Artist:Blues Traveler
Song:Run-Around
Album:Four
Blues Traveler started out as a blues rock group but realized that they had to be more commercial to last and the 1994 hit Run-Around was their biggest hit and has given them the longevity they were looking for. The group leader is singer, harmonica player and chief songwriter John Popper (born Mar. 29, 1967 in Cleveland). While attending high school in Princeton, NJ, he befriended drummer Brendan Hill (born Mar. 27, 1970 in London, England). Along with guitarist Chan Kinchla (born Mar. 29, 1969 in Hamilton, ON) and bassist Bobby Sheehan (born June 12, 1968 in Summit, NJ), they would form Blues Traveler and signed with A & M Records in 1990. The group drew a strong following based on live performances and roots oriented albums. Popper was in a serious car accident in 1992 but Blues Traveler returned to the road in 1994 and released Four. I'm not sure if A & M put pressure on them to be more commercial but it worked as Run-Around reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, went quintuple platinum and they even won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance. The album was produced by the veteran team of Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero who have worked with Metallica among others. Their subsequent records weren't as successful but successful enough to keep them going. Popper's struggle with obesity and Bobby Sheehan's 1999 death of a drug overdose waylaid Blues Traveler but they're still around. Their latest CD Cover Yourself is a rerecording of a lot of their hits and was released Oct. 2007 on Columbia. Here's the video for Run-Around by Blues Traveler.
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