January 26, 2015

My blog this week features the band America, performing on February 7, 1973 at the Milwaukee Auditorium.

The key players of the band are Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. They first met in London, shortly after graduating from high school in 1970.

In 1973, when I photographed them, they were at the peak of popularity. In 1972 they released "Ventura Highway" and "A Horse with No Name" .  Both of those sonegs were being played on radio a lot.

The band had a few more hits in 1974 and 1975 but then faded off the charts and Dan Peek left the band in 1977. One more return to the top happened in 1982 with "You Can Do Magic" when Dan Peek returned to the band.

I have always liked the band and I am glad to see that they are still performing. The band has a different lineup due to Dan Peek leaving to perform Christian music. He did return for a while but sadly passed away in 2011.

So, take a look at them in the good old days of the band in 1973 and have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann