B-52s to tour on 40th anniversary
The B-52s are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. But they also may celebrate it next year.
There’s no fuzzy math here— it’s just a matter of which date adequately represents the origin of the band, which began in Athens, Ga.
Vocalist Fred Schneider considers 2018 as their ruby anniversary. “This is 40 years since our first single (“Rock Lobster”) came out,” Schneider said.
The band’s other vocalist, Kate Pierson, interprets their anniversary a bit more liberally.
“We started in 1976 jamming, andwe played our first showon Valentine’sDay 1977, sowe can mark 40 fromthere orwe can mark 40 from1979 whenwe did our first record,” Pierson said, referring to their eponymous album.
There’s no discrepancy that their reputation as “the world’s greatest party band” has thrived since the late 1970s.
Yet, while their sound remained upbeat, the band had some dark days, most notably the death of founding member RickyWilson, who succumbed to AIDS in 1985.
They rebounded with “Cosmic Thing” and scored their most successful album, and biggest hit single, “Love Shack,” in 1989. Pierson attributes their longevity to friendship.
“We all maintained our connections and our friendships, whichwe’ve maintained over all these years,” Pierson said.
As for the anniversary tour, the band said fans can expect more obscure stuff, aswell as the hits.
— Associated Press
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