NRBQ – originally called New Rhythm and Blues Quartet - was formed in 1965. Founded by Terry Adams (vocals, piano) and Steve Ferguson (vocals, guitar), the duo came together to play good old fashioned rock / pop / jazz / blues music and have a good time. However, the group was sidelined for a short time before Adams and Ferguson reformed the band again in 1967. This time, they added vocalist Frank Gadler, bassist Joey Spampinato, and drummer Tom Staley to the lineup. By 1969, the band’s popularity as a live band grew thanks to word of mouth and they signed to Columbia. Their self-titled debut was released in 1969 and was followed by Boppin’ the Blues, a collaboration with Carl Perkins, in 1970. Their albums weren’t selling as well as Columbia hoped and the band was dropped, moving over to the Kama Sutra label for Scraps (1972) and Workshop (1973). Line-up changes resulted in the departure of Staley, Gadler, and Ferguson and the addition of guitarist Al Anderson and drummer Tom Ardolino. The classic NRBQ line-up – Adams, Spampinato, Anderson, and Ardolino – made their live debut in 1974 and became known as one of the greatest live rock and roll bands around. Although they were never big sellers, their albums were eclectic and critically acclaimed. Their most popular run of albums included All Hopped Up (1977), At Yankee Stadium (1978), Kick Me Hard (1979), Tiddlywinks (1980), Grooves in Orbit (1983), and Tapdancin’ Bats (1983). The group’s best known song, “Me and the Boys” was taken from the Tiddlywinks album and has been covered by several artists over the years. Signing to Virgin Records, NRBQ released the album Wild Weekend, their most radio-friendly album to date. In 1994, NRBQ released the popular Message for the Mess Age album, their final with the classic line-up after 20 years together. When longtime guitarist Al Anderson exited the band, he was replaced by Joey Spampinato’s brother Johnny and NRBQ continued to tour and release albums. Following a 35th Anniversary show, NRBQ went on hiatus so Terry Adams could deal with his recently diagnosed throat cancer. After Adams had spent time in recovery, he began touring with his own band called the Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet. In 2011, as the band prepared for the release of their album, their name was changed to NRBQ with only Adams remaining from the original band. Although this sudden news upset some fans, NRBQ have continued to take their boisterous show on the road and have released several albums with the new line-up.
