The B‐52s

The B-52's are an American rock band that formed in 1976 in Athens, Georgia, United States. A major part of the new wave scene, the band started out as Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals, organ), Cindy Wilson (vocals, bongos), Ricky Wilson (guitar), and Keith Strickland (drums). After Ricky Wilson died in 1985, Strickland replaced him as a guitarist. They're perhaps best known for their 1978 single "Rock Lobster" and their 1989 pop smash "Love Shack".

The name comes from the bouffant wigs that are part of the band's distinctive look, worn by singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. Along with Wilson and Pierson, fellow vocalist Fred Schneider, drummer (and later guitarist) Keith Strickland, and guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) formed the band after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant. They shared a passion for mixing and matching older styles with a partying, good-time public image, which set them apart from many staid 70s contemporaries.

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