Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby was born in November 1954, and has since established himself as an admired American singer, accordion player, songwriter and pianist. His music covers a broad range of genres, drawing influences from classical, jazz, folk, motown, rock and blues.
Hornsby, a thirteen-time Grammy nominee, attended the University of Miami and Berklee School of Music, after which he spent years recording his self-created music and playing in bars across America. In 1974, Hornsby’s brother formed a band, ‘Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids", featuring Hornsby on piano and vocals, and signalling the beginning of his musical career. Following his graduation in 1977, the duo moved to LA, where they spent 3 years writing for 20th Century Fox.
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1984 witnessed Hornsby form his own band, ‘Bruce Hornsby and The Range’, who were signed to RCA Records in 1985. The bands career started with a bang, with ‘The Way It Is’ topping the US charts, still reigning as Hornsby’s biggest hit, and having been sampled by 6 rappers to date. Hornsby & the Range won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for 1986.
Hornsby’s second album was not as successful, and he careered onto the path of song writing, creating songs for artists such as Huey Lewis and Don Henley. A third album followed which saw Hornsby venture into other aspects of music, and although challenging himself, this album too had little success.
Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and in the early '90s, doing temporary duty in the Grateful Dead as their keyboardist. In 1993, he released his fourth album ‘Harbor Lights’, without his backup band, The Range. It seems his band could have been holding him back – as the album went gold and followed with a tour of the US.
Since then, Hornsby has released a handful of albums, and still performs to this day.
Carly Page
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