jda
Diamond Member
Tommy James yes..
but nary a Shondell survived
en.wikipedia.org
but nary a Shondell survived
![Crying face :cry: 😢](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/7.0/png/unicode/64/1f622.png)
![en.wikipedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Tommy_James_%26_the_Shondells_2010_tour.jpg/1200px-Tommy_James_%26_the_Shondells_2010_tour.jpg)
Am I alone in being less than enthused by these bands?
There's just something dissatisfying about bands carrying on using the name of the original successful group despite having zero members who wrote or recorded any of the hits for which the group is known. I find it hard enough to swallow when it's just one original member, let alone zero. It's just so... insincere.
I don't think Heart really counts though. Technically, the band existed at the club level before Ann and Nancy joined, but the band that got signed to a record deal had the sisters in it. If the sisters hadn't joined, likely the band would never have gotten signed and no one ever hears of them.Heart!
I envision KISS becoming something of a franchise whereby there will eventually be several touring groups with members dressed like the original four. It'll be something similar to Menudo where the members are easily interchangeable.Foreigner to an extent, but KISS still has Gene and Paul who I assume will be on the "No, really, this is the last time!" tour in 2026.
I agree.Am I alone in being less than enthused by these bands?
There's just something dissatisfying about bands carrying on using the name of the original successful group despite having zero members who wrote or recorded any of the hits for which the group is known. I find it hard enough to swallow when it's just one original member, let alone zero. It's just so... insincere.
Thanks for clearing that up. I figured YOU would know!Barry Whitwam was the original drummer and he's got a band touring with a similar Hermits name. Peter Noone also tours.
Kind of the same for Bow Wow Wow... Annabella has her Bow Wow Wow band, and Leigh Gorman (the original bassist) has his Bow Wow Wow band.
And just how many "Starship" bands are there now?
Artimus wasn't the original drummer though. However, he was there for most of their prime. Bob Burns was the original drummer.Iron Butterfly. No original members left in the band. The only one still alive is Doug Ingle.
Several years ago, the Sellersville Theatre in Bucks County, PA brought the fake Iron Butterfly in for a couple of shows, and were pressured by their agent to offer a paid meet & greet after the show. I was aghast. People had to pay to get their old albums signed by a bunch of anonymous musicians who were leasing the name. What a fraud. I was so incensed, I spoke to the theater's owner and explained to her that it was a ripoff. The Sellersville Theatre is a very nice small venue, very clean and well maintained, with a great staff, and they present shows that are reasonably priced, so this little escapade seemed totally opposite of the way they usually do things. She said she understood, but the meet & greet happened anyway.
Likewise, years ago, some band of nobodies were out on the circuit calling themselves The Byrds. They apparently leased the name from drummer Michael Clark, who at one time, had legal rights to the band's name, simply because McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman weren't using it. Clark had a history of using The Byrds' name for his own gain, hiring mostly unknown musicians. By that time, David Crosby owned the name, so I called his manager, Elliot Roberts, and informed him of what was going on. Within two or three weeks, the fake Byrds were history.
Blackfoot's Ricky Medlocke leased the band's name out to four no-names several years ago as well. At least he put out a press release and website telling fans about it. I don't know if they are still around or not. I saw Skynyrd on TV for a minute on NYE lip synching "Sweet Home Alabama" with Medlocke on guitar. Technically, he was an original member of the band, but left before they recorded their first album. If you don't consider him original, then Skynyrd has no original members either. They're all dead, with the exception of Artimus Pyle, and maybe one or two backup singers.
The whole "fake band" thing just reeks of greed and dishonesty.
Avatars.... who's original in Foreigner?Foreigner to an extent, but KISS still has Gene and Paul who I assume will be on the "No, really, this is the last time!" tour in 2026.
I think in their case it's a matter of aging-out, but certainly none of the originals are there anymore.It'll be something similar to Menudo where the members are easily interchangeable.
did Weird AL ever perform in Greensburg, Pa. Palace Theater
weirdly remember maybe +/-?
I know. Bob Burns was gone before their real popularity occurred.Artimus wasn't the original drummer though. However, he was there for most of their prime. Bob Burns was the original drummer.
Maybe the only guy left is Rich, the sax player.Are there any original members still playing with Roomful of Blues?
They've had probably 50 different members over the years...