solo debut

Following nearly fifteen years of major commercial success despite being an enormously popular live draw, the J. Geils Band broke through in a major way with the release of their album Freeze-Frame in late 1981. By tempering their blues and R&B-based sound in a more pop-friendly direction, the group saw the album and lead single "Centerfold" become #1 smashes, as well as subsequent singles "Freeze-Frame" and "Angel In Blue" become US Top 40 hits.

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Drummer Sheila E. was well-prepared for the success she found with the the release of the debut album in the summer of 1984. The daughter of Latin jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo, Sheila had been performing with his band since her teens. She had also recently provided vocals to the Prince song "Erotic City," which had been the b-side to his #1 hit "Let's Go Crazy" (and she would become a member of his band in 1987).

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Before he became a spokesman for numerous social and environmental causes, Gordon Sumner was the lead singer and bassist for the mega-successful trio The Police. In 1984, however, the singer better known as Sting was simply a man without a band following the dissolution of The Police - albeit, a man with bright prospects. The Police had broken up at the height of their popularity, while they were one of the biggest acts in the world and had sold close to ten million copies of their 1983 album Synchronicity.

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