The music people hear in their formative years will usually stay with them, says Gerry Beckley, one of the founding members of the band America.
“ ‘I grew up to your music' is a common refrain, to which we then respond ‘So did we,' ” says Beckley, who formed the group 47 years ago with Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek.
America returns March 26 as America to the Palace Theatre, Greensburg with Beckley and Bunnell performing; Peek left the group in 1977 and died in 2011. The opening act is Westmoreland County-based acoustic duo, The Bricks (formerly 3 Bricks Shy).
Beckley, Bunnell and Peek met in the 1960s in high school in London in the 1960s. America's self-titled debut album in 1971 was introduced by their first single, and signature hit, “Horse with No Name.” Beatles' producer George Martin produced seven of their albums.
And those hits just kept on coming: “I Need You,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Tin Man,” “Ventura Highway” and “You Can Do Magic,” among others
“We were very fortunate to have the number of hits that we did,” Beckley says. “As far as life lessons from that period, I always say to people who ask, ‘Try to position yourself in a way that allows you to do what you love.'”
The band continues to be driven by that love. “The response we get from friends, fans and family is a strong motivator,” he says.
As to where the group is in its career, Beckley says, “I recently heard a reference to this time in our lives and career as ‘Act Three.' I like the sound of that.”
Some ingredients in an America show are always the same, he says. “But we try very hard to keep it fresh. What we do is make sure it isn't just an oldies review.
“A lot of our songs come off even better on stage (than on record). On any given night the challenge is to present the songs as well as we possibly can,” he says. What the audience experiences, he says, is “a surprisingly rich combination of expertise and luck.”
America's most recent release is “Lost & Found,” 10 previously unreleased songs from their archives.
All the songs are original compositions by Beckley and Bunnell, either individually or in collaboration with each other. The songs were recorded over the last 15-plus years, primarily in Beckley's studio in Los Angeles.
Through the years some fans have expressed frustration that America has not been included more in a discussion of music of our time.
But Beckley seems satisfied. “We have received far more than our fair share of recognition,” he says. “And there are a few more top secret projects in the works.”
Artistically, he adds, “I remain continually inspired by music.”
Rex Rutkoski is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
