Greg Kihn Bio
Greg Kihn began his career in his hometown of Baltimore, MD,
working in the singer/songwriter mold, but switched to straightforward
rock & roll when he moved to San Francisco in 1974. The following
year, he became one of the first artists signed to Matthew Kaufman's
now-legendary Beserkley Records. Along with Jonathan Richman,
Earthquake, and the Rubinoos, Kihn helped to carve the label's sound --
melodic pop with a strong '60s pop sensibility -- a refreshing
alternative to the bloated prog rock of the time. In 1976, after his
debut on the compilation Beserkley Chartbusters, he recorded his first
album with his own band consisting of Ronnie Dunbar (guitar), Steve
Wright (bass), and Larry Lynch (drums). Through the '70s, he released
an album each year and built a strong cult following through constant
touring, becoming Beserkley's biggest seller. In 1981, he earned his
first bonafide hit with the Top 20 single, "The Breakup Song (They
Don't Write 'Em)," from the Rockihnroll album. He continued in a more
commercial vein through the '80s with a series of pun-titled albums:
Kihntinued (1982), Kihnspiracy (1983), Kihntageous (1984), and Citizen
Kihn (1985). He scored his biggest hit with 1983's "Jeopardy" (number
two) from the Kihnspiracy album. One more single broke the Top 40,
1985's "Lucky," but by the time Love and Rock and Roll was released in
1986, the puns had run out and so had the hits. Kihn kept a relatively
low profile throughout the '90s, releasing Mutiny in 1994 and Horror
Show in 1996. All the Right Reasons followed in mid-2000. ~ Chris
Woodstra, All Music Guide
Written by Chris Woodstra
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