With his band, the Delaware Destroyers (often known simply as "The Destroyers"), Thorogood has released over 20 albums, two of which have been certified Platinum and six have been certified Gold. He has sold 15 million records worldwide. Thorogood and his band continue to tour extensively, and in 2014, the band celebrated their 40th anniversary of performing.
Thorogood's demo Better Than the Rest was recorded in 1974, but was not released until 1979. His major recording debut came with the album George Thorogood and the Destroyers, which was released in 1977. In 1978, Thorogood released his next album with the Destroyers titled Move It on Over, which included a remake of Hank Williams's "Move It on Over". He followed those recordings in 1979 with "Please Set a Date" and a reworking of the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love", both released in 1979. The band's early success contributed to the rise of folk label Rounder Records.[8]
Thorogood performing at William Paterson College, April 23, 1986
During the late 1970s, Thorogood and his band were based in Boston. He was friends with Jimmy Thackery of the Washington, D.C.-based blues band, The Nighthawks. While touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks were playing shows in Georgetown at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at the Cellar Door and the Nighthawks at Desperados. At midnight, while both bands played Elmore James's "Madison Blues" in the same key, Thorogood and Thackery left their clubs, met in the middle of M Street, exchanged guitar cords and went on to play with the opposite band in the other club.[9] The connection with the Nighthawks was extended further when Nighthawks bass player Jan Zukowski supported Thorogood's set with Bo Diddley and Albert Collins at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 1985.[10]
Thorogood gained his first mainstream exposure as a support act for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 U.S. tour.[10] He was also the featured musical guest on Saturday Night Live (Season 8, Episode 2) on the October 2, 1982, broadcast. During this time, Thorogood and the Destroyers became known for their rigorous touring schedule, including the "50/50" tour in 1981,[11] on which the band toured all 50 US states in 50 days.[12] After two shows in Boulder, Colorado, Thorogood and his band flew to Hawaii for one show and then performed a show in Alaska the following night. The next day, Thorogood and his band met his roadies in Washington and continued the one-show-per-state tour. In addition, he played Washington, D.C., on the same day that he performed a show in Maryland, thereby playing 51 shows in 50 days.[citation needed]
Thorogood (center) receives the MMP Music Award and Hall of Fame Honors with William Lewis IV, Alexis Paige, Joseph W. Clark, and Kevin Edwards
Thorogood's popularity waned in the 1990s, although he had a No. 2 hit on the BillboardAlbum Rock Tracks chart in 1992 with "Get a Haircut".[14]
In 2012, Thorogood was named one of the "50 Most Influential Delawareans of the Past 50 Years".[15] He released his first proper solo album in 2017, titled Party of One.
On March 14, 2020, Thorogood was inducted into the Mississippi Music Project Hall of Fame in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was awarded the MMP Music Award for his lifelong commitment to the music industry,[16] by Joseph W. Clark.[citation needed]
Hank Carter, who served as the saxophonist for Thorogood's band from 1980 to 2003, died on September 14, 2021, at the age of 71.[17]
On April 11, 2023, Thorogood's social media pages announced that he was seriously ill, although the nature of his illness was not disclosed. Tour dates from April 27 to May 21 were all cancelled.[18]
Band members
Thorogood and Jim Suhler performing in 2010
The Destroyers
George Thorogood – lead vocals, lead, slide and rhythm guitar (1973–present)
Jeff Simon – drums, percussion (1973–present)
Billy Blough – bass guitar (1976–present)
Jim Suhler – rhythm and lead guitar (1999–present)
Buddy Leach – saxophone, piano (2003–present)
Former members
Michael Levine – bass (1973–1976)
Ron "Roadblock" Smith – rhythm guitar (1973–1980)
Hank "Hurricane" Carter – saxophone (1980–2003; died 2021)[17]
George Thorogood married Marla Raderman on July 16, 1985.[20] She died from ovarian cancer in 2019.[21] They have one daughter, Rio Thorogood. [22]
Thorogood has been a baseball fan[12] for most of his life, playing semi-pro ball as a second baseman during the 1970s (drummer Jeff Simon played center field on the same team). He took his daughter to Chicago for her first major league game (Cubs vs. Rockies), during which he sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". In a 2011 Guitar World interview, he stated "I'm a Mets fan. There aren't many of us but you know, that's me."[23]
In April 2023, Thorogood had to cancel the first leg of his 50th anniversary tour due to a serious medical situation.[24]
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George Thorogood and the Destroyers is the self-titled debut album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1977. Consisting mostly of covers of blues hits, it includes a medley of John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", the latter a song written by Rudy Toombs for Amos Milburn, and later covered by Hooker.
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"Who Do You Love?" is a song written by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley. Recorded in 1956, it is one of his most popular and enduring works. The song represents one of Bo Diddley's strongest lyrical efforts and uses a combination of hoodoo-type imagery and boasting. It is an upbeat rocker, but the original did not use the signature Bo Diddley beat rhythm.
Bad to the Bone is the fifth studio album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released in 1982 by the label EMI America Records and contains their best known song, "Bad to the Bone". The album features Rolling Stones side-man Ian Stewart on keyboards. A special edition was released in 2007 to mark the 25th anniversary of its original release.
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" is a blues song written by Rudy Toombs and recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953. It is one of several drinking songs recorded by Milburn in the early 1950s that placed in the top ten of the Billboard R&B chart. Other artists released popular recordings of the song, including John Lee Hooker in 1966 and George Thorogood in 1977.
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"Willie and the Hand Jive" is a song written by Johnny Otis and originally released as a single in 1958 by Otis, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has a Bo Diddley beat and was partly inspired by the music sung by a chain gang Otis heard while he was touring. The lyrics are about a man who became famous for doing a dance with his hands, but the song has been accused of glorifying masturbation, though Otis always denied it. It has since been covered by numerous artists, including The Crickets, The Strangeloves, Eric Clapton, Cliff Richard, Kim Carnes, George Thorogood, The Bunch, and in live performances by The Grateful Dead. Clapton's 1974 version was released as a single and reached the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 26. Thorogood's 1985 version reached No. 25 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart.
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References
1 2 Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1sted.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p.181. ISBN1-904041-96-5.
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