Greg Kihn Band

Formed in the Bay Area of California in 1976 by Baltimore, Maryland-born singer-songwriter Greg Kihn and instrumentalists Robbie Dunbar (guitar), Larry Lynch (drums), and Steve Wright (bass and co-writing), the Greg Kihn Band came together to support Greg Kihn on his first three solo albums for the Beserkley Records label: Greg Kihn (1976), Greg Kihn Again (1977), and Next of Kihn (1978). By 1977, Dunbar had left and was replaced by guitarist Dave Carpender. Reverting to the full name of The Greg Kihn Band with the release of With the Naked Eye (1979) they were embraced by the classic rock / AOR rock crowd as well as new wave and power pop fans. While the band was a popular live attraction and received great press, they didn’t have a commercial breakthrough until the release of RocKihnRoll (1981), which featured the Top 20 single “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).” The highest-charting single of the Greg Kihn Band’s career, “Jeopardy,” would come two years later. Serving as the lead single from Kihnspiracy, the 1983 track peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100. Aided by a humorous, zombie-themed music video, the song prompted Weird Al Yankovic to record a parody version the following year, with Kihn himself cameoing in the video. Kihnspiracy remains the group’s most successful album to date, having peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200. However, after signing with EMI in 1985 and undergoing extensive lineup changes, the group – now recording under Greg Kihn’s name again – released the Citizen Kihn album, which included the Top 40 hit single “Lucky.” After the release of Love and Rock and Roll (1986), Greg Kihn left EMI and didn’t release an album until 1992’s Kihn of Hearts, which was followed by Mutiny (1994) and Horror Show (1996). During this period, Greg Kihn's activities as a radio host, screenwriter, author, and music journalist took precedence over his musical career. After putting together a new Greg Kihn Band lineup, he released the album Rekihndled in 2017 and continued to sporadically tour with the band. Longtime keyboardist Gary Phillips died in January 2007, followed later that year by guitarist Dave Carpender. Bassist and songwriting collaborator Steve Wright died in 2017. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Greg Kihn died on August 13, 2024, at the age of 75.

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