The origin of the B-52s is the stuff of legend. They formed in 1976 when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (Cindy’s older brother), Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, and Fred Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano cocktail at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. Perfect.
The bands’ name comes from the beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the B-52 aircraft, which Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band’s first decade. Keith Strickland said the name came to him in a dream about a band performing in a hotel lounge. In the dream, someone whispered in his ear that the band’s name was the B-52s. It was meant to be.
The B-52s played their first concert in 1977 at a Valentine’s Day party for their friends. Their debut single, the retro surf-sounding “Rock Lobster,” recorded in 1978, received some underground buzz in the U.S. The song did much better in Canada, climbing all the way to #1 on the national chart in 1980. It remains a party favorite for those of us of a certain age. The group’s greatest chart success would come with the release of their 1989 album, Cosmic Thing. The singles “Love Shack” and “Roam” both peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The B-52s are going out on the road one last time this year. Their “Final Tour Ever of Planet Earth” will take the three remaining original members (Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider, and Kate Pierson) to 11 cities between August 22nd and November 11th.
