R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early '80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Though there were no overt innovations in their music, R.E.M. had an identity and sense of purpose that transformed the American underground.

Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-'80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the '90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom. It did take R.E.M. several years to break into the top of the charts, but they had a cult following from the release of their debut EP, Chronic Town, in 1982. Chronic Town established the haunting folk and garage rock that became the band's signature sound, and over the next five years, they continued to expand their music with a series of critically acclaimed albums. By the late '80s, the group's fan base had grown large enough to guarantee strong sales, but the Top Ten success in 1987 of Document and "The One I Love" was unexpected, especially since R.E.M. had only altered their sound slightly. Following Document, R.E.M. slowly became one of the world's most popular bands. After an exhaustive international tour supporting 1988's Green, the band retired from touring for six years and retreated into the studio to produce their most popular records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992). By the time they returned to performing with the Monster tour in 1995, the band had been acknowledged by critics and musicians as one of the forefathers of the thriving alternative rock movement, and they were rewarded with the most lucrative tour of their career. Toward the late '90s, R.E.M. was an institution, as its influence was felt in new generations of bands. 

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Though R.E.M. formed in Athens, GA, in 1980, Mike Mills (born December 17, 1958) and Bill Berry (born July 31, 1958) were the only Southerners in the group. Both had attended high school together in Macon, playing in a number of bands during their teens. Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960) was a military brat, moving throughout the country during his childhood. By his teens, he had discovered punk rock through Patti Smith, Television, and Wire, and began playing in cover bands in St. Louis. By 1978, he had begun studying art at the University of Georgia in Athens, where he began frequenting the Wuxtry record store. Peter Buck (born December 6, 1956), a native of California, was a clerk at Wuxtry. Buck had been a fanatical record collector, consuming everything from classic rock to punk and free jazz, and was just beginning to learn how to play guitar. Discovering they had similar tastes, Buck and Stipe began working together, eventually meeting Berry and Mills through a mutual friend. In April of 1980, the band formed to play a party for their friend, rehearsing a number of garage, psychedelic bubblegum, and punk covers in an converted Episcopalian church. At the time, the group was played under the name the Twisted Kites. By the summer, the band had settled on the name R.E.M. after flipping randomly through the dictionary, and had met Jefferson Holt, who became their manager after witnessing the group's first out-of-state concert in North Carolina. 

Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the South, playing a variety of garage rock covers and folk-rock originals. At the time, the band was still learning how to play, as Buck began to develop his distinctive, arpeggiated jangle and Stipe ironed out his cryptic lyrics. During the summer of 1981, R.E.M. recorded their first single, "Radio Free Europe," at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios. Released on the local indie label Hib-Tone, "Radio Free Europe" was pressed in a run of only 1,000 copies, but most of the those singles fell into the right hands. Due to strong word of mouth, the single became a hit on college radio and topped the Village Voice's year-end poll of Best Independent Singles. The single also earned the attention of larger independent labels, and by the beginning of 1982, the band had signed to I.R.S. Records, releasing the EP Chronic Town in the spring. Like the single, Chronic Town was well received, paving the way for the group's full-length debut album, 1983's Murmur. 

With its subdued, haunting atmosphere and understated production, Murmur was noticeably different than Chronic Town and was welcomed with enthusiastic reviews upon its spring release; Rolling Stone named it the best album of 1983, beating out Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Police's Synchronicity. Murmur also expanded the group's cult significantly, breaking into the American Top 40. R.E.M. returned to a rougher-edged sound on 1984's Reckoning, which featured the college hit "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)." By the time the band hit the road to support Reckoning, they had become well known in the American underground for their constant touring, aversion to videos, support of college radio, Stipe's mumbled vocals and detatched stage presence, Buck's ringing guitar, and their purposely enigmatic artwork. Bands that imitated these very things ran rampant throughout the American underground, and R.E.M. threw their support toward these bands, having them open at shows and mentioning them in interviews. By 1985, the American underground was awash with R.E.M. sound-alikes and bands like Game Theory and the Rain Parade, which shared similar aesthetics and sounds. 

Just as the signature R.E.M. sound dominated the underground, the band entered darker territory with its third album, 1985's Fables of the Reconstruction. Recorded in London with producer Joe Boyd (Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake), Fables of the Reconstruction was made at a difficult period in R.E.M.'s history, as the band was fraught with tension produced by endless touring. The album reflected the group's dark moods, as well as its obsession with the rural South, and both of these fascinations popped up on the supporting tour. Stipe, whose on-stage behavior was always slightly strange, entered his most bizarre phase, as he put on weight, dyed his hair bleached blonde, and wore countless layers of clothing. None of the new quirks in R.E.M.'s persona prevented Fables of the Reconstruction from becoming their most successful album to date, selling nearly 300,000 copies in the U.S. R.E.M. decided to record their next album with Don Gehman, who had previously worked with John Mellencamp. Gehman had the band clean up its sound and Stipe enunciate his vocals, making Lifes Rich Pageant their most accessible record to date. Upon its late summer release in 1986, Lifes Rich Pageant was greeted with the positive reviews that had become customary with each new R.E.M. album, and it outstripped the sales of its predecessor. Several months after Lifes Rich Pageant, the group released the B-sides and rarities collection Dead Letter Office in the spring of 1987. 

R.E.M. had laid the groundwork for mainstream success, but they had never explicitly courted widespread success. Nevertheless, their audience had grown quite large, and it wasn't that surprising that the group's fifth album, Document, became a hit shortly after its fall 1987 release. Produced by Scott Litt -- who would produce all of their records over the course of the next decade -- Document climbed into the U.S. Top Ten and went platinum on the strength of the single "The One I Love," which also went into the Top Ten; it also became their biggest U.K. hit to date, reaching the British Top 40. The following year, the band left I.R.S. Records, signing with Warner Bros. for a reported six million dollars. The first album under the new contract was Green, which was released on election day 1988. Green continued the success of Document, going double platinum and generating the Top Ten single "Stand." R.E.M. supported Green with an exhaustive international tour, in which they played their first stadium dates in the U.S. Though they had graduated to stadiums in America, the group continued to play clubs throughout Europe.

The Green tour proved to be draining for the group, and they took an extended rest upon its completion in 1989. During the break, each member pursued side projects, and Hindu Love Gods, an album Buck, Berry, and Mills recorded with Warren Zevon in 1986, was released. R.E.M. reconvened during 1990 to record their seventh album, Out of Time, which was released in the spring of 1991. Entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one, Out of Time was a lush pop and folk album, boasting a wider array of sounds than the group's previous efforts; its lead single, "Losing My Religion," became the group's biggest single, reaching number four in the U.S. Since the band was exhausted from the Green tour, they chose to stay off the road. Nevertheless, Out of Time became their biggest album, selling over four million copies in the U.S. and spending two weeks at the top of the charts. R.E.M. released the dark, meditative Automatic for the People in the fall of 1992. Though the group had promised a rock album after the softer textures of Out of Time, Automatic for the People was slow, quiet, and reflective, with many songs being graced by string arrangements by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Like its predecessor, Automatic for the People was a quadruple platinum success, generating the Top 40 hit singles "Drive," "Man on the Moon," and "Everybody Hurts." 

After piecing together two albums in the studio, R.E.M. decided to return to being a rock band with 1994's Monster. Though the record was conceived as a back-to-basics album, the recording of Monster was difficult and plagued with tension. Nevertheless, the album was a huge hit upon its fall release, entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one; furthermore, the album won praise from a number of old-school critics who had been reluctant to praise the band, since they didn't "rock" in conventional terms. Experiencing some of the strongest sales and reviews of their career, R.E.M. began their first tour since Green early in 1995. Two months into the tour, Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm while performing; he had surgery immediately and had fully recovered within a month. R.E.M. resumed their tour two months after Berry's aneurysm, but his illness was only the beginning of a series of problems that plagued the Monster tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to remove a hernia. Despite all the problems, the tour was an enormous financial success, and the group recorded the bulk of a new album. Before the record was released in the fall of 1996, R.E.M. parted ways with their long-time manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against Holt; the group's lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties. 

New Adventures in Hi-Fi was released in September 1996, just before it was announced that the band had re-signed with Warner Bros., reportedly for a record-breaking sum of 80 million dollars. In light of such a huge figure, the commercial failure of New Adventures in Hi-Fi was ironic. Though it received strong reviews and debuted at number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K., the album failed to generate a hit single, and it only went platinum where its three predecessors went quadruple platinum. By early 1997, the album had already begun its descent down the charts. However, the members of R.E.M. were already pursuing new projects, as Stipe worked with his film company, Single Cell Pictures, and Buck co-wrote songs with Mark Eitzel and worked with a free jazz group, Tuatara. 

In October of 1997, R.E.M. shocked fans and the media with the announcement that Berry was amicably exiting the group to retire to life on his farm; the remaining members continued on as a three-piece, soon convening in Hawaii to begin preliminary work on their next LP. Replacing Berry with a drum machine, the sessions resulted in 1998's Up, widely touted as R.E.M.'s most experimental recording in years. It was only a brief change of direction, since the band's next album, 2001's Reveal, marked a return to their classic sound. Around the Sun followed in 2004. A worldwide tour followed in 2005, which included an appearance at the London branch of Live 8. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same year, they began work on Accelerate, which was released in 2008.

Sources: artistdirect.com; Brenna Sanchez

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Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack Jr., better known by the stage name Dr. John (also Dr. John Creaux), is an American singer/songwriter, pianist and guitarist whose music combines blues, boogie woogie and rock and roll.

After his professional music career began in New Orleans in 1950s, Dr John concentrated on guitar as his primary instrument, gigged with regional bands and scored his first hit with instrumental Storm Warning. However, his playing career came to an end when his left ring finger was injured by a gunshot during a fight. After the injury, Dr John took up bass guitar, before making the piano his primary instrument.

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By the late 1960s, he went on to become a session musician for the likes of Sonny and Cher and Canned Heat amongst others. It was his own solo career, beginning in 1968 with his debut album Gris Gris,that gained him the attention he deserved. The album, combining voodoo rhythms and chants with the New Orleans music tradition, was an instant success and Rolling Stone Magazine have since ranked it in their top 500 albums of all time. Along with Gris-Gris, Dr. John is perhaps best known for his recordings during 1972-1974. 1972's Dr. John's Gumbo, covering several New Orleans R&B classics, is considered a cornerstone in New Orleans music.

Since his hey day, Dr John has continued to write and record for various artists and movies soundtracks and in 2008 he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. (SM)

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Morrissey, the iconic Manchester singer-songwriter has been widely celebrated for over 25 years for his insightful lyrics and unique voice. He was in the highly influential and much-loved The Smiths between 1983 and 1987, but has performed solo since 1988, his first album, ''Viva Hate'' hit No.1, spawning singles ''Suedehead'' and ''Everyday Is Like Sunday''.

The indie star has had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK, and No.1 albums include ''Vauxhall And I'' and ''Ringleader Of The Tormentors''.

His popularity waned in the late 90s, but came back with a vengeance in 2004 with the album ''You Are The Quarry'' which contained his biggest ever hit ''Irish Blood, English Heart'', peaking at No.2 in the UK charts.

Morrissey is known for his strong animal rights and vegetarian beliefs, his love of Oscar Wilde, 60s girl singers, James Dean and 50s and 60s kitchen sink dramas, which all feed into his music.

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Rolling Stone magazine have named him as one of the ''100 Greatest Singers Of All Time''.

In October 2009 he collapsed during the opening song in his set ''This Charming Man'' and was rushed to hospital, he recovered and performed at the Royal Albert Hall two days later.

Wendy Gabriel

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Etta James is a truly legendary American singer. Her career spans over five decades, dozens of albums, four Grammy Awards and her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Her vocal styles have changed over the years. Originally, she was positioned as a doo-wop singer. This evolved in to jazz and then finally her gravelly voice was best suited to blues and soul.

In recent years, she has been seen as crossing the divide between R&B and Rock-n-Roll. Her voice and talent have been documented as an inspiration for Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin and the Motown diva, Diana Ross.

Even with a prolific catalogue of acclaimed records, it’s only been in the last decade that she has received mainstream industry recognition. James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and she was awarded four Grammies in 1995, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

James had her first #1 single in 1955 with “The Wallflower” but she is more known for her crossover breakthrough in the 60s when she released “At Last”, “Trust In Me” “Pushover” and “Something’s Got a Hold On Me”, all top ten hits.

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In the mid-60s, James began an epic battle with heroin that, according to her autobiography, would eventually last well into her 50s. But she continued to belt out big hits and remained a concert attraction.

Her career went into a standstill until the late 80s and 90s. She collaborated with Def Jam rapper, Delicious Vinyl. James was now exposed to a younger generation through the popular fusion of hip hop and jazz as well as the song “I Just Wanna Make Love To You” featured on a Coca-Cola TV commercial.

The 2000s were a big decade for James. In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and also was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. She shed over 200 pounds. Rolling Stone named her #64 of the Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2006, she added her distinctive vocals to an album of covers featuring songs from Prince, John Lennon, Simply Red and Marvin Gaye. She participated in a tribute album to another jazz great, Ella Fitzgerald. And pop sensation, Beyoncè Knowles, played a younger version of James in the 2008 movie called Cadillac Records.

Juanita Appleby

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American rock band, Grateful Dead, emerged from the San Fransisco bay area in 1965 fusing many different types of music to become one of the best-loved bands of that era.

They were ranked 55th in the issue: ''Greatest Artists of All Time'' by Rolling Stone magazine and were comprised of Jerry Garcia (lead guitarist) also a reluctant leader, Phil Lesh (bass), Bob Weir ( rhythm guitar), Ron 'Pigpen' McKernon (keyboards/harmonica) and Bill Kreutzman (drums).

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The line-up changed over their 30 year history, but with the exception of McKernon the core stayed the same until Garcia, a charismatic man with a tendency to self-destruction - obesity and drug abuse - died.

Eleven members of Grateful Dead were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their early music was seen as an interpretation of psychedelia, and they gained commercial success with ''Workingman's Dead'' and ''American Beauty''.

The band were well-known for their gargantuan touring - with 2,300 live concerts under their belts in three decades, no wonder their fans - the Deadheads - were so devoted.

In 2008 the Grateful Dead put on two concerts for president Obama entitled "Change Rocks" and "Deadheads for Obama", the Grateful Dead have decided to re-unite and tour in 2009.

Wendy Gabriel

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Blondie was formed in 1974 by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. The pair had met and struck up a relationship while with New York-based band The Stilettos a year earlier. After a few personnel changes and the renaming of the band from Angel and the Snake to Blondie in 1975, Blondie consisted of Harry, Stein, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, bassist Gary Valentine and drummer Clem Burke.

Blondie first real success came in 1977, mainly due to a mistake. The Australian music show Countdown was meant to show the video for Blondie’s first single from their self-titled debut album, “X-Offender”, but instead showed the B-side, “In The Flesh”. The song was received well by the Australian audience, and a positive article in Rolling Stone’s August issue helped Blondie gain some recognition. Their next album, Plastic Letters, reached #10 in the UK music charts.

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Blondie third album was their most successful. Parallel Lines reached #1 in the UK and #6 in the US, mostly due to the popularity of the singles, “Picture This”, “Hanging On The Telephone” and the disco-infused “Heart Of Glass”. Heart Of Glass, in particular, propelled the band to commercial success, reaching out from Blondie’s perceived underground status to the heights of pop accessibility. The result was a chart-topping single in eight countries, including the US, with over a million copies sold.

Blondie went on hiatus in 1981. The 1982 comeback album, “The Hunter” was something of a disappointment, reaching only #9 and #33 in the UK and US charts respectively. Following this decline in sales, and in part due to Stein being diagnosed with the potentially life-threatening illness pemphigus, Blondie disbanded. The band reformed between 1997 and 2004, releasing another two studio albums and again reaching top spot in the UK charts in 1999 with the single “Maria”.

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For The Record:

Members included Clem Burke (born November 24, 1955, in New York; joined group c. 1975), drums ; Jimmy Destri (born Aprill 3, 1954), keyboards ; Nigel Harrison (joined group 1978), bass; Deborah Harry (born July 1, c. 1945, in Miami, FL), vocals; Frank Infante (joined group 1977), guitar, bass; Billy O'Connor (left group 1975), drums; Fred Smith (left group 1975), bass;Chris Stein (born January 5, 1950, in Brooklyn, NY), guitar, vocals; Gary Valentine (band-member 1975-77), bass.

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Ray Charles Robinson born on 23 September 1930 was a blind musician who brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his modern sound recordings. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of all Time and Frank Sinatra said he was the "only true genius in the business".

Ray was taught only classical music at school but wanted to play the Jazz and Blues he heard on the radio. In the early part of his career, Charles went to Orlando, then to Tampa, playing piano with a hillbilly band called The Florida Playboys. Charles wanted to start his own band and moved to Seattle where he achieved his first hit 'Confession Blues' in 1949 for Swingtime Records. His only other hit with Swingtime came in 1951 with 'Baby Let me hold your Hand' which reached No. 5 in the R&B charts.

Charles signed to Atlantic Records and soon after came to national prominence with the 1955 hit 'I Got a Woman' which reached No. 1 in the Billboard charts. A series of hits followed including 'The Little Girl of Mine', 'Lonely Avenue', 'Mary Ann', 'Drown in My Own Tears' and the No. 5 hit 'The Night Time'.

During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Charles' releases were hit-or-miss. However, during the 80 and 90’s he found success again through appearances on TV shows such as The Super Dave Osbourne Show.

Ray Charles died in the year of 2004 of liver cancer at his home in California.

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Van Morrison, was born George Ivan Morrison on 31st August 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A critically acclaimed singer/songwriter some of Van 'Van the Man' Morrison's albums are considered some of the best ever made including "Moondance", "Astral Weeks" and "It's Too Late to Stop Now". His work came from a number of genres including R&B, soul, Rock 'n' Roll, celtic, blues and jazz. He can play the guitar, saxaphone, harmonica, keyboard, tambourine, drums and ukulele.

Van Morrison achieved considerable international fame, largely as an album artist. In 1993, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2003 the Songwriters Hall of Fame as well. VH1 ranked him No. 25 in their list of "100 Greatest Artists of Rock and Roll". and Rolling Stone magazine rated Morrison No. 42 in their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

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His superb albums include "Blowin' Your Mind!", "Moondance", "Astral Weeks", "His Band and the Street Choir", "Saint Dominic's Preview", "Tupelo Honey", "Hard Nose the Highway", "Veedon Fleece", "It's Too Late to Stop Now", "The Healing Game", "Live at Austin City Limits Festival" and the more recent album "Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl".

Van released the majority of albums through Bang, London, Warner Bros, Mercury, Lost Highway Records, Exile/Polydor, Listen to the Lion/EMI and Decca. Now in his 60s Morrison is still active in music.

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