America announce 50th anniversary world tour
The 70s soft rock veterans hit the road in celebration of their 1971 debut.
America, L-R: Gerry Beckley, David Dickey, Dan Peek, Dewey Bunnell – performing on TV show. Image: David Warner Ellis/Redferns
Soft rock veterans America have announced a 50th anniversary world tour. It celebrates their 1971 self-titled debut album, made famous by the Billboard chart-topper, A Horse With No Name.
The tour commences today at Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Brookville, New York. It will cover the United States and Canada before heading to Europe in July. Major cities the band will visit include Memphis, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Fort Lauderdale, Windsor and Calgary. The tour will come to a close on 17 July at the Metropol Theater Bremen in Bremen, Germany.
Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and the late Dan Peek formed America in 1970, and enjoyed a successful commercial run until 1977, when Peek left the band. In their time together, they wrote hits like I Need You, Ventura Highway, Don’t Cross The River and Sister Golden Hair. They wrote seven studio albums together – six were certified gold/platinum – and also won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972. Their popularity waned following Peek’s departure, but America did briefly return to the top of the charts in 1982 with You Can Do Magic.
A biography of the band, America, the Band: An Authorized Biography, by Jude Warne is set for release on 15 May.
More information at venturahighway.com.