We spent a lot of time honing those early songs, working out the instrumentation and vocal harmonies. What were your expectations at the time?īUNNELL : It was the era of singer-songwriters like Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, and after high school we began writing our own songs. You’re fresh out of high school and you’re making your first record for Warner Bros.

Our influences ranged from the Beach Boys and Beatles to Simon and Garfunkel, the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield and more. We absorbed the British music scene while also getting the American releases at the base. During that time we shared our musical influences and sought out the live music and records of the day in London, seeing most of the great bands live like the Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones. By 1964, the Beatles arrived and the British Invasion music became a huge influence -I formed a band in the 8 th grade playing songs like “House of the Rising Sun.” Then in 1966 my father was assigned to a base in England, where I spent my sophomore year of high school and continued to strum my guitar, and then we ultimately moved to London where I met Gerry and Dan and we graduated from high school together in 1969. That’s when I first picked up a guitar and began to teach myself the surf music instrumentals. In the early ’60s we lived in California and I discovered the surf music of the day - Dick Dale, the Ventures, the Surfaris and ultimately, the Beach Boys. Can you talk about who those influences were, and tell us how your shared upbringing as the sons of Air Force personnel stationed in London shaped your sound?īUNNELL : Being part of a military family involved moving to several bases around the country and the world during my youth, which exposed me to different cultures and lifestyles. QUESTION: America is associated with the California sound of the early 1970s, but the group has a myriad of influences. Tickets are on now on sale at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via phone (800) 827-2946 or online by clicking here.įounded by singer-songwriters Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with the late Dan Peek), the group is best known for its catalog of ’70s classic rock staples, including “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “I Need You,” “Lonely People,” and “Tin Man.” Bunnell reflected on the group’s legacy in a recent interview. Grammy Award-winning folk-rock duo America is currently on tour in celebration of its 50 th anniversary, including a stop at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Saturday, May 11 at 8 PM.

America Celebrates 50 Years of Folk-Rock Hits at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

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