Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band
-
-
4.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of west coast rock n' roll pioneers, Redbone. You've heard the hit song “Come and Get Your Love” in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, but the story of the band behind it is one of cultural, political, and social importance. Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. They influenced The Doors and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix before he was “Jimi,” and the idea of a band made up of completely Native Americans soon followed. Determined to control their creative vision and maintain their cultural identity, they eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in 1969. But as the American Indian Movement gained momentum the band took a stand, choosing pride in their ancestry over continued commercial reward. Created with the cooperation of the Vegas family, painstaking steps were taken to ensure the historical accuracy of this important and often overlooked story of America's past. Part biography and part research journalism, Redbone provides a voice to a people long neglected in American history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The origins of Redbone, a Native American rock band, is recalled episodically in this forthright, largely upbeat chronicle, anchored by interviews with one of the founding members, Pat Vegas. The story opens in 1962, as music manager Bumps talks Los Angeles based Pat and brother Lolly Vasquez into anglicizing their last name to Vegas, because "white guys like to stick together." Later, with the encouragement of Jimi Hendrix, the duo instead embraces their identity and welcome fellow Native American musicians Tony Bellamy and Pete DePoe into the fold. Redbone gains popularity, culminating in their 1974 million-selling hit, "Come and Get Your Love." They also perform overtly political songs about Wounded Knee and become vocal about the grim conditions of Native American reservations. This political awakening is balanced with lighter episodes and trivia, such as when Pat accidentally calls the Queen of England "babe." Though Redbone breaks up in 1975 due to a combination of internal tensions and music industry politics, the brothers soon retool and continue to play on. Throughout, Balahy's loose, energetic drawings; imaginative layouts; and playful use of color make everything pop. It all adds up to an entertaining, enlightening history for music fans.
