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The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances. The B-52s have had many hits, including "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Party Out of Bounds", "Private Idaho", "Whammy Kiss", "Summer of Love", "Wig", "Love Shack", "Roam" and "(Meet) The Flintstones". They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards: twice for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990 and 1991, and for Best Alternative Music Album in 1992. In April 2022, the group announced they were retiring from touring. A 2023 Las Vegas residency was announced in November 2022.The group evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture, and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response-style vocals (Schneider's often humorous Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums. History 1976–1979: formation and early years They formed as "the B-52's" in 1976 when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (her elder brother), Pierson, Strickland, and cowbell player, poet, and lead vocalist Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. When they first jammed, Strickland played guitar and Ricky Wilson played congas. They later played their first concert (with Wilson on guitar) in 1977 at a Valentine's Day party for their friends.The name "B-52's" comes from a particular beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the aircraft, which Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band's first decade. Other names the band considered were the Tina-Trons and Fellini's Children. Strickland suggested the name after a dream he had of a band performing in a hotel lounge. In the dream, he heard someone whisper in his ear that the band's name was "the B-52's". The band's quirky take on the new wave sound of its era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used and thrift-store chic. The band's first single, "Rock Lobster", recorded for DB Records in 1978, was an underground success, selling over 2,000 copies, that led to gigs at CBGB and Max's Kansas City. Both this version of "Rock Lobster" and its B-side, "52 Girls", are different recordings from those that appear on the band's 1979 debut album, and the early version of "52 Girls" is in a different key. The re-recorded version of "Rock Lobster" was also released as a single and in the UK and Germany was backed with an instrumental version of "Running Around", a non-album track at the time. (A vocal re-recording of this appears on the band's second album, 1980's Wild Planet.) The buzz the record created in the UK meant their first show in London at the Electric Ballroom was packed and attended by UK pop stars, including Sandie Shaw, Green Gartside from Scritti Politti, and Joe Jackson. In Canada, released on the Warner Bros. label, the single went from cult hit to No. 1 on the RPM-compiled national chart on May 24, 1980. John Lennon credits the song with returning him to writing music. 1979–1982: The B-52's, Wild Planet, and Mesopotamia In 1979, the B-52s signed contracts as they flew over to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, to record their debut studio album, with Island founder Chris Blackwell producing. The band was surprised by Blackwell's recording methods; he wanted to keep the sound as close as possible to its live sound, so he used almost no overdubs or additional effects.Released on July 6, 1979, The B-52's contained re-recorded versions of "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls", six originals recorded solely for the album, and a cover of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown". The album was a major success, especially in Australia, where it reached No. 3 on the charts alongside its three singles: "Planet Claire", "Rock Lobster", and "Dance This Mess Around". In the U.S., the single "Rock Lobster" reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 1980, John Lennon called the B-52s his favorite band and specifically cited "Rock Lobster" as an inspiration for his Double Fantasy.In April 1980, the B-52s returned to Compass Point Studios to record their next album. Several of the songs on the new album had been concert staples since 1978; the band consciously did not record them for its first album since it already had too many tracks and wanted a strong second album, knowing that its live performances would make fans look forward to it. Rhett Davies co-produced the album, which had a more polished production sound than the debut. Released on August 27, 1980, Wild Planet was well received by critics; many fans consider it the band's best album. It reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1980 and was certified gold; "Private Idaho" became the band's second Hot 100 entry. The B-52s performed on Saturday Night Live on January 26, 1980, and at the Heatwave festival (promoted as the "New Wave Woodstock") in Toronto, Canada, in August 1980. The band also appeared in the Paul Simon film One Trick Pony. In July 1981, Party Mix! was released, a six-song collection containing songs from the first two albums remixed and sequenced to form two long tracks, one on each side. In 1981, the band collaborated with Talking Heads' David Byrne to produce a third full-length studio album. Reportedly due to differences with Byrne over the album's musical direction, recording sessions for the album were aborted, prompting the band to release Mesopotamia in 1982 as an EP. (In 1991, Party Mix! and Mesopotamia, the latter of which had been remixed, were combined and released together on a single compact disc.) Also in 1982, the band appeared at the inaugural US Festival, performing on the first day. 1982–1987: Whammy!, Bouncing off the Satellites, and death of Ricky Wilson In December 1982, the band began recording their third album, Whammy!. According to Pierson, Strickland no longer wanted to play the drums, so the band switched to drum machines for this album, with Strickland and Ricky Wilson playing all the music on the album, and the rest of the band providing vocals only. Having originally played guitars, organ, bass guitar and synthesizers, Pierson switched to a mainly vocal role in.... Discover the Ricky Schneider popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Ricky Schneider books.