Gerry Beckley
Gerry Beckley is a gifted singer/songwriter best known as a founding member of the classic soft rock outfit America. Alongside bandmates Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, Beckley first gained recognition for such America hits as 1971's "Horse with No Name," 1972's "Ventura Highway," 1975's "Sister Golden Hair," and others. Though he and Bunnell continue to perform as America, he has also recorded under his own name since the mid-'90s, releasing such mellow, well-crafted albums as 2022's Aurora and 2024's Gerry Beckley.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1952, Beckley grew up in Virginia, the son of an American air force officer and a British mother. Interested in music from a young age, he began playing piano at age three and later added guitar. By the time he was ten, Beckley was a promising musician playing in the surf rock band the Vanguards. He had also come under the sway of the Beatles and other British Invasion-era bands as a side effect of spending his summer vacations in England.
In 1967, Beckley moved with his family to London after his father took over as commander at the United States Air Force base at West Ruislip, Middlesex. It was while attending London Central High School in Bushey, Hertfordshire, that he befriended classmates Bunnell and Peek. They quickly formed a band and began performing at a local all-ages club, playing covers by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young, and others.
The fledgling trio eventually caught the attention of local promoter Jeff Dexter and producer Ian Samwell, who recorded them and helped them get signed to Warner Bros. Released in 1971, the Samwell-produced America showcased the band's warm, harmonized vocals on a set of folky, melodic originals heralded by the Neil Young-ish leadoff single, "A Horse with No Name." A hit on both sides of the Atlantic, the single propelled the band to early success. With America, Beckley enjoyed decades of popularity, releasing over 20 albums, touring globally, and penning numerous songs that helped to define both the soft rock and adult contemporary radio formats.
Despite, or perhaps because of, his success with America, Beckley did not release any proper solo material until 1995's Van Go Gan. A cheeky conflation of the names of painters Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, the album featured Beckley backed by a bevy of longtime friends and collaborators, including Bunnell, trumpeter Mark Isham, the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit, and others. The album was followed by the companion remix album Go Man Go. Away from America, Beckley next delivered 2000's Like a Brother, his collaboration with Chicago singer/keyboardist Robert Lamm and the Beach Boys' Carl Wilson, who died from lung cancer after completing the album in 1998. The record featured a mix of originals from each member, as well as a cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without Her."
In 2006, Beckley returned with his third solo album, Horizontal Fall. A year later, he was back with Bunnell for the America album Here & Now, which featured production from Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. The compilation album Happy Hour appeared in 2009. Two years later, Beckley was back to his solo work with the studio album Unfortunate Casino. Also in 2011, he paired with Bunnell for another America album, Back Pages, which included guest appearances from Mark Knopfler and Van Dyke Parks. America's 18th studio album, Lost and Found, followed in 2013. In 2016, Beckley released his fourth full-length solo album, Carousel, featuring "No Way I'm Gonna Lose You," a collaboration with Semisonic's Dan Wilson. Three years later, he issued Five Mile Road, which featured contributions from Rusty Young and Jason Scheff.
Beckley spent the early 2020s in a reflective mood, releasing Discovering America -- a collection of demos from 1970 -- in 2020 and the compilation Keeping the Light On: The Best of Gerry Beckley in 2021. In 2022, he released Aurora, which featured Dewey Bunnell on "Tickets to the Past." Two years later, he released an eponymous album, a collection of 12 original tunes featuring the singles "Red and Blue" and "Well Worn Shoes."
© Matt Collar /TiVo
Discografía
19 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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Gerry Beckley
Rock - Editado por Blue Élan Records el 28-06-2024
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Aurora
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 01-07-2022
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Self Image
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 22-01-2021
Disponible en24-Bit/96 kHz Estéreo -
Friends Are Hard to Find
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 04-03-2022
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Aurora
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 13-05-2022
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Keeping the Light On - The Best of Gerry Beckley
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 26-03-2021
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
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The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore
Rock - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 08-03-2023
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
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Horizontal Fall
Pop - Editado por America Records el 18-04-2006
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
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Unfortunate Casino
Rock - Editado por Human Nature el 21-03-2011
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Go Man Go (The Van Go Gan Remixes)
Rock - Editado por Human Nature el 01-02-2000
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
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Well Worn Shoes
Rock - Editado por Blue Élan Records el 10-04-2024
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Tickets to the Past
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 08-04-2022
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
(I'm Your) Heart Slave
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Blue Elan Records LLC el 26-02-2021
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -