Gerry Beckley
Encyclopedia
Gerald Linford "Gerry" Beckley (born September 12, 1952, in Fort Worth, Texas
) is a founding member of the band America
.
Beckley was born to an American
father, and an English mother. He began playing the piano
at the age of three and the guitar
a few years later. By 1962, Beckley was playing guitar in The Vanguards
, an instrumental surf music
band in Virginia
. He spent every summer in England
and soon discovered 'British invasion
' music.
base at West Ruislip, near London
. Gerry attended London Central High School in Bushey
, Hertfordshire
, where he played in various school bands and met his soon-to-be band members, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek
. Originally the group played on Friday nights at the local American teen club, mostly doing acoustic covers of Crosby, Stills and Nash tunes. The original drummer was a fellow classmate, Dave Atwood. America got a recording contract with the UK division of Warner Brothers Records. Beginning with their fourth album, Holiday
, they began recording under the auspices of former Beatles producer Sir George Martin. No doubt some of the inspiration for the name of their band derived from the fact that they were all Americans (although Beckley and Bunnell said it was inspired from an "Americana" jukebox on the base where they lived when they were forming the band - from PRI, Bob Edwards Weekend interview of Beckley and Bunnell, March 17, 2007) living in England. During the early days of their career, America toured with Jimi Hendrix
.
America's songs from that era continue their appeal, especially A Horse With No Name
, their debut single
which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100
chart; Sister Golden Hair
(also #1 on Billboard in 1975); Tin Man
, I Need You, Ventura Highway
, You Can Do Magic
and Daisy Jane, amongst others.
Beckley continues to write and record music both as a solo artist and with other musicians well into the first decade of the 21st century along with Bunnell. With Bunnell, Beckley continues touring worldwide as "America". In 2007, America returned to the Billboard album charts with the much heralded CD Here and Now. It contained 12 new songs and 12 live songs (their first greatest hits (History LP)).
.
Beckley has worked with a wide variety of musicians on many projects. One of the most notable is the 2001 recording Like a Brother, performed with Carl Wilson
of The Beach Boys
, and Robert Lamm
of Chicago
.
In May 2006, Beckley released another solo album Horizontal Fall which is a steady seller thanks in part to a loyal fan base and Beckley's uncanny ability to find the hook and the harmony; this denotes an amazing longevity for an artist who has had a lasting and significant influence on the music scene for 35 years.
In March 2007, Beckley appeared as a guest on the Australian musical quiz TV show Spicks and Specks on the ABC network.
On April 14, 2007, Beckley appeared as a special guest at a Ben Kweller
show at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne
, Australia
. Beckley, Kweller, and the band performed Sister Golden Hair together.
Beckley is also a member of Les Deux Love Orchestra.
for 4 years. Joe is an aspiring photographer in the Los Angeles area.
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
) is a founding member of the band America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
.
Beckley was born to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
father, and an English mother. He began playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at the age of three and the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
a few years later. By 1962, Beckley was playing guitar in The Vanguards
The Vanguards
The Vanguards were a rock band from Oslo, Norway that debuted in 1961. Although the band disbanded eight years later, members continued to reunite for appearances during the 1970s....
, an instrumental surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
band in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He spent every summer in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and soon discovered 'British invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
' music.
Start of America
In 1967, Beckley's father became the commander at the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base at West Ruislip, near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Gerry attended London Central High School in Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, where he played in various school bands and met his soon-to-be band members, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek
Dan Peek
Daniel Milton 'Dan' Peek was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell...
. Originally the group played on Friday nights at the local American teen club, mostly doing acoustic covers of Crosby, Stills and Nash tunes. The original drummer was a fellow classmate, Dave Atwood. America got a recording contract with the UK division of Warner Brothers Records. Beginning with their fourth album, Holiday
Holiday (America album)
Holiday is the fourth original studio album by American folk rock band America, released by Warner Bros. Records in June 1974 . The album was produced in London by noted Beatles producer George Martin....
, they began recording under the auspices of former Beatles producer Sir George Martin. No doubt some of the inspiration for the name of their band derived from the fact that they were all Americans (although Beckley and Bunnell said it was inspired from an "Americana" jukebox on the base where they lived when they were forming the band - from PRI, Bob Edwards Weekend interview of Beckley and Bunnell, March 17, 2007) living in England. During the early days of their career, America toured with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
America's songs from that era continue their appeal, especially A Horse With No Name
A Horse with No Name
“A Horse with No Name” is a song written by Dewey Bunnell and originally recorded by the band America. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in early 1972, topping the charts in several countries...
, their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart; Sister Golden Hair
Sister Golden Hair
"Sister Golden Hair" is a song written by Gerry Beckley and recorded by the band America for their fifth album Hearts . It was their second single to reach number one on the U.S...
(also #1 on Billboard in 1975); Tin Man
Tin Man (song)
"Tin Man" is the title of a 1974 song by the pop-rock band America. It was written by band member Dewey Bunnell and produced by the noted record producer George Martin, who also plays the piano part on the recorded version...
, I Need You, Ventura Highway
Ventura Highway
"Ventura Highway" is a popular 1972 song by the rock 'n' roll band America from its album, Homecoming.-Background:The vocalist and writer of the song Dewey Bunnell has said that the lyric "alligator lizards in the air" in the song is a reference to the shapes of clouds in the sky...
, You Can Do Magic
You Can Do Magic (song)
"You Can Do Magic" is a song by singer-songwriter Russ Ballard which was recorded as a 1982 single by folk rock duo America from their album View from the Ground....
and Daisy Jane, amongst others.
Beckley continues to write and record music both as a solo artist and with other musicians well into the first decade of the 21st century along with Bunnell. With Bunnell, Beckley continues touring worldwide as "America". In 2007, America returned to the Billboard album charts with the much heralded CD Here and Now. It contained 12 new songs and 12 live songs (their first greatest hits (History LP)).
Solo Projects
Beckley, Andrew Gold, and Timothy B. Schmidt sang as "Baldwin and the Whiffles", performing "Mr. Sandman", "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane", and "Sh-Boom", in the 1990 John Waters film Cry-BabyCry-Baby
Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Kim McGuire, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell, and...
.
Beckley has worked with a wide variety of musicians on many projects. One of the most notable is the 2001 recording Like a Brother, performed with Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, and Robert Lamm
Robert Lamm
Robert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...
of Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
.
In May 2006, Beckley released another solo album Horizontal Fall which is a steady seller thanks in part to a loyal fan base and Beckley's uncanny ability to find the hook and the harmony; this denotes an amazing longevity for an artist who has had a lasting and significant influence on the music scene for 35 years.
In March 2007, Beckley appeared as a guest on the Australian musical quiz TV show Spicks and Specks on the ABC network.
On April 14, 2007, Beckley appeared as a special guest at a Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Early life:Ben Kweller was born in San Francisco, CA in 1981. In 1982, his family relocated to Emory, Texas, where his father, Howard Kweller, became the town's first doctor. In 1986, the Kwellers moved to a much larger city,...
show at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Beckley, Kweller, and the band performed Sister Golden Hair together.
Beckley is also a member of Les Deux Love Orchestra.
Personal life
Beckley is married to wife Kathy with two sons, Matthew and Joe. Matthew is known for producing pop music and touring with Katy PerryKaty Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
for 4 years. Joe is an aspiring photographer in the Los Angeles area.
Discography
- Gerry Beckley Van Go Gan (1995)
- Gerry Beckley Go Man Go (2000)
- Beckley, Lamm & Wilson Like A Brother (2000)
- Gerry Beckley Horizontal Fall (2006)
- Gerry Beckley Happy Hour (2009)
- Gerry Beckley Unfortunate Casino (2011)
Sessions (selection)
- Mike HuggMike HuggMike Hugg is a professional musician and a founding member of the 1960s group Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
Somewhere (1972) - Dan FogelbergDan FogelbergDaniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
Souvenirs (1974) - Ricci Martin Beached (1977)
- Rick DankoRick DankoRichard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
Rick Danko (1977) - Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
Pacific Ocean Blue (1977) - Dave MasonDave MasonDavid Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
Mariposa De Oro (1978) - Jimmy WebbJimmy WebbJimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
Angel Heart (1982) - Various Artists Cry Baby – Original Soundtrack (1990)
- Modern Folk QuartetModern Folk QuartetThe Modern Folk Quartet recorded two albums of folk revival music in the early 1960s, with an emphasis on group harmonies, and have subsequently re-formed more than once and made further recordings....
Highway 70 (1995) - Various Artists For The Love Of Harry – Everybody Sings Nilsson (1995)
- Robert LammRobert LammRobert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...
In My Head (1999) - Jeff Larson Room For The Summer (2000)
- Jeffrey Foskett Twelve And Twelve (2000)
- Les Deux Love Orchestra Music From Les Deux Cafés (2001)
- Jeff Larson Fragile Sunrise (2002)
- Low Trust (2002)
- Robert LammRobert LammRobert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...
Subtlety And Passion (2003) - Jeff Larson Sepia (2004)
- Low Great Destroyer (2005)
- Les Deux Love Orchestra King Kong (2005)
- Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
a.o. One World Project (2005) - Bill MumyBill MumyCharles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
With Big Ideas (2006) - Les Deux Love Orchestra Ecstasy (2008)
- Al JardineAl JardineAlan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
A Postcard From California (2009) - Jeff Larson Heart Of The Valley (2009)
- Les Deux Love Orchestra Planet Claire 3D Maxi-Single (2009)
- Nick Vernier BandNick Vernier BandNick Vernier Band is an alias for productions by Dutch musician and record producer Eric Van Den Brink. Although a ‘one man band’ in essence, featured collaborators include Probyn Gregory, Gerry Beckley , Stephen John Kalinich, Paul Jones, Iain Matthews, Matt Malley, Emitt Rhodes, Duncan Maitland,...
SessionsNick Vernier Band Sessions (album)Nick Vernier Band’s Sessions is a collaborative album by an ensemble containing notable musicians, such as Probyn Gregory, Gerry Beckley , Matt Malley, Paul Jones, Iain Matthews, Emitt Rhodes, Pizza Delivery Boys, Janaki, The Monkees...
(2010)