Punky Meadows
Encyclopedia
Punky Meadows is an American guitarist
known for his glam
image as a member of the band Angel
.
, the oldest of four boys, in the Barnaby Terrace neighborhood which produced guitar legends Danny Gatton
, Roy Clark
, and Link Wray
. He attended Draper Elementary and Hart Junior High Schools, the latter where he started playing guitar in his first band, the Intruders.
The Cherry People
formed in Southeast Washington, D.C. during the British Invasion of 1964 and changed their name from the Intruders to the English Setters to the Cherry People, all the while establishing themselves as the city’s hardest working and most talented band. From 1964 to 1972 the band revolved around founding members Chris Grimes (born July 17, 1948), Doug Grimes (born April 24, 1951), and Punky Meadows (born February 6, 1950), with a number of personnel changes taking place from 1972 until the band’s demise in June 1975. The Cherry People’s origins go back to the Barnaby Terrace neighborhood of Southeast Washington D.C. where original members Chris and Doug Grimes, Punky Meadows, and Larry Gray were raised on the Beatles and the early wave of the British Invasion. In 1964 these four youngsters formed their first band, the Intruders.
Later he formed the English Setters, a Beatles-sounding band that opened for the Yardbirds, Neil Diamond
, and the Young Rascals, all while he was still in high school. In 1967, The English Setters changed their sound and changed their name to the Cherry People, and were later signed to a record deal by Heritage Records
. Meadows himself says that the record company promoted them as a "poor man's Monkees". They toured briefly in 1968, appearing at Caesar's Palace and on American Bandstand
.
, which released one album. Angel
formed after the two met Gregg Giuffria
and then Barry Brandt and Frank Dimino, choosing the name "Angel" after the song by Jimi Hendrix
, of whom Meadows was a fan.
Angel
released studio albums from 1975 to 1979 and the live album Live Without a Net
in 1980, and disbanded not long thereafter after not achieving mass critical or popular success. Meadows, however, both during his tenure with the band and thereafter was invited to join Kiss
, Aerosmith
, and the New York Dolls
, all of which he turned down.
The band possessed a strong glam
image that was said to be the antithesis of Kiss
's, while Meadows himself became the most strongly associated with the glam persona, so much so that Frank Zappa
ridiculed his trademark pout and hair in the song "Punky's Whips". Meadows, however, was "flattered" and eventually ended up onstage during a Zappa concert in his Angel costume.
While the band had (and still has) a number of fan sites, a fan of Meadows has a site devoted exclusively to him called the "Punky Meadows Shrine".
, VA
.
Someday You'll See b/w It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (July 1966)
Wake Up b/w She's in Love (January 1967)
The Cherry People (1968)
And Suddenly b/w Imagination (1968)
I'm The One Who Loves You b/w Gotta Get Back (To the Good Life) (1968)
Sea and Me b/w Come on Over (1972)
Helluva Band
(1976)
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
(1977)
White Hot
(1978)
Sinful
(1979)
Live Without a Net
(1980)
An Anthology (1992)
In the Beginning (1999) Plays lead guitar on "Hero" and "Set Me Free"
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
known for his glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
image as a member of the band Angel
Angel (band)
Angel is a glam rock and heavy metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in the mid-70s by Punky Meadows and Mickie Jones. They were signed to Casablanca Records, and had the image of dressing in white.-History:...
.
Background and Early Career
Punky Meadows grew up in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the oldest of four boys, in the Barnaby Terrace neighborhood which produced guitar legends Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton was an American guitarist who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki, was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography...
, Roy Clark
Roy Clark
Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
, and Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
. He attended Draper Elementary and Hart Junior High Schools, the latter where he started playing guitar in his first band, the Intruders.
The Cherry People
The Cherry People
The Cherry People were a Psychedelic pop and later hard rock group that formed from remnants of The English Setters. The band is best known for their semi-hit single And Suddenly, which barely missed the top 40 , and including guitarist Punky Meadows who would join BUX and Angel in the early to mid...
formed in Southeast Washington, D.C. during the British Invasion of 1964 and changed their name from the Intruders to the English Setters to the Cherry People, all the while establishing themselves as the city’s hardest working and most talented band. From 1964 to 1972 the band revolved around founding members Chris Grimes (born July 17, 1948), Doug Grimes (born April 24, 1951), and Punky Meadows (born February 6, 1950), with a number of personnel changes taking place from 1972 until the band’s demise in June 1975. The Cherry People’s origins go back to the Barnaby Terrace neighborhood of Southeast Washington D.C. where original members Chris and Doug Grimes, Punky Meadows, and Larry Gray were raised on the Beatles and the early wave of the British Invasion. In 1964 these four youngsters formed their first band, the Intruders.
Later he formed the English Setters, a Beatles-sounding band that opened for the Yardbirds, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, and the Young Rascals, all while he was still in high school. In 1967, The English Setters changed their sound and changed their name to the Cherry People, and were later signed to a record deal by Heritage Records
Heritage Records
Heritage Records can refer to:* Heritage Records , a 1960s label from Jerry Ross Productions* Heritage Records , 1960s Blues and early Jazz label founded by Tony Standish...
. Meadows himself says that the record company promoted them as a "poor man's Monkees". They toured briefly in 1968, appearing at Caesar's Palace and on American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
.
Angel
After Cherry People disbanded, Meadows and Mickie Jones formed Daddy Warbux, later BUXBUX (band)
BUX was an American hard rock/boogie rock band that is best known for having lead guitarist Punky Meadows and bassist Mickie Jones both of who joined Angel, and lead singer Ralph Morman who was with the Joe Perry Project from 1979–1981 and Savoy Brown from 1981-1982.-Origins:James Newlon formed...
, which released one album. Angel
Angel (band)
Angel is a glam rock and heavy metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in the mid-70s by Punky Meadows and Mickie Jones. They were signed to Casablanca Records, and had the image of dressing in white.-History:...
formed after the two met Gregg Giuffria
Gregg Giuffria
Gregg Giuffria is an American rock keyboardist. He was the keyboardist for heavy metal bands, Angel, and House of Lords, and arena rock band, Giuffria....
and then Barry Brandt and Frank Dimino, choosing the name "Angel" after the song by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, of whom Meadows was a fan.
Angel
Angel (band)
Angel is a glam rock and heavy metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in the mid-70s by Punky Meadows and Mickie Jones. They were signed to Casablanca Records, and had the image of dressing in white.-History:...
released studio albums from 1975 to 1979 and the live album Live Without a Net
Live Without A Net (album)
Live Without A Net is the first live album, sixth in total, by the rock band Angel. It would be the band's last album before breaking up in 1981. The band had hoped that their live album would bring them commercial success, like the album Alive! did for Kiss, but it didn't, leading to Angel's...
in 1980, and disbanded not long thereafter after not achieving mass critical or popular success. Meadows, however, both during his tenure with the band and thereafter was invited to join Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, and the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
, all of which he turned down.
The band possessed a strong glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
image that was said to be the antithesis of Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
's, while Meadows himself became the most strongly associated with the glam persona, so much so that Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
ridiculed his trademark pout and hair in the song "Punky's Whips". Meadows, however, was "flattered" and eventually ended up onstage during a Zappa concert in his Angel costume.
While the band had (and still has) a number of fan sites, a fan of Meadows has a site devoted exclusively to him called the "Punky Meadows Shrine".
Life After Angel
Meadows has retired from the music business, and for 13 years owned and ran a tanning salon in OaktonOakton, Virginia
Oakton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 29,348 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 22124.-Geography:Oakton is located at...
, VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The English Setters 1965-1967
Tragedy b/w If She's All Right (March 1966)Someday You'll See b/w It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (July 1966)
Wake Up b/w She's in Love (January 1967)
The Cherry People 1967-1972
Albums and SinglesThe Cherry People (1968)
And Suddenly b/w Imagination (1968)
I'm The One Who Loves You b/w Gotta Get Back (To the Good Life) (1968)
Sea and Me b/w Come on Over (1972)
Angel 1974-1981
Angel (1975)Helluva Band
Helluva Band
Helluva Band is the second album by the rock band Angel. On this album Angel explores the heavier side of progressive rock, but still offers arguably one of their most progressive songs to date: "The Fortune."-Track listing:...
(1976)
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
On Earth As It Is In Heaven is the third album by the rock band Angel. This marks the last album with Mickie Jones who was the band's bass player since 1974. It was produced by Eddie Kramer and recorded in an actual castle in the Hollywood Hills...
(1977)
White Hot
White Hot (album)
White Hot is the fourth album by the rock band Angel. After the release of On Earth As It Is In Heaven, bass player Mickie Jones left and was replaced by Felix Robinson who would be the bass player until Angel's breakup in 1981. This album contains Angel's biggest and only Top 50 hit Ain't Gonna...
(1978)
Sinful
Sinful (album)
Sinful is the fifth album by the rock band Angel. It was the band's most pop-oriented album. The album was originally titled Bad Publicity, and a few copies of the album with that title and a different album cover were sold before being replaced. The album went to #159 on the Pop Album Charts in...
(1979)
Live Without a Net
Live Without A Net (album)
Live Without A Net is the first live album, sixth in total, by the rock band Angel. It would be the band's last album before breaking up in 1981. The band had hoped that their live album would bring them commercial success, like the album Alive! did for Kiss, but it didn't, leading to Angel's...
(1980)
An Anthology (1992)
In the Beginning (1999) Plays lead guitar on "Hero" and "Set Me Free"