Collective Soul and The Stews (US)

The group currently consists of lead vocalist Ed Roland, rhythm guitarist Dean Roland, bassist Will Turpin, drummer Johnny Rabb and lead guitarist Jesse Triplett. Lead singer, Roland, is responsible for the band’s formation in the early 90s. He has worked in the music scene since the mid 80s, performing and making demos in his home town of Stockbridge. He started recruiting musicians in order to put a band together and throughout the years, the line-up of Collective Soul changed radically, with members coming and going until Collective Soul was made of the line up we see today.

The band’s breakthrough came early in their career: in 1993 their first official single ‘Shine’ became a mainstream hit and led to them being signed by Atlantic Records, a leading record label company. Following this surprise hit, Atlantic records quickly released the band’s first demo, hoping to cash in on their sudden popularity. The album was a success and went on to achieve double platinum status.

Since this early success, Collective Soul have gone on to achieve enormous mainstream recognition. They have since recorded seven Number one rock hits. Some of their most famous singles include ‘Breathe’, ‘Wasting Time’, ‘Gel’ , ‘December’ and, of course, smash hit ‘Shine’. In 2004 the band created their own independent music label, El music Group, that allowed them greater control over their music and what they released. The band received an enormous honour in 2009 when they were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in September.