A rock band formed in the
mid-1960's. Initially, the band was composed of four members, as follows:
-John Sebastian (born March
17, 1944)
-Zal Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 - December 13, 2002) (Yes, that is his
real name)
-Joe Butler (Born September 16, 1941)
-
Steve Boone (date of birth unknown)
They were known for their very happy and upbeat songs, some
slow, some fast. They were extremely
popular during their heyday, with even The Beatles citing them as an inspiration for at least one of their songs (namely, "Good Day
Sunshine"). Paul McCartney in particular is a huge fan of them, and so are the Kinks' Davies brothers.
Their success was
short-lived, however, due to legal issues and other problems; John Sebastian left the band in 1968 to pursue a (rather unsuccessful) solo career, and things went downhill from there. Despite finding a replacement in fellow musicians and brothers Jim and Jerry Yester, they disbanded in 1969 after only four years together.
However, in 1991, the band reunited. John Sebastian did not return, although he briefly joined them in a one-off reunion in 2000 and again in
2020. Jerry Yester was kicked out in
2017 after it was discovered that he is a child predator (and now a registered sex offender). Despite this, the band continues to perform under the leadership of the two remaining original members, Boone and Butler.