America: The Band

In 1971, as my elementary school-aged childhood was morphing into the middle school years, I started to pay attention to songs on the radio with more of an ear toward melody and lyrics. Acoustic music allowed those aspects of songs to come through loud and clear. I remember hearing "A Horse With No Name" on the radio and immediately decided that I needed to jump the back fence to the record shop behind our home in Fullerton, a suburb of Los Angeles.

There I was introduced to the group America, and the mysterious album cover featuring the three group members, along with a backdrop photo of three 19th century Native Americans. Somehow I collected enough money to buy the album. As much as I can remember, aside from wanting to be in a band like the Beatles the year before, I wanted to follow the folk-rock music style that was then on the rise in southern California. I decided to become an acoustic guitar player and a singer-songwriter.

At first, everyone mistook America's first single, "A Horse With No Name," for a Neil Young song. (Soon after, I was to learn of Neil and Crosby, Still and Nash, and became a life-long fan as well). By the time America's second album, "Homecoming," was released, just a year later in 1972, I was hooked. Birthday money from my uncle helped me procure this obvious homage to California. "Don't Cross the River" and "Ventura Highway" were my favorites, and the nation's as well. Three more records would be released over as many years.

During high school, I drifted into the sounds of the Eagles and CSN&Y, away from the group America, who ironically got their start as U.S. Air Force brats living in England. (While their fathers served in the Armed Forces, the American high school students--Dan Peek, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley--met and eventually put together the band).

I have always enjoyed vocal harmony, and I give credit to the guys in America for some of my early musical education. In 1978, Dan Peek, then a new convert to Christianity, decided to leave the band. He released the single, "All Things Are Possible" as a solo artist on a Christian label in 1979. A few years later, Peek released a "Christian" version of his hit song with America, "Lonely People," for which he is best known.

Dewey and Gerry remain a duo to this day, and just released a new America CD on July 26th-- a collection of songs from some of their favorite artists. It is titled "Back Pages." Like their most recent major release, 2007's "Here and Now," "Back Pages" is excellent and worthy of purchase for die-hard America fans and newly acquainted listeners alike.

Coincidentally and ironically, I learned yesterday that Dan Peek passed away in his sleep just a few days prior on July 24th. He was 60. I recently read the biography that Peek wrote about his journey with the group America. I will have to say that after finishing the book, "The America Story," I came away feeling sad. In it, he explained his reasons for leaving the group in it's prime. There is no need, in my opinion, to justify getting away from a toxic lifestyle that led to drug abuse, alcohol abuse and infidelity--no matter how successful the venture.

America is still going strong, and it seems by their excellent record production and full touring schedule, they will be for years to come.

I offer my condolences to the family of Dan Peek. I pray for God's comfort and grace for his wife and father. He had no children.