Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

AMERICA

Folk-rock trio/duo formed in England '69. Original lineup: Gerry Beckley (b 12 September 1952, TX), Dan Peek (b 1950, FL; d 23 July 2011), Dewey Bunnell (b 19 January 1952, Yorkshire, England). All sang and played guitar. Sons of US servicemen, they attended school in London, began playing and writing together; discovered by enterpreneurs Ian Samwell and Jeff Dexter, they cut a debut LP in London; single 'A Horse With No Name' reached top 3 in UK, no. 1 USA '72. They had two more top 10 USA hits '72, and a sequence of easy-listening folk-rock LPs seven of which had titles starting with letter 'H': Hat Trick '73, Holiday '74, Hearts '75, etc, many produced by George Martin, but few big hits. Peek became a born-again Christian, left '77 for solo career; Beckley and Bunnell switched from WB to Capitol '80. 'You Can Do Magic' made USA top 10 '82; much work was written by Russ Ballard (ex-Argent). The best trio work reissued on History '75.