Questions
Where and when did The B-52s form?
They formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976 after an impromptu jam session. Their first concert was on February 14, 1977, at a Valentine’s Day party for friends on North Milledge Avenue in Athens.
Is it true the band started over a tropical drink?
Reportedly yes. The band came together after the members shared a ’flaming volcano’ drink at a Chinese restaurant, which sparked the impromptu jam that started it all.
How did they get the name ’The B-52s’?
It comes from a 1950s beehive hairdo whose shape reportedly resembled the nose cone of the B-52 aircraft. Keith Strickland suggested it after a dream in which he heard the name whispered.
Were there other name ideas before they settled on The B-52s?
Yes, other considered names included the Tina-Trons and Fellini’s Children.
Who were the original members?
The 1976 lineup was Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar, vocals), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals).
What happened to guitarist Ricky Wilson?
Ricky Wilson died on October 12, 1985, at age 32 from an AIDS-related illness. After his death, Keith Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar.
Did John Lennon really love ’Rock Lobster’?
Yes. In 1980 Lennon called the B-52s his favorite band and credited ’Rock Lobster’ with inspiring his return to writing music, feeding into his album Double Fantasy.
What was their debut album?
The self-titled ’The B-52’s’ was released July 6, 1979, produced by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.
How big was ’Love Shack’?
’Love Shack’ (1989) reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent eight weeks at number 1 in Australia.
What was their big comeback album?
Their 1989 album Cosmic Thing was their mainstream breakthrough, reaching the U.S. top five and going multi-platinum. It also produced the hit ’Roam,’ which peaked at number 3.
Where did they play in New York early on?
Underground success with ’Rock Lobster’ led to gigs at both CBGB and Max’s Kansas City in New York City.
Why did they drop the apostrophe from their name?
In 2008 they changed ’The B-52’s’ to ’The B-52s.’ Kate Pierson explained it was not grammatically correct since it is not a possessive, so it just seemed superfluous.
Did The B-52s do the Flintstones movie song?
Yes. Billed as ’the BC-52’s,’ they performed the title song for the 1994 live-action Flintstones movie, and the single reached number 33 in the U.S. and number 3 in the UK.
What genres is the band known for?
They are described as new wave, dance-rock, and art pop, with a post-punk sound in their early years.
