Blind Melon

In recent years, the tale of Blind Melon has taken a dramatic turn – from an abrupt and tragic end, to a rebirth and reconnection with their legion of fans. No matter how you slice it, the group was responsible for some of the most memorable and pure-sounding rock music of the ‘90s. And with their reformation in 2006 with singer Travis Warren, Blind Melon are poised to pick up exactly where they left off a decade earlier – as evidenced by their new single, “Wishing Well,” and forthcoming/as-yet-to-be-titled fourth full-length overall, due April 22, 2008. Blind Melon originally formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, when five transplants from other states crossed paths - singer Shannon Hoon (from Indiana), guitarist Christopher Thorn (from Pennsylvania), and guitarist Rogers Stevens, bassist Brad Smith, and drummer Glen Graham (all from Mississippi). With a buzz created around the band shortly thereafter due to Hoon’s appearance on Guns N’ Roses’ 1991 release, ‘Use Your Illusion’ (and specifically, the hit single/video, “Don’t Cry”), a recording contract soon followed with Capitol Records. The group’s now-classic self-titled debut followed in 1992. The album saw the group fit in perfectly with the then-burgeoning alt rock/grunge movement, due to their stripped-down, rootsy sound, as evidenced by such standouts as “Tones of Home” and “Change.” But it was the song “No Rain” that became a smash on radio and MTV a year later, and Blind Melon became one of rock’s feel-good ‘overnight success stories.’ As the album scaled the charts, plum opening gigs piled up over the next year – Guns N’ Roses, Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, and the Rolling Stones, as well as an unforgettable appearance at Woodstock ’94. Unfortunately, it was around this time that Hoon’s drug addiction took a turn for the worse. Despite high expectations, the group’s sophomore release, 1995’s ‘Soup,’ was panned by critics upon release. Over the years however, the album has rightfully become recognized as one of the decade’s most underrated rock gems, spawning such standouts as “Galaxie,” “Toes Across the Floor,” and “Mouthful of Cavities.” Barely over two months after the album’s release, Hoon died while on tour from a drug overdose, at the age of 28.