Gary U.S. Bonds
Rock | 2006“Come on everybody, take a ride with me …” When those eight little words from the song “New Orleans” first hit the radio in 1959, the man who sang them heard them credited to someone else. Sitting on his front porch, the former Gary Anderson thought someone had ripped him off, but it turned out his manager had changed his name—to Gary U.S. Bonds—without consulting him first. Gary U.S. Bonds would continue to ride high on the charts with the jubilant “Quarter to Three,” which became a party record of the early 1960s and his signature hit song. In the early 1980s, Bonds’ career reached a new high with successful collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. The hits began to chart again, including “This Little Girl,” “Jolé Blonde,” and “Out Of Work.” While Gary U.S. Bonds is mostly known for achievements within the rhythm and blues and rock genres, he has also been nominated for the Country Music Association’s “Songwriter of the Year.” He is also an honoree of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation.