 Greg Kihn began his career in his hometown of Baltimore, MD, working in the
singer/songwriter mold, but switched to straightforward rock & roll when he
moved to San Francisco in
1974. The following year,
Greg Kihn became one of the first artists signed to Matthew
Kaufman's now-legendary Beserkley Records. Along with
Jonathan Richman,
Earthquake, and
the Rubinoos,
Greg Kihn helped to carve the label's sound -- melodic pop with a strong '60s pop
sensibility -- a refreshing alternative to the bloated prog rock of the time. In
1976, after his debut on the compilation Beserkley Chartbusters,
Greg Kihn recorded his
first album with his own band consisting of Ronnie Dunbar (guitar),
Steve Wright (bass), and Larry Lynch (drums). Through the '70s, he released
an album each year and built a strong cult following through constant touring,
becoming Beserkley's biggest seller. In 1981,
Greg Kihn earned his first bonafide hit
with the Top 20 single, "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)," from the
Rockihnroll album. He continued in a more commercial vein through the '80s with
a series of pun-titled albums: Kihntinued (1982), Kihnspiracy (1983),
Kihntageous (1984), and Citizen Kihn (1985).
Greg Kihn scored his biggest hit with
1983's "Jeopardy" (number two) from the Kihnspiracy album. One more single broke
the Top 40, 1985's "Lucky," but by the time Love and Rock and Roll was released
in 1986, the puns had run out and so had the hits.
Kihn kept a relatively low profile throughout the '90s, releasing Mutiny in
1994 and Horror Show in 1996. All the Right Reasons followed in mid-2000. ~
Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Greg Kihn for your next corporate or private event.
|
