This web page will introduce you to the America band members and a few of the many America fans worldwide. So far, the only individual biographies that have been written about the band members are for Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, Willie Leacox (Up Close And Personal and The Fine Art of Setting Up Drums), and Rich Campbell. You can also read about Gerry, Dewey, and Dan in Jim Nakao's "In The Beginning", John Corbett's updated comprehensive history called "America Revisited", John Corbett's original "Comprehensive History", or Rick Wahlgren's "Short History".

Many people ask when the birthdays are for the band members. Here they are according to various sources on the Internet:

  • Dewey Bunnell (Harrogate, Yorkshire, England) - January 19, 1952
  • Steve Fekete - March 7
  • Willie Leacox - March 31, 1947 - February 2, 2022 (former drummer)
  • Brad Palmer - April 8 (former bass player)
  • Bill Worrell - May 9, 1985 (former guitar tech)
  • Michael Woods - July 18 (former lead guitar player)
  • Ryland Steen - August 31, 1980
  • Gerry Beckley (Fort Worth, Texas) - September 12, 1952
  • Dan Peek (Panama City, Florida) - November 1, 1950 - July 24, 2011
  • Rich Campbell - December 7, 1956

Click here to see the Chat Folder Faces page which includes photos of fans without a biography.


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Default

Adam J. Bernay (California)
Adrian Staszkiewicz (Australia)
Al Mora (California)
Alan Collins (Maine)
Alan Dutton (Oregon)
Alan Rowan (Ireland)
Alan Wind (Georgia)
Alison Young (Australia)
Allie Kunis (Massachusetts)
Andreas Burkert (Germany/Ohio)
Anita Bloom (Maryland)
Antoine Gosselin (France)
Avé Frits Willemsen (Holland)

Barry Singleton (England)
Becky Jones (California)
Beth Mercier Gray (Wisconsin)
Beth Singer (Pennsylvania)
Bill Payne (California)
Bob Armstrong (Michigan)
Bob Bennett (Utah)
Bob Lucas (Georgia)
Bob Pace (California)
Brad Council (Ohio)
Brandon Rose (Florida)
Brian Jones (England)
Bruno Mautone (Italy)

Carey Driscoll (California)
Carl Fismer (Florida)
Carlos Cisneros (Ecuador)
Chip Crouse (Nevada)
Colleen Casey (Washington)
Costanza Parronchi (Italy)
Curtis Phillips (Florida)

Damon Raphael (Arizona)
Dan Black (Canada)
Dan Cranford (Illinois)
Dana Morrison (Texas)
Daren E. Jack (Idaho)
Darlene McStay (New Zealand)
Dave Smith (Massachusetts)
David Aupapa (Australia)
David Curran (Florida)
David Moretti (Connecticut)
David Stengle (Japan)
Deb Egan (California)
Debbie Salisbury (Canada)
Dennis Gilfoyle (Pennsylvania)
Dennis Waggoner (Arizona)
Don Griffing (Florida)
Donna Smith (Virginia)
Douglas Gavin (Scotland)

Ed Collins (Massachusetts)
Elaine Gasparini (Canada)
Eric Schwartz (France)
Erin DiPietro (Nevada)

Fede Belfiore (Italy)
Federico Giampieri (Italy)
Fran Cannon (Pennsylvania)
Frances De Gennaro (New York)
Frank Ellison (England)

Gary Giampaolo (California)
Gene Murrell (California)
Geneviève Guedra (France)
Gerald Kelley (Alabama)
Geri Vassau (Illinois)
Germana Minniti (Italy)
Gordy Haluska (Pennsylvania)

Harry S. Anchan (Canada)
Howard Lieboff (New Jersey)

Ingrid Lundberg (California)
Ivette Stickelmaier, MD (California)

Jamey Karr (Texas)
Jami Fitzpatrick (Nevada)
Jan Godbey (Ohio)
Janice Baluka (California)
Jason Smith (England)
Javier Martinez (Spain)
Jessica Hidway (Philippines)
Jim Court (New Zealand)
Jim Crowe (Arizona)
Jim Griffey (Pennsylvania)
Jim Riccioli (Wisconsin)
Jim Strong (Texas)
Jiordyn Clements (Texas)
Joanne Meyers (New York)
Joe Knight (North Carolina)
John Corbett (Colorado)
John London (England)
John Luetkemeyer, Jr. (Nevada)
John Nelson (Maryland)
Jose D. Medina (California)
Joyce Hall (Wisconsin)
Juan Cobo (Spain)
Juan Manuel Escrihuela (Spain)
Jude Macrohon (Philippines)
Julie Chavez (Pennsylvania)

Kari Simpkins (Delaware)
Kelly Sutherland (Australia)
Kem Siddons (Florida)
Ken Mesa (Guam)
Kevin Alton (Maryland)
Kristine Carlson Asselin (Massachusetts)
Kurt Hartmann (Maryland)

Ladd Everitt (Washington, D.C.)
Lance Hesselgren (New Mexico)
Laura Rivest Fontaine (New Hampshire)
Leo Zita (Philippines)
Luísa Künning (Brazil)

Madelyn Buckley-O'Boyle (New York)
Magnus Lellis (Brazil)
Mark Heagy (Oregon)
Mark Maley (Wisconsin)
Mark McKinney (North Carolina)
Mark & Diane North (Maryland)
Mark Smith (California)
Mary Mazur (New York)
Maureen Morrison (New York)
Maurizio Merli (Italy)
Mel Clayton (Florida)
Melissa Kusia (Connecticut)
Michelle (Ohio)
Mike Blunck (Illinois)
Mike Bunn (Utah)
Mike Robinson (New Hampshire)
Mo Bufton (New York)

Nancy Holtz (Pennsylvania)
Nancy Mielnicki (New Jersey)
Natalie Tucker (Kansas)
Nicolas Larek (France)

Olivia Frey (Mexico)

Pasquale Giacobbe (Italy)
Paul Stephens (England)
Phil Read (England)
Philip Stewart (Michigan)

Randy Schultz (Wisconsin)
Ray Dennett (England)
Ray Quinn (Tasmania)
Ray Robinson (Colorado)
Rebecca Brunetta (Pennsylvania)
Rex Cox (Oklahoma)
Rich Turner (Florida)
Rick Simpson (Illinois)
Rick Bolling (North Carolina)
Rob Guinan (Connecticut)
Robert Graves (England)
Robyn Peshek (California)
Rogelio Centella P. (Panama)
Ronnie Jo Janssen (Minnesota)

Sandy Graviette (Washington)
Shayne Zucker (Illinois)
Sheldon Castle (Pennsylvania)
Stephen Andrew Bagnetto (New York)
Steve & Karen Flynn (Tennessee)
Steve Johnston (Tennessee)
Steve Lowry (Utah)
Steve Orchard (Michigan)
Suzanne Floth (California)

Ted Hoffman (Missouri)
Tery Holly (Florida)
Terry Knight (North Carolina)
Thomás Bañuelos (Mexico)
Tom Hullinger (Indiana)
Tom Peek (England)
Tom Seiberling (Ohio)
Tom Tantillo (Connecticut)
Tommie Steele (Montana)
Tommy (Georgia)
Traci Main (Arizona)
Trevor Arthur (New Zealand)

Vern Scheck (Michigan)

Wayne Spriggs (Kansas)

Zenaida Wagner (Florida)

Highway Highlight (from the box set booklet)
Like his future bandmates, Beckley took to music at an early age. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 12, 1952, to an American father and an English mother, he first began playing the piano at age three. While his family moved every few years--from Britian to the U.S. and Germany--he kept at the piano and, after discovering The Kingston Trio, picked up the guitar as well.

In 1967 Beckley's father became the commander at the U.S. Air Force base at West Ruislip, near London. Gerry attended Central High School in Hartfordshire, where he met fellow junior and track team member Dewey Bunnell. The two connected on several levels. "My dad was a senior master sergeant at the air base, and Gerry's dad was his boss," Bunnell says. "It was odd, because if a letter came to my dad's boss at work saying, 'Hey, your son's hair's getting a little long,' it would be signed by Gerry's dad."

The two schoolmates shared an interest in music as well. Also the son of Anglo-American parents, Bunnell (born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, January 19, 1952) had been raised on a diverse musical diet and by age five was entertaining his folks with a rendition of "Hound Dog." Like Beckley, he began playing guitar in 1962 while living in Biloxi Mississippi. In addition to Biloxi, Bunnell lived in Omaha, Pensacola, Long Island, and (significantly, as it would turn out) near Ventura, California, before returning to England in 1966.

Peek was born November 1, 1951, in Panama City, Florida, of American parents. The U.S. Air Force stationed his father in such exotic locales as Greenland, Japan, and Pakistan; it was in the latter country that Peek began playing guitar at age 12. "The good thing about Pakistan is that there wasn't much else to do," he says. "It was brutally hot, so you would pretty much just hunker down in the coolest part of the house and try to figure out how to play the guitar." Peek formed a group with his brother Tom when the family moved to Texas and subsequently turned down a deal from a local record label when the Peeks headed for England in 1968.

"The first day of school I met Dewey on the bus," he continues. "We both had an hour-and-a-half bus ride. Dewey was pretty much into athletics at the time--I didn't even know he played music. I met Gerry in an art class, and every day I'd be bumping into him, and he and I clicked because of the music. Gerry was Mr. Music--he eats, breathes, and sleeps music. So we hit it off. Within a short time, I'd formed a band, and Gerry had a band, and we ended up battling each other in battles of the bands. My band broke up, and I joined his band, The Daze. Then I left and Dewey took my place, and that band broke up, and we all went our separate ways for about a year."

What happened after that is history...


Last Revised: 21 September 2023