The year 2015 marks the 45th Anniversary of perennial
classic-rock favorite, America. Founding members, Gerry
Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band mate
Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late 1960s
and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts
on the strength of their signature song “A Horse With No
Name”. America became a global household name and
paved the way with an impressive string of hits following
the success of their first #1 single. Forty plus years later,
these friends are still making music together, touring the
world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound.
America’s journey has found them exploring a wide
variety of musical terrain. Their best-known tunes, which
also include “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t
Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister
Golden Hair” were cornerstones of 1970’s Top 40 and FM
rock radio. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits,
listeners would discover there was always much more
to America than surface perceptions. The combination of
Gerry Beckley’s melodic pop rock and Dewey Bunnell’s
use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms
and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with
Dan Peek’s more traditional country-rock leanings and
highly personal lyrics.
America’s albums--six certified gold and/or platinum,
with their first greatest hits collection, History, hitting four
plus million in sales--displayed a fuller range of the trio’s
talents than did their singles. Their material encompassed
an ambitious artistic swath; from effects-laden rockers
to oddball medleys to soul-bearing ballads, America
displayed a flawless blend of disparate genres and
styles as wide-open as the great American plains.
Enjoying massive success early in their career,
America earned their stripes as musical soldiers on the
battlefield amidst the excess, craziness and chaos of the
70’s. The trio won the Grammy® for Best New Artist in
1972 and began working with George Martin and Geoff
Emerick in 1974. This successful team went on to record