The folk-leaning, harmony-favoring rock band America was cofounded in 1970 by Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley in London, England.
∙ America’s 1971 self-titled debut LP spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Pop chart and produced two Top 10 hits, including their most popular song, “A Horse With No Name.”
∙ Nominated for two Grammy Awards, the band won Best New Artist of the Year in 1972.
∙ Their 1975 chart-topper “Sister Golden Hair” was one of seven Top 10 Billboard hits from the group.
∙ “Ventura Highway,” released in 1972, was later sampled in Janet Jackson’s 2001 pop hit “Someone to Call My Lover.”
∙ In 2007, they released Here & Now, which was coproduced by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger and featured contributions from Nada Surf and Jim James.
∙ The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012, six years after their induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.