Born on July 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Maryland, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Greg Kihn launched his career as a in Baltimore as a solo troubadour but leaned into rock and roll once he relocated to San Francisco, California in 1974. Signing to the Beserkley Records label, he issued three albums under his own name – Greg Kihn (1976), Greg Kihn Again (1977), and Next of Kihn (1978) – before reverting to The Greg Kihn Band for the release of With the Naked Eye (1979). While the band was a popular live attraction and received great press, they didn’t cross over until the release of RocKihnRoll (1981), which featured the Top 20 single “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).” Greg Kihn scored his biggest success with 1983’s “Jeopardy,” which reached number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. After the release of 1984’s Kihntagious, Greg Kihn left Beserkley Records and signed with EMI. After losing several members of his band, his next two albums – Citizen Kihn (!985) and Love and Rock and Roll (1986) - were released under his own name. He left EMI and didn’t release an album until 1992’s Kihn of Hearts, which was followed by Mutiny (1994) and Horror Show (1996). During this period, Greg Kihn's activities as a radio host, screenwriter, author, and music journalist took precedence over his musical career. After putting together a new Greg Kihn Band lineup, he released the album Rekihndled in 2017 and continued to sporadically tour with the band. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Greg Kihn died on August 13, 2024, at the age of 75.
