Buckcherry

Biography

The Los Angeles-based hard rock act Buckcherry formed in mid-1995, after singer Joshua Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson were introduced through their tattoo artist. After cutting several demos, the duo recruited bassist Jonathan "J.B." Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn and began performing live, quickly earning a local following for their swaggering, grunge-flavored music. Following the subsequent addition of second guitarist Yogi, Buckcherry signed with DreamWorks Records and issued their self-titled debut LP in 1999. Singles such as "Check Your Head" and "For the Movies" were modern rock hits, allowing Buckcherry to raise their profile by summer 2000.

The following year, Buckcherry released their second album, Time Bomb. Although it wasn't widely noticed by critics, AC/DC recruited the band as an opening act for a series of shows, and Buckcherry's audience grew accordingly. In July 2002, founding member Joshua Todd unexpectedly quit the group, and Buckcherry took a multi-year hiatus to recoup. They eventually regrouped in 2005 with original members Todd and Nelson, as well as newcomers Xavier Muriel (drums), bassist Jimmy Ashhurst, and guitarist Stevie D. The revised lineup hit the studio later that year to record 15, which was released in early 2006 and yielded the band's first Top Ten pop single, "Sorry." 15 went platinum on the strength of its crossover appeal, and Buckcherry quickly returned in 2008 with a fourth album, Black Butterfly. The concert album Live & Loud 2009 was released the following year, as the band prepared to hit the road as KISS' opening act. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide