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Biography
Founded by former Ides of March guitarist and keyboardist Jim Peterik in 1978, the guitarist subsequently invited guitarist Drankie Sullivan and lead singer Dave Bickler to record an eponymous debut album. Featuring session musician Dennis Johnson on bass and Gary Smith on drums, the 1980 album spawned the Chicago hit single “Somewhere in America”. Bass player Stephen Ellis and drummer Marc Droubay were subsequently added to the lineup for the supporting tour and future releases.
Survivor earned their breakthrough upon being asked by Sylvester Stallone to write the soundtrack to “Rocky III” and returned with the smash hit single “Eye of the Tiger”. With arena-filling sound, a seductive opening riff and climatic prowess, the record spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and later won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. The album “Eye of the Tiger” followed later in 1982, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and producing the singles “Ever Since the World Began” and “American Heartbeat”.
Unable to promote their third album due to lead singer Bickler’s vocal perils, 1983’s “Caught in the Game” was a commercial disappointment, peaking at No. 82 on the Billboard 200. By early 1984 Bickler was ordered to continue resting his throat, which resulted in him being replaced by former Target and Cobra frontman Jimi Jamison. The new singer's debut “The Moment of Truth” arrived in 1984, known as the theme song to the film “The Karate Kid”. Peaking at No. 63 the single paved the way for Jamison’s debut album “Vital Signs” in August 1984, representing a resurgence in popularity for the group. Spawning the No. 13 single “I Can’t Hold Back”, No. 8 “High on You”, and No. 4 “The Search is Over”, the record marked Survivor’s reluctance to become a one-hit-wonder band.
A year later the band contributed the song “Burning Heart” to the “Rocky IV” soundtrack, which later peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The full-length “When Seconds Count” followed in 1986, led by the single “Is This Love”, after which bassist Ellis developed a stomach ulcer and needed roadie Rocko Reedy to fill-in. A year later Survivor’s seventh studio album “Too Hot to Sleep” was released, which the band supported with an unusually modest tour. Following the album's release Survivor took a hiatus, however, ultimately returned in 2006 to issue their eighth full-length album “Reach”.
Live reviews
‘Eye of the Tiger’ may be one of the biggest rock tracks of all time, but any suggestion that Survivor are one-hit wonders should be give short shrift. During their eighties heyday, they notched up a further four top ten hits in their native U.S., including ‘Burning Heart’, ‘The Search Is Over’, ‘High on You’ and ‘Is This Love’, and continued in the face of some serious adversity, including the flop of 1983 Eye of the Tiger follow-up Caught in the Game (it peaked at number eighty-two in the U.S.) and an apparent revolving door policy as far as the lineup was concerned, with Jimi Jamison’s replacement of Dave Bickler as frontman the most obvious upheaval. After a brief split running from 1989 to 1993, the band have been recording and touring ever since, although constant changes to the lineup have made the former a fraught process; a legal battle over who actually owned the rights to the name Survivor dominated proceedings for the band through the nineties, and as a result, only 2006’s Reach is an official post-eighties release by the band. Presently, the band are touring with both Bickler and Jamison, allowing them to tap into both singers’ share of their expansive back catalogue, which will no doubt prove a serious treat for fans; they’ve lined up a slew of dates in the UK for October, so you can find out for yourself then.
The photo shown is NOT the current line-up. Dave Bikler is NOT currently performing with Survivor, or Walter-the keyboard player.
I went to Epcot at Disney World and saw them perform every show- great sounding band! Cameron the lead singer currently working with them is AMAZING- great VOICE!! Yes he could dance a bit more- but what a VOICE !!!
The BAND sounded great and the keyboard solo with Frankie was a definite HIGHLIGHT !!
Hoping to catch them in Florida again in 2019!!
SONGKICK- FIX THE PHOTO- super misleading to people....