Psychedelic / hard rock band the Amboy Dukes was founded in 1964 by guitarist Ted Nugent. Although initially formed in Chicago, Illinois, the band relocated to Ted Nugent’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan and became one of the major forces behind the vibrant proto punk / garage rock scene that also included the MC5, the Stooges (with Iggy Pop), and others. The Amboy Dukes experienced many line-up changes over the years with Ted Nugent – the band’s lead guitarist and songwriter – remained the only constant member. The members from the original line-up were gone by the time the group began making waves on the Detroit scene in 1967. Signing to Mainstream Records, they released their self-titled debut album that same year. After building up a fanbase, the Amboy Dukes released their second album, Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968), to great acclaim. The album reached number 74 on the Billboard 200 while the title track was released as a single and climbed to number 16 on the Hot 100. Although the band remained a popular live act and Ted Nugent’s popularity continued to grow, their subsequent albums – Migration (1969), Marriage on the Rocks/Rock Bottom (1970), Survival of the Fittest Live (1971), Call of the Wild (1973), and Tooth Fang & Claw (1974) – were not commercial successes and the Amboy Dukes broke up in 1975. Ted Nugent pursued a solo career as a hard rock guitarist and became one of the most popular rockers of the 1970s. The Amboy Dukes’ musical legacy has remained intact, and they were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2008.
