Take
five people – three men and two women – at a
Chinese restaurant in the mid-1970s. Add some alcohol and
plenty of chatting. What do you get? Well, if you’re
the B52’s, you get the stuff legends are made of.
The
B52’s – Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson,
Fred Schneider, and Keith Strickland – start quite
literally was that which legends are made of. The five friends
(though Cindy and Ricky are siblings) had dinner at a local
Chinese restaurant in their hometown of Athens, Georgia,
had a little too much to drink, and decided to start a band.
But,
unlike most who would laugh off their idea the next morning,
the B52’s – despite the fact they collectively
had no musical experience – decided to plow forward.
During their earliest performances, the band sang while
a tape was their musical accompaniment.
Their
first single “Rock Lobster” was limitedly released,
only several thousand copies were made. Soon thereafter,
the B52’s headed to their first paying show in Kansas
at “Max’s Kansas City Club.” From then
on, the B52’s concert tickets were a popular sell.
It wasn’t until 1979, however, that the band laid
down tracks and released their debut album, “The B52’s.”
While
their self-titled debut didn’t make an impact on the
charts, their follow-up effort, “Wild Planet,”
broke into the top 20 of the charts in 1981. The band followed
with two consecutive albums “Mesopotamia” in
1982 and “Whammy!” in 1983.
The
next few years would prove to be disastrous for the band.
In 1985, Ricky Wilson died, leaving a huge hole in the band
but also putting a huge hurdle in front of the B52’s.
Word broke that Wilson had died as a result of complications
from AIDS. At a time when there was so much stigma and ignorance
surrounding the disease, the surviving band members decided
it was best to retreat from the limelight for the time being.
Four
years later, the B52’s finally returned with the 1989
release of “Cosmic Thing.” The album solidified
the B52’s popularity and produced several hits including,
“Love Shack,” “Roam,” and “Deadbeat
Club.” The following year Cindy Wilson decided to
quit the band, ready for a quieter life.
The
B52’s went on to release “Good Stuff”
in 1992, and have since put out several compilation albums,
featuring their biggest hits.
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