Blackfoot is an American Southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 1970. While primarily associated with Southern rock, the band has also been described as a hard rock act. The group’s early classic lineup included guitarist and vocalist Rickey Medlocke, guitarist Charlie Hargrett, bassist Greg T. Walker and drummer Jakson Spires.
The band released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including "Strikes" (1979), "Tomcattin'" (1980) and "Marauder" (1981).
In the spring of 1969, Rickey Medlocke and Greg T. Walker met New York musicians Ron Sciabarasi and Charlie Hargrett in Jacksonville and formed a band called "Fresh Garbage", named after a song by the band Spirit. The lineup featured Medlocke on drums and vocals, Walker on bass, Hargrett on guitar and Sciabarasi on keyboards. The group performed mainly at the Comic Book Club on Forsyth Street. Later that year, Fresh Garbage disbanded after Sciabarasi left to serve in the Vietnam War. Medlocke, Walker and Hargrett then formed a new group called "Hammer", with Medlocke moving to vocals and guitar, and Jakson Spires joining on drums along with DeWitt Gibbs on keyboards and Jerry Zambito on guitar, who stayed briefly. Several members had previously played together in earlier local bands.
The group later relocated to Gainesville, Florida, where they became the house band at Dub's Steer Room. In 1970 they moved to New York City after being encouraged by a contact in the music publishing industry. Around this time, after discovering another band named Hammer on the West Coast, they changed their name to Blackfoot, referencing the Native American heritage of several members, including Medlocke, Spires and Walker.
After failing to secure a recording contract in New York, Gibbs left the group and Medlocke assumed full-time guitar duties. In 1971, Medlocke and Walker accepted an offer to join Lynyrd Skynyrd, temporarily ending Blackfoot’s activity. Hargrett remained in New Jersey and briefly played in a band called "No Name", while Walker and Gibbs later participated in a short-lived project called Rainbow in Atlanta. Walker subsequently joined Cross Country for a brief period.
In 1972, Hargrett reconnected with former associates and helped initiate another attempt to reform Blackfoot, with Medlocke returning and Spires also rejoining. The lineup at that stage included bassist Leonard Stadler and guitarist Danny Johnson, though Johnson’s involvement was short-lived. Stadler later left the group due to health issues and eventually pursued religious work. Greg T. Walker later rejoined the band.
By 1974, the group was based again in northern New Jersey. During this period Medlocke temporarily lost his singing voice due to vocal issues, and Patrick Jude was recruited as a vocalist before Medlocke recovered and resumed singing. Medlocke and Walker later sent recordings to producers Jimmy Johnson and David Hood, who had previously worked with them in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
The band’s debut album, "No Reservations", was released in 1975 through Island Records. Their second album, "Flyin' High", followed in 1976 via Epic Records, both produced by Johnson and Hood.
By the late 1970s the group had returned to Gainesville. In 1977 they worked as a backing band for singer Ruby Starr under manager Butch Stone. After that collaboration ended in 1978, they signed with Atco Records through manager Al Nalli and associate Jay Frey.
The album "Strikes", recorded in Ann Arbor, Michigan and released in 1979, became the band’s most commercially successful release. It included the song "Train, Train", written by Rickey Medlocke’s grandfather, and "Highway Song", both of which gained significant radio airplay. The band toured extensively during this period and performed as an opening act for The Who at the Pontiac Silverdome in December 1979.
Their subsequent albums "Tomcattin'" (1980), "Marauder" (1981) and the live recording "Highway Song Live" (1982) followed. In the early 1980s, as Southern rock declined in mainstream popularity, the band adjusted their musical direction and incorporated keyboards. Former Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley joined in 1982 and appeared on the album "Siogo" (1983). Following limited commercial success, guitarist Charlie Hargrett left the group in 1984.
The album "Vertical Smiles", recorded in 1983 with engineer Eddy Offord, was released in 1984 after revisions but did not achieve strong sales. Ken Hensley left later that year and was replaced by Bobby Barth. By 1985, reduced commercial activity led to the band dissolving in 1986. Medlocke continued with a new lineup and released "Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot" in 1987, which adopted a more contemporary rock style.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the lineup changed frequently, with musicians including Mark Mendoza, Neal Casal and others participating at various times. The album "Medicine Man" was released in 1990, followed by "After the Reign" in 1994, which revisited elements of the band’s earlier sound. A compilation titled "Rattlesnake Rock N' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot" was also released in 1994.
By the mid-1990s, Medlocke again reorganised the group, and in 1996 he rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd as a guitarist. He continued performing with Blackfoot until 1997, after which the band was disbanded. Live recordings from earlier performances were released in the late 1990s and 2000.
In 2004, original members Jakson Spires, Greg T. Walker and Charlie Hargrett reformed Blackfoot. Bobby Barth handled lead vocals in the absence of Medlocke. Following Spires’ death in 2005, the band continued with drummer Christoph Ullmann and later line-up changes including Jay Johnson, Mark McConnell and others. The group continued touring and released live material during this period.
In 2012, Rickey Medlocke reformed Blackfoot with a new lineup while also continuing his work with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Other former members formed separate projects, including Fired Guns and Warrior's Pride. Greg T. Walker also performed under the name Two Wolf later in the decade.
In 2016, Blackfoot released "Southern Native", their first studio album in approximately two decades. The band’s lineup has continued to change frequently in subsequent years, and since 2023 Medlocke has appeared at selected performances alongside former member Mark Woerpel.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackfoot_(band)
Studio albums
No Reservations (1975)
Flyin' High (1976)
Strikes (1979)
Tomcattin' (1980)
Marauder (1981)
Siogo (1983)
Vertical Smiles (1984)
Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot (1987)
Medicine Man (1990)
After the Reign (1994)
Southern Native (2016)
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…shrink me down again