Blackfoot is a
Southern rockSouthern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of country music. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals.-1950s and 1960s – origins:...
bandRock band redirects here. For the video game series, see Rock Band A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music...
from
JacksonvilleJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida, and is the county seat of Duval County. Since 1968, as a result of the consolidation of the city and county government, and a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county, Jacksonville became the...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
formed in 1970. Though they are a Southern rock band, at their peak, they were more popular as a
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
band.
They had a number of
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
albumAn album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites.-...
s in the 1970s and early 1980s (including
StrikesStrikes is the third album by Southern rock band Blackfoot, released in 1979. The group's breakthrough album, it featured two Top 40 hits in Highway Song was the first released single. It quickly zoomed to #26 on the pop chart and two decades later history finds it settled in alongeside with...
(1979),
Tomcattin' (1980) and
Marauder (1981).
The original lineup broke apart by late 1985, though not before former
Uriah HeepUriah Heep are an English rock band, formed in December 1969 when record producer Gerry Bron invited keyboardist Ken Hensley to join Spice, a band signed to his own Bronze Records label....
keyboardist/songwriter
Ken HensleyKenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
had joined the group during their last couple of years together.
Early years
In the spring of 1969, Rickey Medlocke and Greg T. Walker met former
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
native Charlie Hargrett in Jacksonville and formed the band Fresh Garbage with Ron Sciabarasi on keyboards, Rick on drums and vocals, Greg on bass and Hargrett on lead guitar, playing mostly at The Comic Book Club on Forsyth St. In downtown Jacksonville and with their friends The One Percent(who would soon rename to
Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977, including lead vocalist and primary...
) at the Sunday afternoon "be-ins" in the local parks.
That fall, Sciabarasi left Fresh Garbage and lead guitarist Jerry Zambito (ex-Tangerine) joined as a new band, Hammer, was formed with Medlocke on lead vocals fronting the band (playing almost no guitar); Greg T. Walker on bass and backup vocals; Jakson Spires, from Tangerine, on drums and backup vocals; DeWitt Gibbs, also from Tangerine, on Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and backup vocals; and Hargrett on lead guitar. They soon relocated to
Gainesville, FloridaGainesville is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is the the county seat and the largest city in Alachua County. Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida, which is the largest university in the State University System of Florida and the third-largest university in...
to be the house band at the near-legendary Dub's, a topless bar on the outskirts of town.
In the early spring of 1970, the band, after hearing of another band on the West Coast named Hammer, decided to change their name to Blackfoot to reflect the
Native AmericanThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
heritage of Walker, Spires and Medlocke (Spires is part
CherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people from the Southeastern United States...
, Medlocke part
SiouxSioux are a Native American and First Nations people. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many dialects...
, while Walker's blood ties are to the Eastern Creek Florida Indians). By this time, the troop had moved to
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
after a friend, who was working in a music publishing company, told her boss about the band and he had them relocate to New York City. But when that connection failed to pan out, Gibbs quit the band and Medlocke began playing rhythm guitar full time. Thus was born the classic lineup of Blackfoot.
In the spring of 1971, Medlocke and Walker accepted an offer to join Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot broke up, for the time being. There was a brief attempt to regroup in 1972, but Medlocke ended up returning to Lynyrd Skynyrd while Walker joined
The TokensThe Tokens are an American male doo-wop vocal group from Brooklyn, New York. They are best-known for their chart-topping 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" .-Career:...
, who soon changed their name to Cross Country. Hargrett remained up north living in
Hackettstown, New JerseyHackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 10,403. The town is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
. In August 1972, Blackfoot's old friend and roadie, John Vassiliou, showed up in town with Reidsville, North Carolina. bassist Lenny Stadler from the band Blackberry Hill. Hargrett decided to move to North Carolina and invited Medlocke, who'd left Skynyrd, to reform Blackfoot with Stadler on bass and Jakson Spires on drums. Danny Johnson (later with
DerringerThe term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous maker of small pocket pistols in the 1800s. Many copies of the original Philadelphia Deringer pistol were made by other gun makers worldwide, and the name was often misspelled; this misspelling soon became...
and
SteppenwolfSteppenwolf is a Canadian hard rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Toronto by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of its predecessor, The...
), from a
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
group, Axis, was brought in as second guitarist. But Medlocke soon decided to be both front man and guitarist again, so Johnson only lasted a short time.
In the summer of 1973, Stadler left the band after a tumor was discovered on one of his lungs. Fortunately, the tumor disappeared. But Stadler decided to leave secular music to join a gospel group. He eventually became a Methodist minister.
Greg T. WalkerGreg T. Walker is an American bassist who played with Southern US country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd between 1970 and 1971.He later moved on with fellow Lynyrd Skynyrd member Ricky Medlocke to form rock outfit Blackfoot....
was invited to rejoin at this juncture and the classic Blackfoot lineup was reborn.
By 1974, the band had returned their base of operations to the Northeast(to Northern New Jersey) and Medlocke developed nodes on his vocal cords and temporarily lost his voice. Another singer, Patrick Jude, was brought into the band. After a short time, Medlocke was able to sing again and Jude was dropped. Soon after, Medlocke and Walker sent producers/session players
Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson is a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section that was attached to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for an extended period in the 60s and 70s. Jimmy's name appears throughout music history in roles from producer to guitarist...
and
David HoodDavid Hood is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.Hood started his career playing with The Mystics and as a back-up musician at FAME Studios, then went on to found Muscle Shoals Sound Studio where he produced songs for...
a copy of Blackfoot's material. Johnson and Hood had worked with Medlocke and Walker in
Muscle Shoals, AlabamaMuscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-History:Native Indians first...
when they were there recording with Skynyrd.
No Reservations was released on Island Records in 1975 and their second album,
Flying High, came out on
Epic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was founded in 1953 as a jazz label, and was eventually expanded to several genres of music. The label manages several imprints as well.-History:...
in 1976. Both were produced by Johnson and Hood.
Mid 1970s
By late 1975, the group was living back in Florida. In 1977 they contacted
Black Oak ArkansasBlack Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s with ten charting albums released in that decade...
' manager, Butch Stone, who took them on as the backing group for one of his clients,
Ruby StarrRuby Starr was born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, Ohio. Starr started performing at the age of nine under the stage name Connie Little and was later billed as Ruby Jones during the 1960s. In 1971 she was signed to Curtom Records and recorded her first album, Ruby Jones...
, who had been a backup singer for Black Oak but was now going out on her own. After the stint with Ruby ended in 1978, they met
Brownsville StationBrownsville Station is the name of the following:*Brownsville , a rapid transit metro station in Miami, Florida, USA*Brownsville Station , a 1970s American rock band...
manager Al Nalli and his partner Jay Frey, who got them signed to
Atco RecordsAtco Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded by Herb Abramson in 1955 as a sub label of Atlantic Records; operating as an outlet for acts that did not fit the format of Atlantic,...
.
Blackfoot Strikes, produced by Al Nalli and engineered by Brownsville Station drummer Henry Weck, was recorded in Nalli's basement studio in
Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. It is the state's seventh largest city with a population of 114,024 as of the 2000 Census, of which 36,892 are university or college students...
and was completed by January 1979. It was destined to be the band's most commercially successful effort. "Train, Train", written by Rickey's grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, became their first hit and best known song. "Highway Song" proved to be another hit for them later that year.
The group toured heavily throughout 1979 and ended the year opening for
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
at the
SilverdomeThe Silverdome is an indoor sporting and entertainment venue located in Launceston, Tasmania built in 1984. The Silverdome was built at an estimated cost of AU$4 million, as the Tasmanian Government "proposed a world class facility" to replace the run down velodrome in the Launceston suburb of St...
in
Pontiac, MichiganPontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 66,337. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
while working on their next album,
Tomcattin, which was released in 1980.
Marauder followed in 1981, as did
Highway Song Live in 1982.
1980s
In the early 80s the "southern rock" genre was thought to be passe, so the band began looking to change their sound somewhat. They decided to add keyboards to the group once again. Organist
Ken HensleyKenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
(ex-
Uriah HeepUriah Heep is a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his novel David Copperfield.The character is notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and general insincerity. His references to David Copperfield as “Master Copperfield” are repeated so often that they quickly seem...
) was contacted and agreed to join in 1983 in time for their next record,
Siogo. But the poor sales for
Siogo had the band thinking they might have to "modernize" their look for the new
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
generation. It was thought that maybe Hargrett with his more "biker type" appearance might not fit into the new look. Hargrett reluctantly decided to step down in January 1984 and was not present on their next effort,
Vertical Smiles, which had been recorded in Atlanta with former
YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
engineer
Eddie OffordEddy Offord is a noted record producer and recording engineer, who worked on some of the most famous progressive rock albums of the 1970s, often at London's Advision Studios. He is especially well known for his work with the groups Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. ELP wrote a tribute to Offord with...
. This album was rejected by Atco and sent back for retooling. But the retooled version, which finally appeared in October 1984, also failed to sell.
Ken Hensley, not used to Blackfoot's heavy tour schedule, left by late 1984 and was replaced by former
Axe- Biography:Previously known as Babyface with a line up of vocalist Edgar Riley, guitarist Bobby Barth, bassist Mike Turpin and drummer Teddy Mueller, the group adopted the new title of Axe in 1979 when the band added second guitarist Michael Osborne...
singer/guitarist Bobby Barth. But by December 1985, with their popularity waning and quality bookings drying up, the band decided to call it quits. In February 1986, the Blackfoot company was dissolved and the others walked away while Medlocke decided to continue with a brand new lineup that included Doug Bare (keyboards, synths, backup vocals), Wizzard (bass, backup vocals) and Harold Seay (drums, percussion). On their 1987 album
Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot (released on the Wounded Bird label), the new grouping was exploring a more radio friendly 80s rock sound with their former southern rock approach now all but gone. Many of the group's fans were not all that happy with the changes and newer fans were slow to materialize.
In 1988, Wizzard and Seay were out and Gunnar Ross (drums, percussion), bassist
Mark MendozaMark "The Animal" Mendoza is the bassist of the American heavy metal band, Twisted Sister. He joined the band on October 31, 1978, after he left The Dictators. He also briefly played in Blackfoot in early 1990s.Mendoza played the bass guitar on all of Twisted Sister's major label releases...
and
Neal CasalNeal Casal is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. Casal has also played in Hazy Malaze. To date, Casal has released nine studio albums under his own name....
(guitar) were in. Mendoza left by the end of the year and Rikki Mayer (ex-
Lizzy BordenLizzy Borden is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Lizzy Borden is also the name of the band's lead vocalist.-History:Lizzy Borden specializes in the shock rock style originated by artists such as Alice Cooper and KISS...
) took over bass in early 1989.
1990s
In 1990 a new release,
Medicine Man, was put out on the independent Loop label.
By 1992, Medlocke had revamped the lineup yet again and hired three other players: Benny Rappa (drums, percussion), Mark Woerpel (an ex-
WhitefaceWhiteface was an Atlanta-based pop-rock-funk band formed in the late `70's. Its members were technically-proficient and each was a lead vocalist, giving the band an incredible vocal harmony sound...
guitarist who had done some
studioA recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally, the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties...
work for Medlocke on earlier albums) and Tim Stunson on bass. Another new album,
After the Reign, was released in 1994 on the Wildcat label and, like
Medicine Man, was enthusiastically greeted by fans as more of a return to form. 1994 also saw the release of the Rhino Records collection
Rattlesnake Rock N' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot.
By 1996, Blackfoot was: Medlocke,
Stet HowlandStet Howland is a drummer. He has played for Temple of Brewtality, RUN21, Killing Machine, Belladonna, The Howlin' Dogs, Impellitteri, Carnival of Souls, Sister and W.A.S.P.. In February 2006 he announced his departure from W.A.S.P. to concentrate totally on Temple of Brewtality. Stet also was a...
, John Housley (from Ragady Ann) on lead and rhythm guitar and Bryce Barnes (from Edwin Dare) on bass guitar. That same year, Medlocke rejoined
Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977, including lead vocalist and primary...
, this time as a guitarist. But he continued to tour with Blackfoot honoring all dates booked through 1997 then disbanded the group to concentrate on Skynyrd full time.
Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour, a 1983 concert recording, was released in early 1998, and
EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
released
Live in 2000, also culled from the band's heyday.
2000s
In 2004 a second resurrection of Blackfoot took place with founding members Jakson Spires,
Greg T. WalkerGreg T. Walker is an American bassist who played with Southern US country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd between 1970 and 1971.He later moved on with fellow Lynyrd Skynyrd member Ricky Medlocke to form rock outfit Blackfoot....
and Charlie Hargrett. Medlocke was not available, so the vocals role was given to Bobby Barth. In March 2005, Spires died suddenly of an
aneurysmAn aneurysm or aneurism , is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall....
, but the band decided to persevere for the time being. Following the will of Spires,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n drummer Christoph Ullmann was hired as the new drummer.
In 2006, the band toured and was joined by Southern Rock All Stars' Jay Johnson (the son of Jimmy Johnson, their original co-producer) on guitar and vocals after Barth was sidelined for a
shoulderIn human anatomy, the shoulder joint comprises the part of the body where the humerus attaches to the scapula. The shoulder refers to the group of structures in the region of the joint....
and neck operation. Barth returned to the stage later that year. In November 2006, Ullman left to return to Austria and was succeeded by Mark McConnell. In April 2007, Blackfoot let Johnson go. That year, the band toured and consisted of bassist Walker, Hargrett, Barth and drummer Michael Sollars. Later that year a live
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
was released. In 2009, Scott Craig took over as drummer.
Current members
- Bobby Barth, guitars, vocals
- Greg T. Walker
Greg T. Walker is an American bassist who played with Southern US country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd between 1970 and 1971.He later moved on with fellow Lynyrd Skynyrd member Ricky Medlocke to form rock outfit Blackfoot....
, bass, backing vocals
- Charlie Hargrett, guitars
- Scott Craig, drums, percussion
Former members
- Rickey Medlocke
Rickey Medlocke is a musician best known as the frontman/guitarist for the southern rock band Blackfoot and, more recently, as a guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd...
, vocals, guitars, mandolin
- Jakson Spires, drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Dewitt Gibbs, keyboards, backing vocals
- Leonard Stadler, bass
- Danny Johnson, guitar
- Patrick Jude, vocals
- Ken Hensley
Kenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
, keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
- Doug Bare, keyboards, backing vocals
- Wizzard, bass, backing vocals
- Rikki Mayer, bass, backing vocals
- Gunnar Ross, drums, percussion
- Mark Mendoza
Mark "The Animal" Mendoza is the bassist of the American heavy metal band, Twisted Sister. He joined the band on October 31, 1978, after he left The Dictators. He also briefly played in Blackfoot in early 1990s.Mendoza played the bass guitar on all of Twisted Sister's major label releases...
, bass
- Bryce Barnes, bass
- Mark Woerpel, guitars, synthesizer
- Christoph Ullmann, drums, percussion
- Jay Johnson, guitars, vocals
- Tim Stunson, bass
- Neal Casal
Neal Casal is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. Casal has also played in Hazy Malaze. To date, Casal has released nine studio albums under his own name....
, guitars
- Harold Seay, drums, percussion
- Benny Rappa, drums, percussion
- Stet Howland
Stet Howland is a drummer. He has played for Temple of Brewtality, RUN21, Killing Machine, Belladonna, The Howlin' Dogs, Impellitteri, Carnival of Souls, Sister and W.A.S.P.. In February 2006 he announced his departure from W.A.S.P. to concentrate totally on Temple of Brewtality. Stet also was a...
, drums, percussion
- John Housley, guitar
- Mark McConnell, drums, percussion
- Michael Sollars, drums, percussion
Studio albums
- No Reservations (1975)
- Flying High (1976)
- Strikes
Strikes is the third album by Southern rock band Blackfoot, released in 1979. The group's breakthrough album, it featured two Top 40 hits in Highway Song was the first released single. It quickly zoomed to #26 on the pop chart and two decades later history finds it settled in alongeside with...
(1979)
- Tomcattin' (1980)
- Marauder (1981)
- Siogo (1983)
- Vertical Smiles (1984)
- Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot (1987)
- Medicine Man (1990)
- After the Reign
After the Reign is a Blackfoot album released on May 24, 1994 through Wildcat Records. It has so far thus proved to be the final Blackfoot studio album.-Track listing:All songs by Rickey Medlocke and Benny Rappa except where noted...
(1994)
Live albums
- Highway Song Live (1982)
- Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour (1998)
Compilations
- Rattlesnake Rock N' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot (1994)
- Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits is a 2002 compilation album by Southern rock band Blackfoot. It contains ten of their most popular hits, collected from Strikes, Tomcattin, and Marauder.-Track listing:# "Highway Song" ...
(2002)
Radio shows
- Blackfoot Interview {1978}
- Blackfoot - Johnny Van Zant (1979 [Reading Festival])
- Blackfoot - Stevie Ray Vaughn KBFH (1980)
- Blackfoot - Truimph KBFH (1981 [Best of the Biscuit])
- Blackfoot KBFH (1982)
Rare items
- Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks .-The first maxi singles:...
(1980)
- Wishing Well/Highway Song Japanese (1979)
- Blackfoot Picture Disc
External links