Music >> Artists >> Rock
Formed:
1988 in Princeton, NJ

Genre:
Rock

Years Active:
'80s, '90s, '00s, '10s






Blues Traveler

Biography

A New York-based blues-rock quartet formed in 1988 by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Bobby Sheehan, and drummer Brendan Hill, Blues Traveler were part of a revival of the extended jamming style of '60s and '70s groups like the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. Signed to A&M, they released their first album, Blues Traveler, in May 1990 and followed it with Travelers & Thieves in September 1991. Popper was in a serious car accident in 1992, leaving him unable to perform for a number of months. Fortunately, he recovered, yet he still had to perform in a wheelchair for a period of time. In April 1993, Blues Traveler released their third album, Save His Soul, which became the band's first to make the Top 100. . A New York-based blues-rock quartet formed in 1988 by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Bobby Sheehan, and drummer Brendan Hill, Blues Traveler were part of a revival of the extended jamming style of '60s and '70s groups like the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. Signed to A&M, they released their first album, Blues Traveler, in May 1990 and followed it with Travelers & Thieves in September 1991. Popper was in a serious car accident in 1992, leaving him unable to perform for a number of months. Fortunately, he recovered, yet he still had to perform in a wheelchair for a period of time. In April 1993, Blues Traveler released their third album, Save His Soul, which became the band's first to make the Top 100.

Blues Traveler's aptly named fourth album, Four, released in September 1994, at first looked like a sales disappointment, but it rebounded in 1995 when "Run-Around," a single taken from it, became the group's first chart hit. "Run-Around" became one of the biggest singles of 1995, spending nearly a full year on the charts and sending Four into quintuple platinum status. As the group prepared the follow-up to Four, Blues Traveler released the live double-album Live from the Fall in the summer of 1996. The group returned in the summer of 1997 with its fifth studio album, Straight on Till Morning. After completing his 1999 debut solo effort, Zygote, Popper — who'd been experiencing chest pains for months — was forced to undergo an angioplasty; weeks later, tragedy struck on August 20, 1999, when Sheehan was found dead in his New Orleans home. He was just 31 years old.

The new millennium saw a newly charged Blues Traveler, and their sixth record, Bridge, appeared in May 2001. The next winter, Blues Traveler released the live What You and I Have Been Through. The studio record Truth Be Told followed in 2003, and another concert album, Live on the Rocks, appeared in 2004. The group returned to the studio in 2004, releasing the Jay Bennett-produced Bastardos! in September of the following year. In 2007, Blues Traveler released Cover Yourself, a collection of previous hits reworked with acoustic arrangements. The David Bianco-produced North Hollywood Shootout appeared from Verve Forecast in 2008. In March 2012, the band released 25, a two-disc set (one disc of hits and key tracks and a second disc of B-sides, demos, and rarities) celebrating the group's 25th anniversary. It was followed in June by Suzie Cracks the Whip, the group's 11th studio album, which was produced by S*A*M & Sluggo, and featured guest spots from Ron Sexsmith, Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), and Crystal Bowersox.

Top Albums

Four, Blues Traveler
1. Four
Travelogue: Blues Traveler Classics, Blues Traveler
2. Travelogue: ..
Blues Traveler, Blues Traveler
3. Blues Travel..
Suzie Cracks the Whip, Blues Traveler
4. Suzie Cracks..
Travelers, Blues Traveler
5. Travelers
Live at Lollapalooza 2006: Blues Traveler, Blues Traveler
6. Live at Loll..
Straight on Till Morning, Blues Traveler
7. Straight on ..
25, Blues Traveler
8. 25
Save His Soul, Blues Traveler
9. Save His Sou..
Bridge, Blues Traveler
10. Bridge
Live On the Rocks (Live At Redrocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, 2003), Blues Traveler
11. Live On the ..
North Hollywood Shootout, Blues Traveler
12. North Hollyw..
Run-Around, Blues Traveler
13. Run-Around
Live from the Fall, Blues Traveler
14. Live from th..
Truth Be Told, Blues Traveler
15. Truth Be Tol..
What You and I Have Been Through (Live), Blues Traveler
16. What You and..
Canadian Rose (CD Single), Blues Traveler
17. Canadian Ros..
1,000,000 People Can't Be Wrong, Blues Traveler
18. 1,000,000 Pe..
You Don't Have to Love Me - Single, Blues Traveler
19. You Don't Ha..
You, Me and Everything - Single, Blues Traveler
20. You, Me and ..

Top Songs

NameAlbumTimePrice
1.
Run-AroundFour4:40$1.29
2.
HookFour4:50$1.29
3.
ChristmasVery Special Christmas, Vol..5:44$1.29
4.
But AnywayBlues Traveler4:09$1.29
5.
ChristmasVery Special Christmas5:44$1.29
6.
Run-AroundTravelogue: Blues Traveler ..4:40$1.29
7.
Mountains Win AgainFour5:05$1.29
8.
HookTravelogue: Blues Traveler ..4:48$1.29
9.
Amber Awaits!Bastardos!3:47$1.29
10.
Amber AwaitsBest - Electric Blues3:47$0.99
11.
Love and Greed1,000,000 People Can't ..4:13$1.29
12.
Defense & Desire1,000,000 People Can't ..3:58$1.29
13.
Conquer Me1,000,000 People Can't ..5:09$1.29
14.
Sweet Pain1,000,000 People Can't ..7:41$1.29
15.
What's For Breakfast1,000,000 People Can't ..3:46$1.29
16.
Optimistic Thought (Live)1,000,000 People Can't ..4:05$1.29
17.
Dropping Some NYC1,000,000 People Can't ..3:20$1.29
18.
Mulling It Over1,000,000 People Can't ..3:43$1.29
19.
Gina1,000,000 People Can't ..4:03$1.29
20.
But Anyway1,000,000 People Can't ..4:09$1.29
21.
Brother John1,000,000 People Can't ..6:38$1.29
22.
Just Wait1,000,000 People Can't ..5:34$1.29
23.
Hook1,000,000 People Can't ..4:49$1.29
24.
Price To Pay1,000,000 People Can't ..5:16$1.29
25.
Crash & Burn1,000,000 People Can't ..2:59$1.29

Top Music Videos

Hook, Blues Traveler
1. Hook
Run-Around, Blues Traveler
2. Run-Around
The Mountains Win Again, Blues Traveler
3. The Mountains...
Canadian Rose, Blues Traveler
4. Canadian Rose
You, Me and Everything, Blues Traveler
5. You, Me and E...
Carolina Blues, Blues Traveler
6. Carolina Blue...
Most Precarious, Blues Traveler
7. Most Precario...
Girl Inside My Head, Blues Traveler
8. Girl Inside M...
Conquer Me, Blues Traveler
9. Conquer Me
You Don't Have To Love Me, Blues Traveler
10. You Don't Hav...


Comments



US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store
US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store

Become a fan of the Show Up Music on Facebook for exclusive offers, the inside scoop on latest and most exclusive music albums, singles and videos.