America, the Band: An Authorized Biography - Paperback

by Jude Warne (Author), Billy Bob Thornton (Foreword by)

As if recovering from a raucous dream of the 1960s, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek arrived on 1970s American radio with a sound that echoed disenchanted hearts of young people everywhere. The three American boys had named their band after a country they'd watched and dreamt of from their London childhood Air Force base homes. What was this country? This new band? Classic and timeless, America embodied the dreams of a nation desperate to emerge from the desert and finally give their horse a name.

Celebrating the band's fiftieth anniversary, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell share stories of growing up, growing together, and growing older. Journalist Jude Warne weaves original interviews with Beckley, Bunnell, and many others into a dynamic cultural history of America, the band, and America, the nation.

Reliving hits like "Ventura Highway," "Tin Man," and of course, "A Horse with No Name" from their 19 studio albums and incomparable live recordings, this book offers readers a new appreciation of what makes some music unforgettable and timeless. As America's music stays in rhythm with the heartbeats of its millions of fans, new fans feel the draw of a familiar emotion. They've felt it before in their hearts and thanks to America, they can now hear it, share it, and sing along.

Author Biography

Jude Warne is a music journalist with publications in The Observer, The Vinyl District, Live for Live Music, No Depression, and Film International. She has written long and short-form pieces on Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Procol Harum, the Band, the Yardbirds, among others. She has also published a six-volume YA fiction series. She lives in New York City.