Appropriately, Local Spins marks the Fourth of July weekend with a story about America, the band. Writer Ross Boissoneau interviews Dewey Bunnell, the solo remaining original member still touring.
Still Loving the Live Shows: Dewey Bunnell and America’s touring band. (Courtesy Photo)
And then there was one.
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When America debuted in 1971, the trio of Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley melded their three-part harmonies into a series of folk-rock hits. “I Need You,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway” and many more brought the band great popularity.
While Peek left in 1977, Bunnell and Beckley continued on as a duo for the next four-plus decades. Now, while Beckley is still technically a member of the group, he has stepped back from touring. “It’s different. Gerry’s last show was the end of 2023,” says Bunnell.
Originally on hiatus, Beckley elected to permanently retire from the road – much to Bunnell’s initial disappointment. “Six months in I called and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ He was adamant (he was done).”
On the band’s website, Beckley noted he was retiring from the touring band “to spend more time with my family and friends,” and wished Bunnell and “the whole touring team” good luck.
As a Duo: Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. Photo/Heny Diltz)
Bunnell is more than happy to keep the spirit of America alive on the concert trail, singing the music he loves. “The songs are what carry the show. There’s a wealth of hits,” he says. The Encore Tour includes a stop at Interlochen Center for the Arts on Wednesday (July 9); tickets, $38-$296, available online here.
America topped the charts with 11 Top 40 hits, and fans still clamor for those tunes, as well as deep cuts like “Sandman.”
“The album cuts get a lot of play,” says Bunnell. America won a Grammy Award for best new artist and was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Group in 1973. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006.
Not bad for a bunch of Air Force brats. The band made up of three Americans actually got its start in England. They met while attending London Central High School while their fathers were stationed at the U.S. Air Force base at RAF South Ruislip near London. The band officially came together when Peek returned to the UK in 1970 after briefly attending college.
Their first effort yielded the hit “A Horse With No Name,” which came as a surprise to the band. “Big hits, you can’t predict them,” says Bunnell.
He says it was the musical chemistry that led to their sound and subsequently to their success. “Gerry was a great pianist. Dan was (into) country and roots, he was from Missouri. I tended to use some Latin (rhythms).
“I don’t know how unique we were,” he continues. “The singer-songwriters were the people we wanted to emulate, a three-vocal blend. We did model it on The Beach Boys; we’d pick them apart, how did Brian come up with this, how were the vocals so tight. And The Beatles with George Martin; we were so fortunate to get George Martin on board,” says Bunnell. The famed producer worked with the band starting with “Holiday” in 1974 and continuing on through its eighth album, “Silent Letter,” released in 1979.
By that time, Peek had left the band and America was no longer scaling the charts. Beckley and Bunnell continued to record, and to date have released 18 studio albums, the most recent “Lost and Found” coming in 2015. The band’s newest release actually goes back a half-century. “America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975” features never-before-heard recordings of the band’s 1975 performance, backed by a symphony conducted by George Martin.
Bunnell says the band has now been around long enough to have weathered the many changes in the music industry, including the way music is distributed. “You go through formats,” he says, from 8-track tapes to vinyl, cassettes, compact discs. “Each time the format changed … you get a bump, (people) go buy the new product. Now there’s been a revival of vinyl.”
Which is all well and good, but for Bunnell, the chance to perform in front of the band’s fans is where it all comes together. “I love doing it. It’s all I’ve done since I was 18. Most of our touring is in the U.S. We do short runs, weekenders.
“I don’t know how long I’ll do it. I’m 73 now. I do have another life … but I felt I had a little more in me.”
So he’s still on the road, playing the music he helped write, sing and make famous. “I’m happy to do this. We’re doing 41 shows this year. I get compliments on my voice. That’s still nice.”
VIDEO: America (Live in Indiana)
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