The Meters

One of New Orleans' great R&B acts of the 1960s and 1970s, The Meters were the forefathers of funk and a legendary backing band for Professor Longhair, Dr. John and Lee Dorsey. Led by Art Neville, the group earned their stripes as the house band for Allen Toussaint's record label Sansu Enterprises, before debut album The Meters (1969) produced their classic signature tune Cissy Strut; later sampled by a host of hip hop acts including NWA, 2 Live Crew and A Tribe Called Quest. Other local R&B hits Sophisticated Cissy, Look-Ka Py Py and Chicken Strut became great funk anthems, while the band stood as an institution of New Orleans' vibrant live scene. Lacking the theatrical showmanship of contemporary James Brown and the raw, sleazy swagger of Sly Stone, The Meters' smooth, instrumental grooves took them on tour with The Rolling Stones, leading to collaborations with Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and King Biscuit Boy. The band split in 1979 with Art Neville going on to form The Neville Brothers, but have remained an important influence on acts such as Grateful Dead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill.