Thursday, March 17, 2016

Eagles Tribute Bands And Other Iconic Rock Bands

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.

Known since 1968 as Led Zeppelin, the band originated in 1963 under the name, The Yardbirds. Then, it consisted of Jim McCarty, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Relf and Chris Dreja. The group also helped launch the career of the legendary guitarist, Eric Clapton. Beck, Clapton and Page are all among the top five on the Rolling Stone list of Top 100 Guitarists.

Despite releasing only a single album, Derek and the Dominoes made a huge mark in rock music history. Layla, the title track to their album, was borrowed from a fifth century Arabian poem about unrequited love. The story bore similarities with Clapton's forbidden love for Pattie Boyd, married at the time to Clapton's pal, George Harrison, a Beatle. Boyd eventually divorced Harrison and married Eric Clapton in 1979. They, too, ultimately split up.

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 got together in London in 1967. The Anglo-American male/female quartet launched an album, Rumours. The album sold more than 40,000,000 copies and went down in history as the 8th best-selling album ever. From Rumours came four singles that soared to the American Top Ten.

Another Brit invasion band was Pink Floyd, founded in 1965 London. Two tracks from their album, "Dark Side of the Moon, " were particularly memorable. These were "Careful with that Axe, Eugene, " and "The Wall." The latter track evolved into a feature-length cult movie.

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.

Like the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd hail from Florida. Formed in 1964, they went by several different names (One Percent, My Backyard, and the Noble Five) before arriving at Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band was based in Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL football team. Two of their biggest hits were Free Bird and Sweet Home Alabama. Three of the band's members perished in a plane crash at the peak of their popularity in 1977.




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