Duke Jupiter

Biography

Upstate New York rockers Duke Jupiter emerged in the late '70s, whose original lineup was comprised of members Marshall Styler (singer, keyboards), Greg Walker (singer, guitar), George Barajas (bass, vocals), Earl Jetty (drums), and Don Maracle (guitar). The band was signed to Mercury shortly thereafter, issuing a total of three albums for the label: their 1978 debut Sweet Cheeks (around which time Jetty was replaced by Dave Hanlon), 1979's Taste the Night, and 1980's Band in Blue. But the group left Mercury in the early '80s (with Maracle leaving the band, and Hanlon replaced by Dave Corcoran), signing on with the CBS subsidiary Coast to Coast and issuing 1981's 1 plus 1982's You Make It Look Easy. But the group was dealt a devastating blow in August of 1982 when one of its founding members, Barajas, died from cancer. Duke Jupiter carried on with new bassist Ricky Ellis, although they faced another setback when Coast to Coast Records went out of business, leading to a deal with a subsidiary of Motown Records, called Morocco. After two more underappreciated releases, 1984's White Knuckle Ride and 1985's The Line of Fire, Duke Jupiter decided to call it a day. 1993 saw the release of the 17-track career overview, The Band Played On: 20 Years of Duke Jupiter. During their career, the group opened for some of rock's biggest names, including ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Bowie, Bob Seger, Robert Palmer, B.B. King, Toto, Sea Level, Huey Lewis & the News, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Blue Oyster Cult, the Charlie Daniels Band, the Outlaws, and John Lee Hooker, among others. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide