Grammy-winning classic rock group with hits like “A Horse with No Name” and “Ventura Highway”
The year 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of perennial, classic rock favorite America. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, along with former bandmate Dan Peek, met in high school in London during the late 1960s and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts with 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 No. 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 style and highly personal lyrics.
With six certified gold and/or platinum albums and a Grammy Award, 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.
Expect rock-concert sound levels