Throwback Thursday (9/17/2020)

Today is the birthday of John Waldo Waybill, also known as Fee Waybill, the entertaining lead singer of the San Francisco rock band, The Tubes. Originally a roadie for the band, Waybill joined the band shortly after they formed in 1972.

Waybill was known for his outrageous stage persona taking on "roles" such as crippled Nazi Dr. Strangekiss, country singer Hugh Heifer, glam rocker Quay Lewd, and punk parody Johnny Bugger.

The Tubes opened for Iggy Pop, the New York Dolls and Led Zeppelin (find me another band that accomplished that).

The band's debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope" while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top-10 hit in the U.S. and a staple on the early days of MTV. My favorite was always "Talk To Ya Later". It has a classic new wave-pop vibe that fit on 1980s radio so well, but could easily have been a hit way into the 2000s.

Waybill eventually would go solo and also appear in numerous films including Xanadu and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Later on, Waybill would co-write and produce for such acts as Bryan Adams and Richard Marx.

He and Marx collaborated on his latest solo record, Fee Waybill Rides Again, that was released earlier this year that's worth checking out.