Best covers of Beatles songs

Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. The band has undergone numerous personnel changes throughout its history; twenty musicians have been full-time members. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years, and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers. With the exception of a brief period, between January 1981 and summer 1983, when the band were disbanded, they have not split up. Chris Squire was the only founding member never to leave the group, until his death in June 2015.

The beginnings of Yes can be traced back to Soho, London in April 1968. It was there that singer Jon Anderson was introduced to bassist Chris Squire by Jack Barrie at La Chasse Club on Wardour Street, a few doors down from the legendary Marquee Club. The pair wrote a song together soon after meeting: "Sweetness". On 18 May 1968, Jon Anderson joined Mabel Greer's Toyshop on stage during the encore of a London gig, performing "Midnight Hour" alongside Chris Squire, singer/guitarist Clive Bayley, guitarist Peter Banks and drummer Robert Hagger. The group had been formed by Clive Bayley and Robert Hagger in summer 1967, Chris Squire and Peter Banks having joined in the winter following the break up of The Syn.

Following the 18 May gig, Peter Banks left the group to join Neat Change. Clive Bayley then switched from rhythm to lead guitarist and Jon Anderson became the group's lead singer. At the very start of June, Robert Hagger also left. Anderson, Bayley and Squire put an advertisement in the Melody Maker music magazine, which led to the recruitment of drummer Bill Bruford. He rehearsed with the group in the basement of the Lucky Horseshoe Café on Shaftesbury Avenue on 7 June and then played his first gig with them that evening.

Eight weeks of rehearsals at the Lucky Horseshoe followed. During this time, they recruited Tony Kaye as organist, making Mabel Greer's Toyshop a quintet. They played a single gig in July 1968, in Kingston, Surrey on the 20th, followed by an after-party at Bayley's parents' house nearby. Very soon after the gig, Clive Bayley left Mabel Greer's Toyshop, the group he had formed. Peter Banks re-joined as guitarist in late July.

After a few more rehearsals in the basement of the Lucky Horseshoe, the group emerged on 3 August with a new name, Yes (suggested by Banks), and played their first gig, that evening, in Essex. Well rehearsed and different, Yes began growing support around London. Before really getting off the ground, Buford left in September 1968, to go to Leeds University. He was replaced by drummer Tony O'Reilly (formerly of the Koobas), but proved unreliable due to his drinking habits. He ended up in hospital and was replaced by drummer Ian Wallace for a November gig. Wallace had previously played alongside Anderson in The Warriors. The group played a gig at Leeds University, with O'Reilly back on drums, which Buford attended with friends to show them the group he used to play in. With O'Reilly a beat behind the rest of the band, Bruford felt embarrassed and was persuaded to rejoin. He did so just in time for a big show supporting Cream at their farewell concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The group made their television debut in December 1968 (Episode dated 31 December 1968 (1968)) and their radio debut on the BBC in January 1969. By the spring, they had secured a record deal with Atlantic Records and began recording their debut album, "Yes", which opened with the Mabel Greer's Toyshop track "Beyond and Before". This was followed by their second album, "Time and a Word" in 1970, which featured an orchestra. Prior to the album's release, guitarist Peter Banks was fired after a gig at Luton in April.

In early May 1970, with new guitarist Steve Howe, the group moved to Devon to write their third album. In September, the group filmed the television special Rock of the 70s: Yes (1970) with Howe miming to Banks' parts. "The Yes Album" was recorded in London in late 1970 and released in January 1971. With new manager Brian Lane, Yes finally began finding success. "The Yes Album" made it into the UK charts and they made their USA debut tour in summer 1971. The group performed "Yours Is No Disgrace" on Episode #8.13 (1971) and Episode #1.66 (1971). After an outdoor London show in late July 1971, Tony Kaye left the group.

With new keyboard-player Rick Wakeman, the group began rehearsing their fourth album, "Fragile", in August 1971. Released in autumn, it became their first big hit record in the UK and "Roundabout" became their first big hit single in the USA. An October show was filmed for the television program Yes (1972). 1972 saw the group produce their fifth album: "Close to the Edge", which was followed by Bruford's second departure from the band, leaving this time to join King Crimson. His replacement, drummer Alan White, joined just a few days before a big American tour.

Shows from the autumn 1972 "Close to the Edge" tour were recorded and released on the successful "Yessongs" album the following year. A December London show was recorded for the concert film Yessongs (1975). 1973 also saw the group release their sixth studio album: "Tales from Topographic Oceans". Following the album's tour, Wakeman quit in spring 1974. He was replaced by Swiss Patrick Moraz for the "Relayer" album, recorded in 1974 and followed by extensive touring into 1975.

The group then took a short break, with each of its members producing solo albums between summer 1975 and spring 1976. They then embarked on a hugely successfully North American tour supported by Peter Frampton. In autumn, the group headed to Montreux, Switzerland to work on their eighth studio album. After a short time, Moraz parted ways and Rick Wakeman was brought back. "Going for the One" was completed in 1977 and featured the hit single "Wonderous Stories". The group made their first music video for "Wonderous Stories", which was aired on Episode #14.40 (1977).

In 1978, the group made their ninth studio album, "Tomato", followed by extensive touring into 1979. After aborted sessions in Paris at the end of the year, Wakeman left the group for a second time and Anderson also left. Rehearsing as a trio, Squire, Howe and White recruited singer Trevor Horn and keyboard-player Geoff Downes, who had just had a big hit as The Buggles with "Video Killed the Radio Star". The tenth studio album, "Drama" was recorded in spring 1980 and followed by American and European tours. The immense strain on Horn, in filling Anderson's shoes on stage, led to him leaving the band after touring was completed. A private meeting in January 1981 led to the decision to disband. Horn and Downes made the second Buggles album, while Howe began working with John Wetton. Wetton brought in Carl Palmer and Howe brought in Downes, resulting in the super-group Asia.

Meanwhile, Squire and White began working with Jimmy Page on the short-lived XYZ (Ex- Yes Zeppelin) project. After that fell through, the duo made the Christmas single "Run with the Fox". In January 1982, they formed a new group, Cinema, with guitar/singer Trevor Rabin. Original Yes keyboard-player Tony Kaye was brought in and work began on an album, with Trevor Horn back this time as producer rather than a band member. In summer 1983, Squire called Jon Anderson and played him some of their demos. With Anderson joining the group, making them from a quartet to a quintet, plans to name themselves Bunch of Daffs were aborted when they realized they were Yes again, with three original members.

The result was the hugely successful 1983 album "90125". The album featured the hit single "Owner of a Lonely Heart", which made it to number one in the USA chart. The Yes: Owner of a Lonely Heart (1983) music video features Eddie Jobson on keyboards. After the album's completion, Yes parted ways from the group. However, Kaye returned for the "90125" tour and Jobson was largely edited out of the video as a consequence. Kaye appears in the Yes: Leave It (1984) music video.

Touring throughout 1984 saw the group enjoying a second wave of success. The Yes: 9012 Live (1985) concert film was shot at Edmonton, Canada in September 1984. The next album, "Big Generator" wasn't finished until 1987. Touring in 1988 was followed by Anderson's second departure from the band. He went on to team up with fellow ex-Yes members to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH). Meanwhile, Squire, White, Kaye and Rabin began recording with Billy Sherwood. However, Sherwood declined the role as lead singer.

By spring 1991, Squire, Rabin, White and Kaye had joined forced with ABWH to form an eight-man Yes line-up. They released the studio album "Union" and embarked on a world tour, finishing in spring 1992. During the spring 1991 rehearsals for the tour, the group were filmed for the YesYears (1991) documentary. One by one, Bruford, Howe and Wakeman left the group, reverting back to the "90125" line-up. Early 1994 saw the release of the next studio album: "Talk". Billy Sherwood joined the group on the world tour, after which Rabin and Kaye left the group.

Wakeman and Howe returned and the part-live/part-studio albums "Keys to Ascension" and "Keys to Ascension 2" were released in 1996 and 1997 respectively. By the time volume 2 was released, Wakeman had left the group for a fourth time and Billy Sherwood became an official member of the band, recording the "Open Your Eyes" album with the band. Russian keyboard-player Igor Khoroshev was recruited for the autumn 1997 tour.

In 1999, the six-man line-up made "The Ladder", touring into the twenty-first century. An October 1999 show was filmed for the House of Yes: Live from House of Blues (2000) concert film. In the course of the year 2000, the group went from six to four members, with Sherwood and Khoroshev parting ways one by one. Rather than recruiting another keyboard player, Anderson, Squire, Howe and White made the "Magnification" album with an orchestra and White handling piano parts. On tour, Tom Brislin was brought in as keyboard player. The concert film Yes: Symphonic Live (2002) was filmed in Amsterdam in November 2001.

Wakeman joined the group for a fifth time in spring 2002 touring the world with the group until autumn 2004 when both he and Anderson left again. During those two years, numerous DVDs were made: Yesspeak (2003), Yes Acoustic (2004), Songs from Tsongas: Yes 35th Anniversary Concert (2005) and Yes: Live at Montreux 2003 (2007). After a November 2004 London gig with the line-up of Squire, Howe, White, Downes and Rabin, the group went on hiatus for three years, during which time Howe rejoined Asia alongside Downes and Squire re-formed The Syn with White. Plans for a 2008 fortieth anniversary tour with Anderson were canceled due to Anderson's health. Wakeman had suggested his eldest son Oliver Wakeman as keyboard-player.

Tired of waiting for Anderson, the trio of Howe, Squire and White, along with Oliver Wakeman and new singer Benoît David began touring America in autumn 2008. The "In the Present" touring cycle continued to spring 2011, recording a live album in France in December 2009, which was released two years later along with an accompanying DVD documentary: Yes: In the Present - Live from Lyon (2011). This line-up had entered the studio with Trevor Horn in autumn 2010 and worked on a "Drama"-era song called "Fly from Here". In January 2011, Downes was brought in to play keyboards on the track, re-forming the "Drama" line-up. Subsequently, Downes played on the whole album and Oliver Wakeman was asked to leave following his touring commitments with the group.

Partway through the "Fly From Here" tour, Benoît David left the group having experienced health issues from singing live. He was replaced by Jon Davison. The Davison, Squire, Howe, White, Downes line-up entered the studio in 2014 to make the "Heaven and Earth" album. Throughout 2014 and 2015, the group played four 1970s albums in their entirety live on tour, releasing two live concert album-video sets: Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome (2014) (featuring "Going for the One" and "The Yes Album") and Like It Is: Yes at Mesa Arts Centre (2015) (featuring "Close to the Edge" and "Fragile"). Sadly, Squire died from leukemia in June 2015. Whilst ill, Squire had suggested multi-instrumentalist and former Yes member Billy Sherwood as his replacement. This line-up continuing playing original albums in their entirety with "Drama" and "Tales from Topographic Oceans". In 2016, White had to temporarily leave the group for health reasons and was temporarily replaced by Jay Schellen. Both Schellen and White appear on 2017's "Topographic Drama" live album. A six-man line-up toured America in summer 2017, with Howe's eldest son Dylan Howe drumming alongside White to create a richer drum sound whilst White continued to recover from back surgery.

In April 2017, the "Union" line-up of Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White and Rabin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2017). Squire was represented by widow Scotland Squire and their daughter Xilan. Kaye was not represented. The other six members attended, all except for Bruford performed live together.

The line-up of Davison, Sherwood, Howe, White and Downes celebrated the group's fiftieth anniversary in 2018 with original keyboard-player Tony Kaye as special guest and Jay Schellen sharing drumming duties to White not being fully recovered. During the world tour, former members Bill Bruford, Patrick Moraz, Trevor Horn and Tom Brislin all reunited with the group on stage, all performed except Bruford; having retired as a musician some years before, he introduced the group at their London Palladium concert. Concert footage and interviews were filmed during the fiftieth anniversary tour for the documentary Yes 50: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (2018).

Joe Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Across the Universe (2007), The Bodyguard (1992) and Layer Cake (2004). He was married to Pam Baker. He died on 22 December 2014 in Crawford, Colorado, USA.

One of the most prolific and iconic guitarists of the second half of the 20th Century, Jerome John Garcia was born in San Francisco, California, USA on August 1st 1942. Garcia, whose mother was a registered nurse and whose father, Jose, was a small time jazz musician, had a troubled childhood. At the age of 4, he lost the middle finger of his right hand in a woodcutting accident with older brother, Tiff, who cut it off by mistake and, a year later, tragedy struck again when he watched his father drown in a river during a fishing accident. Jerry spent a lot of his youth with his grandparents as well as suffering from bouts of asthma that at times left him bedridden. He was a well read teenager and showed a talent for Art which would become a lifelong interest for him. He listened to a lot of jazz and country music on the radio and then fell in love with the sounds of rock and roll when it began to cause a stir in the mid-1950s. In 1957, at the age of 15, he got his first guitar and began to learn the basics so he could play along with the rock and roll hits of the time, his then favorite guitarist was Chuck Berry. After high school, he drifted for a while and, after getting into a few scrapes, he went and joined the army, but it didn't suit him and, after collecting 8 AWOLs and a number of other courts-martial, he was discharged. Whilst in the army, he began playing acoustic guitar and learning the craft of finger picking and folk style guitar. Upon leaving the army in 1960, he returned home and carried on with his art studies by taking lessons at college. During this period, he got into the then growing beat and coffeehouse scene which introduced him to many other like minded artistic drop outs including a young poet named Robert Hunter, who would later become his songwriter partner. He studied and practiced guitar nearly ever waking hour and, a year or so later, he picked up 5-string Banjo and began to learn the art of Bluegrass music. Between 1960 and 1964, Garcia played in many different folk and bluegrass acts in which he played Banjo or Acoustic Guitar. He was by now a very serious musician and spending a lot of his time playing and practicing with whoever was around at that time. He could also play a little fiddle, bass and mandolin and sometimes all within the same gig.

In 1965, he formed an electric blues-rock band called the "Warlocks", with himself as the lead guitarist. A few months later, they changed their name to the "Grateful Dead". The original line-up was Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan (Pigpen) and Bill Kreutzmann. They soon gained a reputation for playing long improvised jazz inspired folk-rock music and became one of the most popular live bands around. Garcia became the main songwriter within the group as his partnership with 'Robert Hunter (V)_ matured over time and he led them through many musical changes throughout their long career. Over the next 30 years, the Dead went through many musical and personal changes but they grew in popularity and became the most popular live band in history, playing in some of the most legendary concerts of all time including Monterey Pop (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Watkins Glen (1973).

They averaged around 80 concerts a year and had an incredible loyal fan base known as Deadheads. Despite being well known for their live shows, they were also a sublime band in the studio which is often overlooked because of their lack of hit singles; in fact, their only hit single was "Touch of Grey" from the "In the Dark" album in 1987, a full 22 years after they formed! The band recorded 13 studio albums - Grateful Dead (1967), the semi-live Anthem of the Sun (1968), Aoxomoxoa (1969), Workingmans Dead (1970), American Beauty (1970), Wake of the Flood (1973), From the Mars Hotel (1974), Blues for Allah (1975), Terrapin Station (1977), Shakedown Steet (1978), Go to Heaven (1980), In the Dark (1987) and Built to Last (1989). Their albums and original songs ranged from straight ahead rock and pop influences to blues, folk, jazz, country, electronic and progressive experimentation. They also released many live albums, most notably Live Dead (1969), Europe72 (1972), Reckoning and Deadset (1981) and Without A Net (1990). Garcia had a deep interest in film going back to his childhood. He briefly studied film making at college in the early 60s. His first work of note in feature films came in 1970 when he worked on the soundtrack for the movie Zabriskie Point (1970), where he performed the improvised instrumental guitar piece known in the movie as "Love Scene". In 1974, he began a film project that lasted a number of years. Mixing animation and real concert footage The Grateful Dead (1977) was co-directed by Garcia. Other concert and semi concert videos followed with Dead Ahead (1981) and So Far (1987). He also performed a small part in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), where he provided the brief Banjo playing in a few short scenes.

Despite being consumed with 30 years with the "Grateful Dead", Jerry also found time to have a whole musical career away from the dead. He began playing in jam sessions and doing session work with other artists in the late 60s. He began playing pedal steel guitar and formed the country-rock group the "New Riders of the Purple Sage" with John Dawson in 1969. He released his first of 5 solo albums - Garcia (1972) in which he played every instrument except drums. Compliments of Garcia (1974), Reflections (1976), Cats Under the Stars (1978) and Run for the Roses (1982). His band, The Jerry Garcia Band, was formed in the early 70s and it gave him a chance to perform many other songs and styles of music outside of the Dead. The band went through many personal changes and name changes during its time but it allowed him to play any type of music he liked, and he did. He covered jazz, blues, Motown, R&B, gospel, pop, reggae, swing, ballads, Dylan covers and was equally at home playing any of them. In 1973, he formed a bluegrass band called "Old and In the Way" in which he played Banjo, it was a short-lived group but the record that was later released went on to become the biggest selling bluegrass album of all time.

The Dead and the scene they came out of was legendary for drug taking and Jerry was no exception and, by mid 70s, he had gotten into hard drugs, including cocaine and heroin. By the mid 1980s, it had slowed down his creative process and he was by now a very heavy user and suffering many health problem which all came to a head in 1986, when he went into a coma and nearly died, spending some considerable time in hospital recovering. But it didn't stop him from his continued musical quest and, after his recovery, he returned to touring and recording with the Dead and his own versions of the Jerry Garcia Band. In 1990, he reconnected with old friend and former "Old and In the Way" band mate David Grisman. Grisman was by now a musical giant and one of the greatest Mandolin players of all time. They formed an easy going relaxed acoustic double act which involved a few gigs and many hours worth of sessions at Grisman's home recording studio. Garcia/Grisman was released in 1990 then followed Not for Kids Only (1992) and, since then, 4 more studio albums of the recordings have been released - Shady Grove, The Pizza Tapes (with Tony Rice), So What and Been All Around This World as well as the movie Grateful Dawg (2000) which pays tribute to the musical friendship they shared. They played all different styles of music and the period probably represents Garcia's best work as an acoustic guitarist.

Garcia continued touring with the Dead, his own band and recording with Grisman and others on session work right up till 1995 when he again tried to tackle his drug addiction and his overall health problems which included breathing troubles caused by years of heavy smoking and his love for junk food and lack of exercise meant he spent the last number of years of his life vastly overweight. He entered the Serenity Knolls treatment center in Marin County, California in an attempt to clean up and get healthy. In the early hours of August 9 1995, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. He was 52 years old.

As well as all his Grateful Dead and solo Band work, he also clocked up a lot of studio time with other recording artists and he played on over 50 studio albums by other artists including the likes of the Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Tom Fogerty, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, David Bromberg, Robert Hunter, Peter Rowan, Warren Zevon, Country Joe McDonald, Ken Nordine, Ornette Coleman, Bruce Hornsby and Bob Dylan and many more.

Often given the clichéd title by the media of being the smiling easy going hippie who never sold out or let us forget the 60s and what it stood for. It should be remembered that Garcia was a talented and dedicated musician capable of playing not only guitar but piano, bass, banjo and pedal steel guitar all to a very high standard as well as being an underrated songwriter. It will be his guitar playing that he will be most remembered for as he was a brilliant guitarist capable of playing any genre or style of music in any setting with anybody and either electric or acoustic. He was a rare genius.

The Pretenders are an English-American rock band formed in Hereford, England, in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion). Following the drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott and Farndon, the band has experienced numerous subsequent personnel changes, with Hynde as the only consistent member, and Chambers returning after an absence of several years.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Dallas, Texas. He was the main guitarist and frontman for the musical trio "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" from 1978 to his death in 1990. Vaughan and his band-mates specialized in blues rock, and Vaughan was a key figure in the blues revival of the 1980s. He was killed in an accidental helicopter crash at the age of 35. His recordings continued to sell well following his death, and he has been cited as an influence on musicians of the blues, rock, and alternative genres.

In 1954, Vaughan was born in Dallas Texas. His father was Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" Vaughan (1921-1986), a World War II veteran who had served in the United States Navy. Vaughan's paternal grandparents were the sharecroppers Thomas Lee Vaughan (died in 1928) and Laura Belle LaRue. Laura was an amateur pianist and singer.

Vaughan reportedly had a difficult childhood. Big Jim (his father) struggled with alcohol abuse and had a violent temper. He was physically abusive with both his family and his friends. Vaughan idolized his own older brother, the aspiring musician Jimmie Vaughan (1951-). Vaughan wanted to become a musician as well, and unsuccessfully attempted to use the drums and the saxophone at an early age.

In 1961, Vaughan received a toy guitar as a gift. The guitar was a Western-themed "Wyatt Earp" model, a type produced by Jefferson Manufacturing from 1959 to 1968. Vaughan learned how to use the guitar by ear, and practiced on playing tunes by the Nightcaps. The Nightcaps (his favorite band) were a Dallas-based blues band. Vaughan would later study the music recordings of the guitarists Albert King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, and Kenny Burrell. He tried to emulate their playing-style, in order to improve his own guitar skills.

In 1963, Vaughan received a hand-me-down electric guitar from his brother Jimmie. It was a Gibson ES-125T, a model popular from 1941 to 1970. In 1965, Vaughan joined the Chantones, his first band. They participated in a talent show, but were unable to perform a Jimmy Reed song in its entirety. Vaughan was disappointed and quit the band.

During his early teen years, Vaughan performed professionally at local bars and clubs. He performed with a local band, the Brooklyn Underground. He met with the disapproval of both his parents, and he was increasingly miserable in his home life. In 1969, Vaughan auditioned for a position in the pop rock band Southern Distributor. He was hired after impressing the band-mates with a perfect rendition of the song "Jeff's Boogie" by the the Yardbirds. However, his fascination with the blues met with the band's disapproval, as they believed that nobody could make a living by playing the blues. The band soon disbanded.

Later in 1969, Vaughan had a jam session with the experienced bass guitarist Tommy Shannon (1946-). They liked each other's style, and would on occasion perform together over the following years. In February 1970, Vaughan became the main guitarist of the band Liberation. The group's original guitarist, Scott Phares, stepped down from that role. He believed that Vaughan outclassed him in guitar performances. Later in 1970, the band performed with another new Texas-based band, called ZZ Top (1969-).

In September 1970, Vaughan recorded two songs with the band Cast of Thousands. The songs were intended for a compilation album, and were the first studio recordings in Vaughan's career. In January 1971, Vaughan quit the band Liberation in order to form his own band. He called the new band Blackbird. At that point, Vaughan decided to drop out of high school and move to Austin, Texas with his band-mates. Austin reputedly had more liberal and tolerant audiences than Dallas, and Vaughan was frustrated with the conservative culture of Dallas.

In Austin, Vaughan took residence in the blues club Rolling Hills Club. He and Blackbird opened shows for bands such as Sugarloaf, Wishbone Ash, and Zephyr. Success eluded them, and the band had a frequent changes in its membership. Vaughan himself quit the band in December 1972. He served for 3 months as a new member of the band Krackerjack.

In March 1973, Vaughan joined the band Nightcrawlers. The band included a number of his old acquaintances as members. They recorded an album at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, but it was rejected by a record company. The album included Vaughan's first songwriting efforts, "Dirty Pool" and "Crawlin". Later that year, the band signed a contract with music impresario Bill Ham (1937 -2016). Ham arranged gigs for them across the Southern United States, but was disappointed at the lack of audience interest in their performances. Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi, and later wanted the members to reimburse for his expenses.

In 1975, Vaughan joined the band "Paul Ray and the Cobras". He started giving weekly performances at Austin clubs. In late 1976, Vaughan and his new band recorded their first single. It was released in February 1977, to positive reviews by the local music press. The band topped a poll by the counterculture newspaper "Austin Sun" (1974-1978), voted by the readers as the band of the year. Vaughan went on a tour with the band.

In the autumn of 1977, Vaughan was disappointed to learn that the Cobras planned to change their music style and to strive for a "mainstream" musical direction. He soon quit the band, and formed the new band Triple Threat Revue. In January 1978, the new band recorded four songs. These were their only audio recordings, as they disbanded for unknown reasons. Vaughan had written the lyrics to one of their songs.

In May 1978, Vaughan co-founded the band Double Trouble with the singer Lou Ann Barton (1954-) and the drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden. They named themselves after the title of a song by Otis Rush. Walden quit the band in July, and was briefly replaced by Jack Moore. Moore himself quit the band by early September, replaced by Chris Layton (1955-). Vaughan and Layton would continue performing together until 1990.

Vaughan's personal life underwent changes in the summer of 1978. He first met and befriended Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. The two soon started a romantic relationship to each other. They were married in December 1979, at Vaughan's insistence. The marriage lasted until 1988, ending in a divorce. Lenny was Vaughan's only wife, and his longest-lasting romantic relationship.

In October 1978, Vaughan and his band became resident performers at the Rome Inn, at the time one of the most popular music venues in Austin. In November 1979, Vaughan himself signed a management contract with Chesley Millikin. Millikin was the manager of Manor Downs, a horse racetrack which was also used as a music venue. In October 1980, Tommy Shannon applied for a position with the band. Vaughan thought about it, and recruited him in early 1981. Vaughan and Shannon would continue performing together until 1990.

In July 1982, Vaughan and his band were booked for the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They were booed by part of the audience, leaving Vaughan depressed. However, the performance impressed some music lovers. The band was soon booked for a performance at the lounge of the Montreux Casino, and were offered use of Jackson Browne's personal recording studio in downtown Los Angeles. They took the offer and recorded ten songs in two days.

While staying in Los Angeles, Vaughan was approached by famous musician David Bowie (1976-2016). They had met in Montreux, and Vaughan had made a favorable impression. Bowie wanted Vaughan to perform as a guitarist in his next studio album, "Let's Dance". Vaughan accepted. In January 1983, Vaughan performed on six of the album's eight songs. One of them was a new rendition of "China Girl", which Bowie had co-written in 1977. The album was released in April 1983, to massive commercial success. It became Bowie's best-selling album, and EMI's fastest-selling record since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967).

In March 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble signed a contract with Epic Records (1953-). The company was a music subsidiary of CBS Records. It became a leading record label of the 1980s, after signing contracts with such music stars of the era as Michael Jackson and Gloria Estefan. The company financed Double Trouble's music video "Love Struck Baby", a first for the band.

In April 1983, Vaughan initially agreed to perform with David Bowie in the concert tour Serious Moonlight Tour. Vaughan quit the tour days before its opening date in May 1983, due to the failure of contract re-negotiations for his performance fee. Although he was mildly disappointed at the lack of an agreement, the publicity generated by his resignation boosted Vaughan's fame. In early May 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble opened a New York City show for Bryan Adams (1959-). At the time, the music press commented that Vaughan was more impressive than Adams.

Vaughan released his debut studio album in June 1983, "Texas Flood". The album peaked at 38th place on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release, despite part of the press complaining about Vaughan's supposed lack of originality. Two of its songs were nominated for Grammy Awards. On June 16, Vaughan gave a performance at Tango nightclub in Dallas, in order to celebrate the album's release. About 700 people attended the performance, including radio station personalities and executives from New York City. Based on the album's success Double Trouble were booked as the opening act for a two-months tour with The Moody Blues, receiving 5,000 dollars for each performance. For the first time, the band was performing in crowded coliseums.

In January 1984, Vaughan and his band recorded their second album, "Couldn't Stand the Weather". They were joined by several other musicians for the recordings, including Jimmie Vaughan. The album was released in May 1984, and quickly outsold its predecessor. It peaked at number 31, and spent 38 weeks on the charts. The album confirmed that Vaughan's acclaimed debut was no fluke, and Vaughan was considered a leader in the then-ongoing commercial revival of the blues genre. Having played blues for most of his life, Vaughan had no real need to change his style.

In October 1984, Vaughan headlined a performance at Carnegie Hall. His concert included several guest musicians, with vocalist Angela Strehli (1945-) performing with them. They performed in front of an audience of 2,200 people, including Vaughan's wife and his family. The performance was recorded and later released as an official live LP. In late 1984, the band toured Australia and New Zealand. In November 1984, they played two successful concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Vaughan took a short vacation in December, and toured Japan in January 1985.

In March 1985, Vaughan and his band started recording their third album, "Soul to Soul". Vaughan had trouble with their recording sessions. He suffered from a lack of inspiration, and he had trouble concentrating due to an excessive use of alcohol and other drugs. In April 1985, Vaughan performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the Houston Astrodome. He was barely lucid at the time. His performance was booed by the audience, and the music press noted that nobody had asked Vaughan for his autograph.

"Soul to Soul" was released in September 1985, to great commercial success. It peaked at 34th place on the Billboard 200, and remained in the charts through mid-1986. However, it did not match the sales of their previous album. The press commented that Vaughan was running out of gas. Vaughan himself commented in an interview about the troubled production of the album, though he felt that his band still managed to stay strong.

In 1985 and 1986, Vaughan and his band spend nearly 10th months in constant touring. They did not have time for recording sessions. Epic Records eventually notified them that they were under contractual obligation to record a 4th album. Vaughan decided to record the new LP ( "Live Alive") during three live appearances in Austin and Dallas. They used recordings of their concerts to assemble the LP, with Vaughan himself serving as the producer. What they recorded, however, were "chaotic jams with no control".

"Live Alive" was released in November 1986. It peaked at the 52nd place at the Billboard 200. Music critics complained about Vaughan's "uneven playing" in these recordings. Vaughan later commented in an interview that he was in a bad shape at the time, and that the recordings sounded like "the work of half-dead people".

Back in September 1986, Vaughan collapsed after a performance in Germany. He was suffering from near-fatal dehydration, and required medical treatment. The experience convinced Vaughan to quit drugs, and to seek rehabilitation. He spend months in three different rehab clinics, located in London, Atlanta, and Austin. He was released in November 1986, and required positive reassurance to start performing again. He started a new tour on November 23.

In January 1987, Vaughan filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny. The legal proceedings restricted him from taking part in new music projects. He could not write or and record songs for almost two years. His band-mates composed the new song "Crossfire" without him. Vaughan was ,however, able to appear with them in concerts. Vaughan toured Europe with the band in 1988, ending his concert appearances in Finland.

In 1988, Vaughan's divorce was finalized. He and his band started recording their fourth and final studio album, "In Step". Vaughan wrote songs about addiction and redemption, and the album's liner notes contained references to the twelve-step program proposed by the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The album was released in June 1989. It peaked at 33rd on the Billboard 200, spending 47 weeks on the chart. Critics took note of songs with "startling emotional honesty", remarking that Vaughan's songwriting ability had improved.

On August 27, 1990, Vaughan performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, located in the Alpine Valley Resort of East Troy, Wisconsin. He was performing with members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage. Vaughan departed the music venue with a Bell 206B helicopter, as the only road in and out of the area was nearly inaccessible due to heavy traffic. The helicopter crashed into a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff. Vaughan was killed, along with the pilot and three other passengers. Vaughan was only 35-years-old at the time of his death.

At the time of the accident, there were foggy conditions in the area, resulting in low visibility for the pilot. A later investigation determined that the pilot was qualified to fly by instruments in a fixed-wing aircraft, but had no such qualifications for flying a helicopter. Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas, with his funeral attended by 3,000 mourners. In 1993, a memorial statue of Vaughan was unveiled in Austin.

U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late 1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and actions. The band's lead singer, Bono, has become quite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The band consists of Bono, lead singer and songwriter; The Edge, lead guitar, keyboards, vocals; Adam Clayton, bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr., drums. Their manager is Paul McGuinness (1978-2013).

The band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976. The three members who strongly identified themselves as Christians (all except Clayton) decided to pursue and promote the band's career in a manner that would be consistent with their religious beliefs, which are heavy on social action. Theology professor Eugene Peterson says the band has "little patience with media-driven aspects of the Christian religion and a church and culture that shows little concern for justice and poverty and sickness".

The band's popular 1983 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" commemorated the slaughter of innocent civilians during the Irish troubles. It called for a renunciation of violence, a sentiment that resonated greatly with the people of Ireland. Throughout the 1980s, the band used this song to campaign against the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) efforts to raise money to fuel continued armed conflict. The IRA sent a threat to U2 that if they continued their campaign, they would be kidnapped. The band continued anyway. The band's 1984 album "Unforgettable Fire" was named after paintings made by the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs. The album's songs "Pride" and "MLK" were both tributes to the modern-day leader they most admire, Martin Luther King. Another song, "Bad", was about heroin addiction, which was a serious problem in their hometown of Dublin at that time.

U2 were major participants in the historic and seminal "Live Aid" concert of 1985, which raised funds for relief from a severe drought in Ethiopia. The band was seen by many of the 1.5 billion people who viewed the concert on live television, and Bono's unscripted leap into the crowd captured the imagination of all. The more than 75 performing groups raised some $250 million for the charity. In the months following the concert, U2's record sales skyrocketed and have never come back down. In 1986, the band headlined a promotional tour to support Amnesty International, and the effort reportedly tripled the organization's membership.

In the 1990s, the band's music and concerts mocked the excesses of commercialism. Some critics failed to understand that Bono's exaggerated on-stage personas during the "Zoo TV" tour were parodies, and thus concluded that the band had given in to what they in fact were criticizing. In the early 2000s, U2 shifted from stadium extravaganzas to performing in smaller arenas where they were closer to their audiences. In 2004, the band teamed up with iPod for an innovative promotional campaign.

U2 continues their work for charity and social action. They promoted the Northern Ireland Peace Accords, raised money for the survivors of the Omagh bombing, played in devastated Sarajevo following the war there, helped bolster the shaky economy of New York City by playing there following the September 11 terrorist attacks, participated in the Live 8 series of concerts to relieve Third World debt, and continue to promote the Make Poverty History campaign. Bono has become prominent in efforts to end poverty and seek relief from AIDS and promote trade for Africa. He has become quite celebrated for these efforts apart from his music and he often finds himself publicly hobnobbing with presidents and finance ministers to promote these charitable ends.

U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. By that year, they had won 22 Grammy awards, a historic record surpassed only by Stevie Wonder.

Gregg LeNoir Allman was NOT primarily known for being an actor, he was a musician, songwriter and singer that formed the Allman Brothers Band with his brother Duane in 1969. His music appeared in the movie soundtracks of films such as Walking Tall (2004) and Jack Reacher (2012) and in the television drama miniseries The Crowded Room (2023) and True Detective (2014).

Richie Havens was born on 21 January 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Green Lantern (2011), I'm Not There (2007) and Collateral (2004). He was married to Nancy. He died on 22 April 2013 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" since they were formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including over 70 million records in the United States alone. With 25 gold albums, 18 platinum albums, and 12 multi-platinum albums, they hold the record for the most total certifications by an American band and are tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band.

Badfinger is known for Boss Level (2020), The Departed (2006) and Now and Then (1995).

June Millington is known for Sugar! (2016), The Heretics (2009) and Fanny: The Right to Rock (2021).

Lake Street Dive is known for Joe Zimmerman: Cult Classic (2023), Conan (2010) and Sidewalk Sessions (2013).

Wilson Pickett was born on 18 March 1941 in Prattville, Alabama, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for The Commitments (1991), Road House (1989) and Forrest Gump (1994). He was married to Bonnie Covington. He died on 19 January 2006 in Reston, Virginia, USA.

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and social worker, and John L. Nelson, a lyricist and pianist. His father's stage name was "Prince Rogers". His parents were both from African-American families from Louisiana. They separated during his youth, which lead him to move back and forth. Prince had a troubled relationship with his step-father which lead him to run away from home. Prince was adopted by a family called the Andersons. Prince soon after became friends with the Anderson's son, Andre Anderson (Cymone) together along with Charles Smith they joined a band called Grand Central. The band later renamed themselves Champagne and were a fairly successful live band, however soon diminished.

Prince at the age of eighteen started working on high-quality demo tracks with Chris Moon. With these demo tracks Prince eventually ended up signing a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records and was the youngest producer associated with the label. Prince made his debut on the record label with his 1978 album, For You. It wasn't a strong successful album, however it was fair for a beginning artist and ranked 163 on the U.S. Pop Charts. Prince's next releases would tend to do much better on the charts with his singles, "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and I Wanna Be Your Lover in 1979. This would start to introduce Prince as a person who presented sexually explicit material into the music industry. However Prince didn't begin to attract mainstream artists until he release his single, 1999. This single began to be noticed by M.T.V. viewers and this would make him a part of the main-stream music media. Prince released two more singles called Little Red Corvette and Delirious. The album featured Prince's new band, The Revolution. In 1984 Prince would release what would be seen as an admired and profound masterpiece the feature film/sound-track album, Purple Rain in 1984. Prince's father contributed to this album, by cowriting the chord sequence for a couple of his songs. Prince continued to give cowriting credit to his father on several other albums, as his famous chord sequence would be used in several of Prince's singles and albums.

A lot of Prince's songs did not agree with listeners and one of his songs, Darling Nikki prompted a group of people to start a censorship organization called, Parents Music Resource Center (P.M.R.C.) as the track implemented grinding ludicrous acts such as masturbating, which stunned listeners. Prince however continued to release various other singles with the same platform his memorable releases being, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Love Sexy, and Batman.

Prince released a sequel to Purple Rain in 1990 called Graffiti Bridge, a soundtrack album accompanied this movie entitled, Graffiti Bridge. The film did terrible in box-office and was nominated for several Razzie awards. Many people saw the sound-track album, as the high point of the film.

In 1991, Prince assembled a new band called, The New Power Generation with this band he would release singles such as Diamond And Pearls, Cream, and Gett Off. Prince eventually changed his stage name from Prince to a symbol, which lead people to call him, "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince". Prince soon took back his old stage name.

In the 1990s, Prince continued to release singles such as Came, The Gold Experience, Chaos And Disorder, and Emancipation. With the rise of the new millennium, Prince released material such as a religious album called The Rainbow Children,One Nite Alone,The Chocolate Invasion,The Slaughter House, and had a collaboration with Stevie Wonder on Stevie's single called, What The Fuss in 2005.

Prince died on April 21, 2016 in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at his Paisley Park recording studio complex. He was 57.

Prince will be remembered as a musician and artist who inspired millions through his music, and set an inspirational platform which others still abide by.

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, and psychedelia; for live performances of lengthy instrumental jams that typically incorporated modal and tonal improvisation; and for its devoted fan base, known as "Deadheads". "Their music", writes Lenny Kaye, "touches on ground that most other groups don't even know exists." These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead "the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world". The band was ranked 57th by Rolling Stone magazine in its "The Greatest Artists of All Time" issue. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and a recording of their May 8, 1977 performance at Cornell University's Barton Hall was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2012. Despite having only one top-40 single in their thirty year career, "Touch of Grey", the Grateful Dead remained among the highest grossing American touring acts for multiple decades and gained a committed fan-base by word of mouth and the exchange of live recordings due to the band's permissive stance on taping.

The Grateful Dead was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area amid the rise of the counterculture of the 1960s. The founding members were Jerry Garcia (lead guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (rhythm guitar, vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Members of the Grateful Dead, originally known as the Warlocks, had played together in various San Francisco ensembles, including the traditional jug band Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. Lesh was the last member to join the Warlocks before they changed their name to the Grateful Dead; replacing Dana Morgan Jr., who had played bass for a few gigs. Drummer Mickey Hart and non-performing lyricist Robert Hunter joined in 1967. With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973, and Hart, who took time off from 1971 to 1974, the core of the band stayed together for its entire 30-year history. The other official members of the band are Tom Constanten (keyboards; 1968-1970), John Perry Barlow (non-performing lyricist; 1971-1995), Keith Godchaux (keyboards, occasional vocals; 1971-1979), Donna Godchaux (vocals; 1972-1979), Brent Mydland (keyboards, vocals; 1979-1990), and Vince Welnick (keyboards, vocals; 1990-1995). Bruce Hornsby (accordion, piano, vocals) was a touring member from 1990 to 1992, as well as a guest with the band on occasion before and after the tours.

After the death of Garcia in 1995, former members of the band, along with other musicians, toured as the Other Ones in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and the Dead in 2003, 2004, and 2009. In 2015, the four surviving core members marked the band's 50th anniversary in a series of concerts that were billed as their last performances together. There have also been several spin-offs featuring one or more core members, such as Dead & Company, Furthur, the Rhythm Devils, Phil Lesh and Friends, RatDog, and Billy & the Kids.

The Rolling Stones are the legendary British rock band known for many popular hits, such as Paint it Black, Lady Jane, Ruby Tuesday, and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Almost everyone who attended their shows is quick to comment on their ability to start you up and shake your hips. Their song "Satisfaction" (1965) was composed by Keith Richards in his sleep, and with the addition of provocative lyrics by Mick Jagger it became the greatest hit and their calling card on each and every show.

In 1966, after The Beatles stopped giving live performances, The Rolling Stones took over as the unofficial "biggest touring band in the world" for the next few years. During 1966-1969 they toured the world, and constantly updated their song-list with many great hits like "Lets Spend the night together" (1967), "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968) and "Honky tonk woman" (1969). The incredible international success of the Stones came with a sad side, caused by Brian's drug and alcohol abuse that impaired his speech and appearance, so the band-mates had to replace him. In July 1969, Brian Jones died of drowning in his swimming pool while having signs of drug overdose. Upon Richards's and Jagger's approval, guitarist Mick Taylor took Brian's place. Brian's death at age 27 made him one of the first members of the infamous "27 Club" of rock stars who died at that age. Although Brian's estrangement from his band-mates, and his numerous arrests were caused by his personal problems with drugs, both Richards and Jagger were blamed at the time for Brian's death. The loss of one of their founding members was a painful moment for the Stones. However, at the end of the 1960s their creativity reached the new highs. Their albums "Beggars Banquet" (1968) and "Sticky Fingers" (1971) were among the most popular albums they ever made, having such hits as "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar."

During the 1970s The Rolling Stones remained the biggest band in the world, albeit they were rivaled by the Led Zeppelin. The Stones made thousands of live performances and multi-million record sales with hits like "Angie" (1973), "It's Only Rock and Roll" (1974), "Hot Stuff" (1976) and "Respectable" (1978). At that time both Keith Richards and Mick Jagger had individual ambitions, and applied their untamed creativity in various projects outside the Stones. Keith released his own single. In 1974 Ron Wood had replaced Mick Taylor on guitar and Keith and Ron both played lead guitars. During the decade Keith Richards had a family crisis on his hands, and suffered through emotional pain and drug abuse, albeit it didn't stop him from being himself. In 1980 the group released "Emotional Rescue" which Keith Richards didn't care for, and the group didn't even tour to promote the album. In 1981 with the release of 'Tattoo You', the group went on a major world tour filling stadiums in the US and in Europe. In 1983 the Stones recorded the album "Undercover" at the Compass Point in Nassau and during this time Mick and Keith were having arguments over rights of the group. After having created tens of albums and over a hundred popular songs together, their legendary song-writing partnership was undergoing the most painful test: the bitter rivalry between two enormously talented and equally ambitious superstars.

Mick Jagger is the heart of "The Stones" and Keith Richards - the soul. The two had carried on their early image of unkempt youth, had survived ups and downs in their careers and personal lives, and remained the core of the band since they shared a flat with the late Brian Jones in London in 1962. Two other remaining members are drummer Charlie Watts and guitarist Ron Wood. "The Stones" were part of the "British Invasion" in international culture during the 1960s, and has been extremely popular and famous for their 60s craze, hot stuff and sex drive. Since the 1970s they remained one of the biggest entertainment acts touring the world with a retinue of jet-set hangers-on. Their inimitable shows, no matter the best, or the worst, has been played with fire and emotion, giving their audiences the kind of music they do best - it's only rock'n roll.

Mick Jagger dropped out of college and his every move on-stage and off-stage seemed to signal a challenge to "respectable" standards. He never received a formal musical education, and even could not read music. However, he worked hard and emerged as the lead singer and songwriter in partnership with Richards, following the example of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's songwriting for The Beatles. Outside of the Rolling Stones, Jagger released solo albums with his original songs, as well as his versions of such hits as 'Use Me' by songwriter Bill Withers. Jagger also starred in several films, such as Freejack (1992), Bent (1997), and The Man from Elysian Fields (2001). Mick Jagger fathered seven children from four women, donated to numerous school and charities, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace in 2003.

Keith Richards, was a schoolmate of Mick Jagger since the primary school. In 1960 they contemplated starting up a band together. Since the formation of the Rolling Stones in 1962, Richards has been the principal songwriting partner with Jagger, and most of the songs on all Rolling Stones albums are credited to Jagger/Richards. Outside of the Rolling Stones, Richards toured with The New Barbarians, and also was the front-man of the X-pensive Winos in the 1980s. Besides his music career, Richards made a cameo appearance as the father of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) filmed by his friend, director Gore Verbinski.

Other members of The Rolling Stones has been also enjoying their individual careers outside of the band. Multi-instrumentalist Ronnie Wood collaborated with such performers as Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and Aretha Franklin, among others. His collaboration with Rod Stewart resulted in a hit album. Wood is also an accomplished artist who sold about $10 million worth of his artworks. Drummer Charlie Watts, who has been ever faithful to his one and only wife, Shirley, is known for his consistency in refusing sexual favors from groupies. He is also a jazz band-leader, and commercial artist, who had solo shows and successfully auctioned his artworks.

The Rolling Stones have released 55 albums of original work and compilations, and sold over 200 million records word-wide during their career spanning over 45 years. "The Stones" played in all kinds of spaces from small clubs to big stadium arenas. In 2007 they even rocked the Tsar's Winter Palace with fifty thousand fans in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the communist revolution took place. They gave more large-scale shows internationally than any other existing band in the world, culminating in their 2005-2007 "A Bigger Band" tour with 147 concerts, the highest grossing tour of all time with $559 million earned.

Come on, Stones, give us more of your respectable shows, get us rocking, we can make it if we try.

Susanna Hoffs is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, actress, novelist and co-founder of the multi-platinum selling group, The Bangles. Her voice is instantly recognizable on such hit singles as, "Eternal Flame", "In Your Room" (both co-written by Hoffs), and "Manic Monday".

Her first novel, "This Bird Has Flown" was released in 2023 and received rave reviews in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR, among others. Universal Pictures purchased the rights to the novel for a screen adaptation.

She played the role of Gillian Shagwell, in the fictional band, "Ming Tea" in all three "Austin Powers" films.

In 1990, she began a solo music career and has released five studio albums; "When You're a Boy" (1991), "Susanna Hoffs" (1996), "Someday" (2014), "Bright Lights" (2021), and "The Deep End" (2023). The albums yielded hit songs such as, "My Side of the Bed", "Unconditional Love", and "All I Want". She collaborated with Matthew Sweet on "Under the Covers" volumes 1, 2, and 3. She has toured with the Bangles and as a solo artist with such artists as Don Henley, Aimee Mann, and Matthew Sweet.

Notable solo artist performances include the Lilith Fair, the Academy Awards (duet with Randy Newman), Grammy Salute to Prince (duet with Chris Martin), and Grammy Salute to Paul Simon.

Entertainment Weekly wrote about her performance with Chris Martin saying, "This was the night's tenderest moment and certainly one of the most still, particularly in a catalog full of uptempo delights. Hoffs and Martin intertwined their voices, stripping the sweet lament to a gorgeously elegiac place".

In 2019, Hoffs inducted the Zombies into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hoffs vocals and songs have been featured in films (and on the soundtracks for), "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery", "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me", "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "Meet the Parents", "Bombshell", and numerous others. Her single, "Eternal Flame", which she performed lead vocals on with The Bangles, has been used in over 60 films and TV shows.

In addition to co-writing songs for the Bangles, Hoffs has co-written songs for the Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle, and Bette Midler as well as contributing vocals on albums by such artists as the Talking Heads, Rufus Wainwright, Travis, and :The Lilith Fair: Celebration of Music" compilation album (featuring Sarah McLachlin, Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris, and others).

Daughter of Eva, the Baroness Erisso, and Major Glynn Faithfull, a WWII British spy. Recorded the first song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "As Tears Go By" (1964). Involved in a major drug scandal with Jagger, Richards, and others, which ultimately turned public opinion favorably towards the Rolling Stones and other rock groups. In the '70s she became addicted to heroin and was homeless in London's Soho district for a couple of years. Recorded numerous albums in the '80s while struggling with cocaine and alcohol. Has remained sober and productive since.

Joe Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Across the Universe (2007), The Bodyguard (1992) and Layer Cake (2004). He was married to Pam Baker. He died on 22 December 2014 in Crawford, Colorado, USA.

Madeleine Peyroux was born on 1 January 1973 in Athens, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for From Paris with Love (2010), Definitely, Maybe (2008) and Failure to Launch (2006).

She & Him is known for Arrow (2012), Miss Sixty (2014) and Meu Passado Me Condena: O Filme (2013).

Sergio Mendes was born on 11 February 1941 in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was an actor and composer, known for Rio (2011), Never Say Never Again (1983) and Rio 2 (2014). He was married to Gracinha Leporace and Marci Porto. He died on 5 September 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Carlos Santana is a Mexican guitarist, composer, singer and band-leader who helped to shape the concept of "world music" by his experiments with blending many styles of music from a multitude of ethnic sources.

He was born Carlos Augusto Alves Santana on July 20, 1947, in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico. He is one of six children born to José Santana and Josefina Barragán. From the age of 5 young Santana learned the violin from his father, a professional mariachi violinist. He switched to guitar at the age of 8, when the family moved to Tijuana. During the late 50s he was playing gigs at clubs and bars with various bands up and down the Tijuana Strip. In 1961 he moved to San Francisco, California, joining the family, which moved there the previous year. In 1966 he made his debut with the newly formed Santana Blues Band. In 1968 Santana was promoted by Bill Graham to play at the famous Fillmore West in San Francisco. The first album, self-titled 'Santana', was released in 1969.

Santana shot to fame after the legendary performance at Woodstock Music and Art Festival in 1969. His surprise appearance was captured in the film 'Woodstock' which vastly increased Santana's popularity. The psychedelic second album titled 'Abraxas' (1970) reached No.1 on the album charts and went on to sell over four million copies worldwide. Three songs from that album: 'Black Magic Woman', 'Oye Como Va', and 'Samba Pa Ti' became huge international hits. Then he collaborated with poet and guru Sri Chinmoy and jazz guitarist John McLaughlin in a spiritual and musically innovative album 'Love, Devotion, Surrender' (1973).

After years of touring, Santana participated in the first-ever joint US-Soviet "Rock'n Roll Summit" in 1987. At that time Santana evolved to become a multi-faceted artist and prepared to re-emerge as a conscientious member of society. He contributed to the benefit of San Francisco Earthquake Relief, Doctors Without Borders, Indigenous People Fund, Hispanic Media & Education Group, Amnesty International, LA Museum of Tolerance, and other charitable causes. In 1998, Carlos Santana and his wife Deborah started the Milagro Foundation which contributed 1,8 million dollars to help underprivileged youths. Santana also contributed the profits of his 2003 'Shaman' tour to fight AIDS.

'Supernatural' (1999) is considered by many to be Carlos Santana's greatest work. It became the Album of the Year, received eleven Grammy awards, and sold over 25 million copies worldwide. It included such hits as "Smooth" and "Maria Maria" and featured guest artists Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Eric Clapton, and Dave Matthews among others. Santana continued collaboration with various artists in his next albums, 'Shaman (2003) and 'All That I Am' (2005), and also contributed to the 2005 album of Herbie Hancock. He received the Latin Recording Academy's honor as "Person of the Year" in 2004.

During the four decades of his career Santana has been a true multi-cultural artist. He contributed to shaping the concept of "world music" by his experiments with blending many styles and genres of music from a multitude of ethnic sources. His instantly identifiable blend of Latin, salsa, blues, rock, and Afro-Cuban styles has been evolving with the inclusion of elements from jazz, fusion, and world beat. Santana's high-pitched and clean guitar sound has been coming out of his custom-made PRS guitars. His unique and instantly recognizable sound is legendary: "With one note people know me..." says Carlos Santana.

A street and public square in his native town of Autlan de Navarro is bearing his name. Carlos Santana is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has sold more than 90 million records, and performed to over 100 million people globally.

Jeff Beck was born in Surrey in 1944. He grew up in a suburban street in Carshalton. When he was about 10, he wanted to play the guitar. His mum, however, wanted him to play the piano because she didn't approve of the guitar. When he was in his late teens, he joined "The Tridents" on lead guitar. In 1965, he replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds. He played with them until 1967 when he decided he'd had enough and wanted to go solo. In the same year, he released his first solo effort "Hi-Ho-Silver Lining", which was the only one of his tracks he ever sang on. In his backing group, he had Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, who later went on to form The Faces. Thoughout the rest of the 60s and 70s, he continued to record instrumental albums. In 1983, three former The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, got together to do one-off charity concerts. In 1984, he contributed lead guitar on Mick Jagger's first solo album "She's the Boss". The same year, he released his next album "Flash", which was voted best instrumental album. In 1989, he released the album "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop", which was also a big success. Throughout the 90s, Jeff Beck still toured around and, in 1998, played a sellout date in Mexico. In early 2001, he released yet another album "You had it Coming", which he toured to promote.