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The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966.^[1] Though the band was not a huge commercial success, except in the Northeast Ohio area, the fame garnered by guitarist Joe Walsh has since made the group more notable.

History[link]

The original band members were drummer Jim Fox, bassist Tom Kriss, guitarist Ronnie Silverman, keyboardist Phil Giallombardo and guitarist Greg Grandillo, who was quickly replaced by Dennis Chandler. Bill Jeric replaced Silverman when he entered military service. After Chandler left, the group featured local guitar legend Glen Schwartz. However, none of the early line-ups released any material.

In January 1968, Joe Walsh replaced Schwartz after Schwartz had left the band the previous month to move to California, where he ended up forming Pacific Gas & Electric.^[1] The band continued as a five piece for a short time until Giallombardo left to become involved in other pursuits. Jeric and Walsh worked together on guitar parts but Jeric ended up leaving as well in the spring of 1968. He was then replaced by a returning Ronnie Silverman, who had been discharged from the service.

In May 1968, the group played a concert in Detroit at Motown's Grande Ballroom opening for Cream. At the last minute, Silverman informed the others that he would not be joining them at the show. The band, desperately in need of the money, took to the stage as a trio. After discovering that they liked their sound as a threesome, the group decided to remain that way. In March 1969 the band (now consisting of Fox, Kriss and Walsh) released its debut LP, Yer' Album.^[1]

Later in 1969, the group's producer, Bill Szymczyk, was music coordinator for the movie Zachariah, a sort of "western rock musical" based on the novel Siddhartha by writer Hermann Hesse, directed by George Englund and co-written by Joe Massot and the Firesign Theater comedy group. He got the James Gang into the movie as performers and two new songs, "Laguna Salada" and "Country Fever", were recorded for the film. At the time of the songs' recording, a new singer/frontman, Kenny Weiss, was brought in, allowing Walsh to concentrate on his guitar playing. Weiss sang lead on "Country Fever" but was gone by the time the group flew down to Mexico to appear in the movie. "Laguna Salada" and "Country Fever" later reappeared as extra tracks on a 2000 re-release of James Gang - Greatest Hits.

In November 1969, bassist Tom Kriss was replaced by Dale Peters.

In July 1970, the band released its second album James Gang Rides Again, which included the popular single "Funk #49". The band opened for The Who during a tour of the United Kingdom.^[1]

After two more albums, Thirds (released in April 1971 and featuring the popular single "Walk Away" and apparently missing a jam with Little Richard, titled "But I Try", copyrighted that year but released 41 years later - June 2012) and the live album James Gang Live in Concert (December 1971), Walsh left the band (in late 1971) to embark on a solo career. Vocalist Roy Kenner and guitarist Domenic Troiano then joined the band for the next two albums, Passin' Thru (July 1972) and Straight Shooter (October 1972). But Troiano left in 1973 and ended up joining The Guess Who in 1974. He was replaced by Tommy Bolin (ex-Zephyr). Bolin appeared on two albums, Bang! and Miami, and his presence as an already popular guitarist figure temporarily bolstered the band's popularity, though they were never again as big a concert attraction as they had been during Walsh's tenure. Bolin ended up leaving the Gang in late August 1974 and went on to join Deep Purple by 1975.^[1]

By early 1975, Fox and Peters decided to try again with a new lineup that included vocalist Bubba Keith and guitarist Richard Shack who made an album, Newborn, featuring an Elvis Presley cover, "Heartbreak Hotel".^[1] Scottish guitarist Jimmy McCulloch had been approached to join the new lineup as well. But in the end, he elected to stay with Paul McCartney & Wings. The band released a final recording, Jesse Come Home, in February 1976, which referred to the band's namesake, the outlaw Jesse James, with the collaboration of early member Phil Giallombardo, who rejoined along with new guitarist/vocalist Bob Webb. But none of the post-Walsh lineups achieved the level of success they briefly enjoyed while Walsh was a member. Fox was the only remaining member of the original quintet when they disbanded early in 1977.^[1]

The "classic" lineup of the band (Walsh, Peters, Fox) reunited to perform at an election rally for Bill Clinton at the Cleveland State University Convocation Center on November 4, 1996. They also appeared on The Drew Carey Show in the 1998-99 season, where he reunited with Little Richard on "Rocky Mountain Way"; and at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Allen Theater in Cleveland for three shows in February 2001. In the summer of 2005 the group performed another handful of shows in the Cleveland area.

As of May 2004, Glenn Schwartz was playing guitar and singing Thursday nights at "Major Hooples" in the Flats, Cleveland.

In April 2006, it was announced that the Walsh, Peters, Fox lineup of the group would be touring the United States later that summer, featuring a keyboardist and backing vocalists. The trio appeared in August performing live on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Discography[link]

• Yer' Album (March 1969)
• James Gang Rides Again (July 1970)
• Thirds (April 1971)
• James Gang Live in Concert (December 1971)
• Passin' Thru (July 1972)
• Straight Shooter (October 1972)
• The Best Of Featuring Joe Walsh (January 1973)
• Bang (December 1973)
• 15 Greatest Hits (December 1973)
• Miami (August 1974)
• Newborn (May 1975)
• Jesse Come Home (February 1976)^[1]

Singles[link]

Band members[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Wolff, Carlo (2006). Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-886228-99-3

External links[link]

• James Gang 2006 website
• IMDb James Gang

Joe Walsh
Walsh in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Fidler Walsh
Born	(1947-11-20) November 20, 1947 (age 64) Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Genres	Rock, hard rock, folk rock, country rock, blues rock, electric blues
Occupations	Singer songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, bass, mandolin, clarinet, oboe, bagpipes
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Asylum, Epic, ABC
Associated acts	James Gang, Barnstorm, Eagles, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Website	joewalsh.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster

Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh (born November 20, 1947)^[1] is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands: the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles. He has also experienced success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B. King and Dan Fogelberg.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Walsh and his family lived in Columbus, Ohio for a number of years. His mother was a classically trained pianist. When Walsh was twelve years old the family moved to New York City. Later, Walsh moved to Montclair, New Jersey and attended Montclair High School there. While attending Kent State University, he spent time in various bands playing around the Cleveland area, including The Measles. Walsh began a lifelong hobby of amateur ("ham") radio with the callsign WB6ACU while living in New York City.

1960s and 1970s[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2007)

In January 1968 he replaced Glen Schwartz as lead guitarist for the James Gang, an American power trio. Walsh proved to be the band's star attraction, noted for his innovative rhythm playing and creative guitar riffs. In particular he was known for hot-wiring the pickups on his electric guitars to create his trademark "attack" sound.^[2] The James Gang had several minor hits and became an early album-oriented rock staple for the next two years, including James Gang Live at Carnegie Hall. In November, 1971 Walsh left the group and formed the group Barnstorm, although their albums credited Walsh as a solo artist. Walsh and Barnstorm released their debut, the eponymous Barnstorm in 1972. The album was a critical success, but had only moderate sales. The follow-up The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get (1973) was titled under his own name (although officially a Barnstorm album) and was Walsh's commercial breakthrough. The first single "Rocky Mountain Way" received heavy airplay and reached #23 on the US Top 40 chart. In 1974 Barnstorm disbanded and Walsh continued as a solo artist.

In December 1974, Walsh released an official solo album, So What and in March 1976, a live set, You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind. These would be his last solo albums until 1978. On December 20, 1975 he joined the Eagles as Bernie Leadon's replacement. His addition steered the band toward a harder-edged sound and away from their early country-style work, and he was featured prominently on their multi-million-selling album Hotel California, co-writing the Top 20 hit "Life in the Fast Lane" (with Don Henley and Glenn Frey) and "Pretty Maids All in a Row" (co-written with former Barnstorm drummer Joe Vitale).

As the Eagles struggled to record the follow-up to Hotel California, Walsh re-ignited his solo career with the well-received album But Seriously, Folks... (1978) which featured his hit comic depiction of rock stardom, "Life's Been Good". Walsh also contributed "In the City" to The Warriors soundtrack (1979), a song penned and sung by Walsh that was later rerecorded for the Eagles The Long Run album.

1980s-present[link]

Following the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, Walsh continued to release albums throughout the 1980s, but sales were poor. He maintained a low profile until the mid-1990s. In late 1984 Walsh was contacted by Australian musician Paul Christie, former bassist in Mondo Rock, who invited him to come to Australia to perform with The Party Boys, an all-star group with a floating membership of well-known Australian rock musicians, which included acclaimed guitarist Kevin Borich, with whom Walsh became good friends. Walsh accepted and performed with the Party Boys on their late 1984-early 1985 Australian tour and appeared on their live album You Need Professional Help. He remained in Australia for some time after the tour, putting together the short-lived touring group Creatures From America, with Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Rick Rosas (bass) and Australian drummer Richard Harvey (Divinyls, The Party Boys). Walsh returned to Australia in 1989 to tour with another incarnation of The Party Boys. Walsh toured with Ringo Starr in 1989, alternating a handful of his best-known songs with Ringo's tunes, as did all the members of the "All Starr" band. Walsh sang the US National Anthem at the beginning of game four of the 1995 World Series. In 1989, Walsh recorded a MTV Unplugged with the R&B musician Dr. John. Also in 1989 Walsh filmed a live concert from the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Etta James and Albert Collins. 'Jazzvisions: Jump The Blues Away'.

While producing their Homegrown album in 1989, Walsh briefly joined New Zealand reggae band Herbs. Although he had left by the time of its 1990 release, he still appears as lead vocalist on two tracks, "Up All Night" and "It's Alright", and the album includes the first recording of his "Ordinary Average Guys" (sung by late Herbs bassist Charlie Tumahai), which subsequently became a solo hit for Walsh as "Ordinary Average Guy".^[3]

In late 1990, Walsh was part of a band called The Best, along with keyboardist Keith Emerson, bassist John Entwistle, guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and drummer Simon Phillips. The band performed several shows in Hawaii and Japan, with a live video resulting.

In 1994, Walsh reunited with the Eagles for a highly successful reunion tour and live album, Hell Freezes Over. Walsh has toured regularly with the Eagles since then and the group released their first new studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, in 2007.

In June 2004, Walsh performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas. He was also featured in September 2004 at The Strat Pack, a concert held in London, England to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar.

In 2006, Walsh reunited with Jim Fox and Dale Peters of the James Gang for a 15-date summer reunion tour. The tour lasted into the fall.

Walsh's song "One Day At A Time" deals with his struggles with alcoholism. He has been in recovery since 1995.

In 2008, Walsh appeared on the Carvin 60th Anniversary Celebration DVD as a celebrity endorser. In the recorded interview, he highly praised Carvin guitars and claims that the bridge design is "just like the first Les Paul models. I can't even get Gibson to reissue it."

Walsh has been a contributor to such causes as halfway houses for displaced adult women in Wichita, Kansas.

Walsh ran for President of the United States in 1980 on top of his music career as a mock campaign. He promised to make "Life's Been Good" the new national anthem if he won, and ran on a platform of "Free Gas For Everyone." Though Walsh was not old enough to actually assume the office, he wanted to raise public awareness of the election. In 1992 Walsh ran for vice president with Rev. Goat Carson under the slogan "We Want Our Money Back!".

Walsh currently has a new album, Analog Man, scheduled for release on June 5th, 2012. The album was co-produced by Jeff Lynne, with Tommy Lee James co-writing some of the album's tracks. ^[4]

Notable appearances[link]

Walsh performing with the Eagles in 2009.

Walsh has produced albums for artists such as Dan Fogelberg and Ringo Starr. He was a background musician (1st guitar solo) on Eagles bandmate Don Henley's 1982 hit "Dirty Laundry" (listed as such in the liner notes of I Can't Stand Still and Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits). Walsh played guitar throughout Who bassist John Entwistle's 1981 solo album Too Late The Hero. Walsh has also contributed to albums by: America's, REO Speedwagon, Andy Gibb, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steve Winwood and Richard Marx hit "Don't Mean Nothing".^[5]

Onscreen Walsh has appeared in: The Blues Brothers, RoboCop, Promised Land,The Drew Carey Show, Duckman, Mad TV, Rock the Cradle and Zachariah.

On Feb.12, 2012, Walsh appeared on stage with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and McCartney's band at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to close out the Grammy Awards show.

Walsh was a regular guest deejay on the Los Angeles radio station, KLOS during the mid-1980s. They had a Saturday evening feature, with celebrity guest-hosts taking over the mic (Walsh was the guest host far more frequently than any other). He was also a frequent guest and guest-host of Detroit & Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl.

Personal life[link]

Joe Walsh in front of his vintage amateur radio station WB6ACU

Walsh holds an Amateur Extra Class Amateur Radio License. His station callsign is WB6ACU.^[6] In 2006 he donated an autographed guitar to the ARRL in Newington, Connecticut for its charity auction. He has also been involved with the group's "Big Project," which brings amateur radio into schools. Walsh has included Morse Code messages in his albums on two occasions: once on the album Barnstorm ("Register and Vote"), and later on Songs for a Dying Planet ("Register and Vote for Me").

Walsh is best known as a guitarist, but has also played keyboards, bass guitar, harmonica, bagpipes, oboe, and clarinet.

Walsh married Marjorie Bach (sister of Barbara Bach) in Los Angeles on December 13, 2008, making him a brother-in-law of Ringo Starr.

Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh, is also a musician; she has worked with Ashlee Simpson and others, and released her debut album, Lost in the Lights, in spring 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Walsh's eldest daughter, Emma Kristen, was born in 1971 and died in 1974 at the age of only 3 as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident on her way to nursery school. Her story inspired the track "Song For Emma" on his album So What released later that year. In her memory, he had a fountain and memorial plaque placed in a park in which she played, North Boulder Park in Boulder, Colorado. While touring with singer Stevie Nicks in 1984, Walsh took Nicks to the park's fountain; Nicks subsequently immortalized this story in her song "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" on her 1985 album Rock A Little. Nicks stated in a 2007 interview with the UK's The Daily Telegraph that Walsh had been "the great love of her life."

In October 2004, Walsh undertook speaking engagements in New Zealand to warn against the dangers of substance abuse. He said the visit was a "thank you" to people who took him to Otatara Pa when he toured New Zealand with reggae band Herbs while under heavy alcohol and cocaine addictions in 1989, an experience he has cited as the beginning of a long journey back to health.^[7]

At Otatara Pa in 2004 Walsh said, "This is a special place, and it is very special to me. It was here on a visit many years ago, up on the hills, that I had a moment of clarity. I don't understand it, but I reconnected with my soul, and I remembered who I used to be. I admitted I had problems and I had to do something about it. It was the beginning of my recovery from my addiction to alcohol and drugs, and when I got back to America it gave me the courage to seek help."^[8]

Jimmy Page's sunburst 1959 Gibson Les Paul, better known as his "Number 1" was originally owned by Joe Walsh and was sold to Page in 1970.^[9]

Kent State University awarded Walsh an honorary degree in music in December 2001.^[10]

Instruments[link]

Guitars[link]

• Fender Telecaster Butterscottesch, Sunburst, Blonde, Natural White, other finishes
• Fender Stratocaster Black, White, Sunburst, Turquoise Green, Candy apple Red
• Duesenberg Double Cat 6 Sunburst
• Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo used on the song The Long Run & Rocky Mountain Way
• 1959 Gibson Les Paul that was given/sold to Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in April 1969^[11]
• Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony & Sunburst
• Gibson Les Paul Supreme Sunburst used on the song Get over it to his playing slide guitar
• Gibson ES-335 Sunburst
• Zemaitis Custom De Luxe Guitar used in concert on Farewell Concert Tour
• Music Man Guitars various finishes used in The Long Run of Eden Tour
• Gretsch Country Club Models Candy Apple Red & White
• Various Model Carvin & Fernandes Guitars
• Takamine & Guild Acoustic Guitars
• Ibanez : Joe Satriani model with humbucking pickups,silver, red etc.
• Carvin California Carved Top guitar

Amplifiers[link]

• Fender
• Dr. Z

Other instruments[link]

• Fender Rhodes Piano
• Hammond Organ
• Roland JD-990
• Korg Karma
• Korg Trinity
• Moog Synthesizers
• Clavia Nord Modular
• Clavia Nord Electro
• Harmonium
• Mellotron
• Yamaha Piano
• Baldwin Grand Piano
• Fender Precision Bass
• Gibson F-4 Mandolin
• Gibson F-5 Mandolin
• Clarinet
• Oboe
• Bagpipes
• Talkbox
• Timpani

Discography[link]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joe Walsh

External links[link]

• Official website