early to mid 1970s and early 1980s. Some of the band's best known songs are "A Horse with No Name", "Sister Golden Hair" (both of which reached #1), "Ventura Highway", "Tin Man", and "Lonely People".

Although their music was derided frequently by critics, the band's singles and albums were very successful commercially. They were popular enough to attract the services of famed Beatles producer George Martin for a series of seven albums. The band survived Peek quitting near its apex long enough to see Beckley and Bunnell return the act to the top 10 as a duo with "You Can Do Magic" in 1982. Touring for almost four decades, America maintains fans and performs over 100 shows per year. On January 16, 2007, America released Here & Now, the band's first major label studio album in over twenty years.

Original members

• Gerry Beckley (born September 12, 1952 in Fort Worth, Texas) 1970-present: Lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, harmonica, lap steel guitars
• Dewey Bunnell (born January 19, 1951 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England) 1970-present: Lead and backing vocals, guitars
• Dan Peek (born November 1, 1950 in Panama City, Florida) 1970-1977: Lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass

Timeline of band

Early success (1970-1973)

Sons of American fathers and British mothers, their fathers being military personnel stationed at the United States Air Force installation at RAF West Ruislip, London, all three attended London Central High School, at Bushey Hall, about 16 miles Northwest of London, in during the mid-1960s where they met while playing in two different bands.

Peek left for the United States for an abortive attempt at college during 1969. Soon after his return to the UK the following year, the three met and began to collaborate on making music. Starting out with borrowed acoustic guitars, they developed a style which incorporated three-part vocal harmony with the style of contemporary folk-rock acts like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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