The B-52s are an American new wave band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976 and currently consists of Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson.
The meeting of The B-52s could be described as a stroke of fate. After sharing some strong alcoholic beverages at a Chinese restaurant in Georgia, vocalist Cindy Wilson and her older brother guitarist Ricky joined vocalist Kate Pierson, original drummer and percussionist Keith Strickland and vocalist Fred Schneider in an impromptu musical jam. Shortly after they played their first gig as a unit at a friend's Valentine's Day party.
The band's managed to gain crucial backing from record labels in the early days partially helped by the strength of their debut single 'Rock Lobster' which charted worldwide. In 1979 The B-52's signed contracts with Warner Bros. Records for North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand; and with Island Records for the UK, Europe, and Asia.
The debut self titled album went on to chart within the top 30 of the UK charts and top 60 in the US, a moderate success for a new artist. The next album 'Wild Planet' spawned three top 5 US dance chart hits and increased the band's chart peaks around the world. On October 12, 1985 Ricky Wilson died from the illness HIV/AIDS at the age of 32 with his other bandmates unaware he was even suffering from the disease. With Cindy Wilson devastated by her brother's death, and her bandmates too being depressed about Ricky's passing, the band went into seclusion and did not tour to promote their album nor the group, prompting a hiatus from their musical careers.
They reformed in 1989 with the 'Cosmic Thing' album which included a number of hit worldwide singles, including their biggest US Billboard hit 'Love Shack'. In 1990 the B-52's were nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year. They won two awards, Best Group Video and Best Art Direction. Their tour schedule has been consistent throughout their career.
Hannah Cohen
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