Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Eagles Tribute Bands And The English Florida And California Rock Breeding Grounds

By George Fox


Formed in 1971, The Eagles are an award-winning, globally popular band formed in California. The members of the band were Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, and the late Glenn Frey. In addition to giving the world five number one singles, the band gathered numerous Grammy Awards, several American Music Awards and half a dozen number one albums. One of the most successful bands of the 1970s, it is not surprising that there are now a number of Eagles tribute bands. Among the other influential bands of the 70s are Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple, Derek and the Dominoes, and Boston.

Formed in 1968 in London, England, under the name the Yardbirds and then the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin kicked off the careers of guitar legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, all of whom are in Rolling Stone's Top 100 Guitar Players. The members of Zeppelin were Beck, Page, Chris Dreja, Keith Relf, and Jim McCarty.

Although they released only one album, Derek and the Dominoes remain one of the most influential bands of all time. The title track to the album, Layla, was based on a poem from fifth century Arabia. The song was about unrequited love and mirrored Clapton's love for the unavailable Pattie Boyd, who was then married to Clapton's friend and Beatle, George Harrison. Boyd's marriage to Harrison eventually fizzled out and she married Clapton in 1979.

The Allman Brothers formed in 1969, a product of Florida sunshine. Dubbed the fathers of Southern Rock, the band drew inspiration from elements of jazz, blues and country. Duane Allman, arguably the leader of the group, perished in a motorcycle accident in 1971. The following year, fellow band member Berry Oakley was also killed in an accident involving a motorcycle. Some friends believed that Oaklely's depression at the loss of Allman led to the crash.

Fleetwood Mac, a British-American rock group, formed in London during the year 1967. Their album, Rumours, became the eighth best-selling album of all time and sold more than 40 million copies. It spawned no fewer than four top 10 singles in the American charts.

Pink Floyd was another English rock band, having formed in London in 1965. One of their best known albums was "Dark Side of the Moon, " with the memorable track, "Careful with that Axe, Eugene." Their single, "The Wall, " formed the inspiration for a feature-length film.

British purveyors of heavy metal and hard rock, Deep Purple established themselves in 1968 in a town called Hertford. Hertfordshire County lies to the north of Greater London. The Rising Sun, a pub on the Herts and Essex border, is a haven for real ale drinkers.

Maintaining the London-California-Florida triangle of rock superstars, Lynyrd Skynyrd hail from Jacksonville. They experimented with a string of band names, including My Backyard, Noble Five and One Percent, before finally calling themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd. They are best known for their hits, "Free Bird, " and "Sweet Home Alabama."




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