John Warner Geils, Founder of the J. Geils Band, dies at 71

[bradl]

Surprised no-one picked up on this one yet.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thereco...eils-guitarist-of-the-j-geils-band-dies-at-71

John Geils, Guitarist Of The J. Geils Band, Dies At 71
April 11, 2017
by Andrew Flanagan

John Geils Jr., who played guitar in the J. Geils Band, was found dead in his Massachusetts home, according to the Groton (Mass.) Police Department. He was 71. The police department said in a statement that he likely died of natural causes.

Geils is best known for the J. Geils Band's No. 1 hit, "Centerfold," which spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1982 and 25 weeks on the chart cumulatively. The band followed up the success with "Freeze-Frame," the title track to its 1981 album, which peaked at No. 4.

Before the band found mainstream success in the 1980s, the J. Geils Band were one of the more popular rock bands of the 1970s. The Boston-based blues-rock band released 10 albums during the decade, touching the top 10 of Billboard's album chart with 1973's Bloodshot.

Internal strife between songwriters Peter Wolf and Seth Justman resulted in the J. Geils Band temporarily breaking up in 1985. Geils continued to collaborate with the band's harmonica player, Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz, in Bluestime, which released two albums in the 1990s. The J. Geils Band reunited in 1999 for some live dates and performed sporadically thereafter.

Geils released his first solo album, Jay Geils Plays Jazz!, in 2005, drawing praise from prolific music analyst Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

BL.

 

[eRondeau]

I've been fortunate to see a lot of concerts in my life but I regret I never saw the J. Geils Band live. I love all their music; they're a band that clearly loved playing for a crowd. In his heyday Peter Wolf was the ultimate frontman, and band namesake J. Geils was happy to defer to him. If there are any other Canadians reading this, Peter Wolf and Gord Downie are two of a kind. Intelligent, literate, yet remarkably humble poetic vocalists backed by a kick-a** rock n' roll band. Sad that there are fewer and fewer of those around anymore.

 

[Tinmania]

It's a shame that many of the articles focus primarily on the band in the 1980's, with Centerfold and Freeze-Frame. To me that era was not the band as I like to think of them, but rather a last gasp at pop success before disintegrating. At least this NPR article does say they were "one of the more popular rock bands of the 1970s."



Mike

 

[bradl]

It's a shame that many of the articles focus primarily on the band in the 1980's, with Centerfold and Freeze-Frame. To me that era was not the band as I like to think of them, but rather a last gasp at pop success before disintegrating. At least this NPR article does say they were "one of the more popular rock bands of the 1970s."



Mike

Well, they did the blues, the reds and the pinks, so all they can say is...






Love stinks.

BL.

 

[JackieInCo]

It's a shame that many of the articles focus primarily on the band in the 1980's, with Centerfold and Freeze-Frame. To me that era was not the band as I like to think of them, but rather a last gasp at pop success before disintegrating. At least this NPR article does say they were "one of the more popular rock bands of the 1970s."



Mike

For many people, the 80s was the period when the J. Geils Band did exist. I knew nothing of them after OR before those first several hits from the early 80s.

 

[Tinmania]

For many people, the 80s was the period when the J. Geils Band did exist. I knew nothing of them after OR before those first several hits from the early 80s.

Then you didn't know them at all.


Mike

 

[JackieInCo]

Then you didn't know them at all.


Mike

Clearly. I grew up listening to rock (I'm 53) and still listen to all the classic rock channels/stations. I don't recall ever hearing J. Geils played ever until the 80s.

 

[rhett7660]

Then you didn't know them at all.


Mike

I can say I didn't know them, except for the few songs they played on MTV and the radio. Either way, sad to hear about the passing of one the key members of the band.