The B-52's

Biography

The B-52's formed on a serendipitous October night in 1976 in Athens, Georgia, following drinks and a flaming volcano cocktail at a Chinese restaurant called Hunan's. The original members—Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, and Ricky Wilson—had little to no musical experience but were driven by boredom in the sleepy college town and a desire to create their own fun. They made their live debut at a Valentine's Day party in 1977, with their quirky stage image featuring exaggerated wigs, thrift shop clothing, and go-go boots quickly capturing attention. The band's name came from a dream Keith Strickland had where someone whispered that his band was called the B-52's, though it also referenced the bomb-shaped bouffant hairdos worn by Pierson and Wilson.

Their self-titled 1979 debut album sold over 500,000 copies on the strength of dance party classics like "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls," establishing them as postpunk pioneers with their campy sensibility, taut guitar riffs, and irrepressible sense of mischief. The New York Times later noted the band was "40 percent female, 60 percent southern, 80 percent queer, 100 percent fun." Following successful albums Wild Planet (1980), Mesopotamia (1982), and Whammy! (1983), the band faced devastating tragedy when guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS in 1985 during the recording of Bouncing off the Satellites. After a three-year hiatus spent processing their grief, they returned with Cosmic Thing (1989), their greatest commercial success, reaching number three on the Billboard charts and selling over five million copies with hits like "Love Shack" and "Roam."

The B-52's musical style blended new wave with surf rock, 1950s and '60s aesthetics, and an offbeat sensibility that was unlike anything else at the time. Keith Strickland transitioned from drummer to lead guitarist, teaching himself to emulate Ricky Wilson's unique technique while incorporating drum machines into their bright, poppy 1980s sound. The band was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and continued recording through the 2000s, with their influence helping set the standard for the alternative music scene for decades.

Fun Facts

• The band nearly went by completely different names before settling on the B-52's—their first ideas included the Tina-Trons and Fellini's Children (after Italian director Federico Fellini).
• The five founding members couldn't afford food at the Chinese restaurant where they decided to form a band, so they pooled their money for a single flaming volcano cocktail instead.
• When they started jamming at their friend Owen Scott's house after the restaurant, Owen went upstairs to write a paper for his clinical psychology studies while the rest formed the B-52's in his basement.
• Keith Strickland taught himself guitar specifically to emulate and replicate Ricky Wilson's unique playing technique after Wilson's death, successfully transitioning from drummer to lead guitarist at a professional level.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• David Byrne - Produced their album Mesopotamia, helping shape their sound during their early-to-mid 1980s period (Mesopotamia (1982)) [1982]

Key Collaborators

• Rhett Davies - Co-producer who worked on their second album, helping prove their debut success was no fluke (Wild Planet (1980)) [1980]
• Don Was - Producer who guided the creation of their most commercially successful album during their comeback (Cosmic Thing (1989)) [1989]
• Nile Rodgers - Award-winning producer who worked alongside Don Was on their breakthrough comeback album (Cosmic Thing (1989)) [1989]

Artists Influenced

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono - The B-52's debut recording inspired the legendary couple to make music again after years away (Double Fantasy project) [1979-1980]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Love Shack (Cosmic Thing)
2. Rock Lobster (The B-52's)
3. Rock Lobster - Live (Live! Rock 'N' Rocket 1998)
4. Roam (Cosmic Thing)
5. Rock Lobster (B-52's)
6. Private Idaho (Wild Planet)
7. Love Shack - Edit; 2019 Remaster (Cosmic Thing (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition))
8. Love Shack - Edit
9. Planet Claire (The B-52's)
10. Dance This Mess Around (The B-52's)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia