Bay City Rollers - Often referred to as 'the tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh', the band randomly chose their name after sticking a pin in a map and it landing on Bay City, Michigan (which incidentally is the birthplace of 'Madonna'). Although best known for their hits 'Bye-Bye Baby' (a Four Seasons cover) and 'Shang-A-Lang', their first hit was 'Keep On Dancing' which reached No.9 in the UK charts in 1971. It was a cover of a 1965 hit by 'The Gentrys'.
Billy Joel - Born William Martin Joel to an English Mother and German father, he was raised in The Bronx. Before deciding to pursue music as a career, Joel boxed as a welterweight on the amateur circuit in the New York area. He Released his first hit song 'Piano Man' in 1973, and has sold over 150 million records worldwide. Joel battled depression for many years. In 1970, a career downturn and personal problems aggravated his condition. He left a suicide note and attempted to commit suicide by drinking furniture polish, saying later, 'I drank furniture polish. It looked tastier than bleach'. In November 2010, Joel opened a shop on Oyster Bay, Long Island to manufacture custom-made, retro-styled motorcycles and accessories.
Bob Dylan - Originally named Robert Allen Zimmerman, he thought this name was too long, and was electing to call himself Robert Allan (until finding that there was already a saxophonist with this name). Being inspired by the writings of Dylan Thomas, he decided on the surname Dylan and chose the forename Bob because there were several 'Bobbies' in popular music at the time. Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked: 'You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.
Bon Jovi - Formed in 1983 they are an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey, consisting of Jon Bon Jovi (vocals/guitar), Richie Sambora (lead guitar), David Bryan (keyboards) and Tico Torres (drums). The band name is a re-spelling of the lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's real name John Francis Bongiovi (Jr). At 16, Bon Jovi met David Bryan and formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway. Still in his teens he then played in the band 'John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones', and by 1980 had formed another band 'The Rest'.
Boney M - The band's German producer Frank Farian named them after Boney, the hero of an Australian TV series. Famous for hits such as 'Rivers Of Babylon', 'Brown Girl In The Ring' 'Mary's Boy Child' and 'Rasputin', the group has sold more than 150 million albums and singles worldwide. Boney M was hugely popular in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, although the song 'Rasputin' was banned by the Soviet authorities during the group's concert in Moscow in December 1978.
Bush - The band was formed in London (1992) and was named after the district Shepherd's Bush in London. Dave Parsons (bassist) joined Bush shortly after leaving the band Transvision Vamp. They toured with Nickelback on their 'Here and Now' tour.
Crowded House - The pop/rock band was formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1985. The band's name alludes to the cramped quarters they were sharing whilst recording their album in L.A. They are referred to as 'The Crowdies' by Australian fans. The track 'Chocolate Cake' is a humorous comment on American excesses that wasn't taken well by some US critics and sections of the American public. Perhaps unsurprisingly it failed to chart in the US. Bassist Nick Seymour, who is also an artist, designed or co-designed all of the band's album covers and interior artwork. He also designed some of the costumes worn by the group, notably those from the cover of the group's debut album Crowded House.