Formed in the burgeoning rock and roll scene of 1970s London, America is a folk rock band that was originally composed of three half-American, half-British artists who met while attending high school in the mid-1960s. Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek released their band's self-titled debut studio album in 1971, and while the record was initially received with moderate success, America decided to records several additional songs, including the worldwide hit, "A Horse with No Name." The band re-released its debut with the new songs, and the record quickly saw international acclaim. The band rode the wave of its sudden success throughout the 1970s with album including 1974's Holiday, and 1975's Hearts. Though Peek quit the band in 1977 as America's popularity began to decline, Beckley and Bunnell continued on as a duo and eventually earned mainstream attention once again with the 1982 single "You Can Do Magic." America continues to release new music, including its 2011 studio album Black Pages, while performing worldwide with a new backing band.
