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Huey Lewis and the News
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Miami Vice Performer
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Members
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Huey Lewis (vocals/harmonica, born 1950)
Sean Hopper (keyboards) Bill Gibson (drums) Johnny Colla (sax/guitar) Mario Cipollina (bass) Chris Hayes (guitar) |
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Active
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1979-present
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Huey Lewis and the News is a blues-rock band whose song "Do You Believe in Love" appeared in the episode "The Prodigal Son" of the show Miami Vice.
Career[]
The band was formed in 1979 as Huey Lewis and the American Express, but changed the name to Huey Lewis and the News after the credit-card company American Express complained. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1981 to no fanfare and little success, but their second album, Picture This, brought them their first Top 10 single, "Do You Believe in Love". The follow-up singles, "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" and "Workin' For A Livin'" did not have the same chart success, but received heavy video airplay on MTV (and "Workin..." became an anthem for working people everywhere). Their third album, Sports, became the group's breakthrough album, reaching #1 and including four Billboard Top 10 singles, "Heart and Soul", "I Want A New Drug", "The Heart of Rock and Roll", and "If This Is It". A fifth single, "Walking on a Thin Line"--referencing the plight of the Vietnam Vets (an underlying theme of Vice)--reached the Top 20. In 1985 the group's song "The Power of Love" from the film Back To The Future became their first #1 single, received an Academy Award nomination, and Lewis had a cameo in the movie. Lewis also performed on the "We Are The World" single that same year. In 1986 brought Fore!, and two more #1 singles; "Jacob's Ladder" and "Stuck With You", along with three more Top 10 singles, "Hip To Be Square", "Doin' It All For My Baby", and "I Know What I Like". 1989's Small World produced the group's last Top 10 single, "Perfect World", but the album was critically panned and did not sell well. In the 1990's the band released another album, Hard at Play but then took some time off from the heavy touring the band did in the 80's and early 90's. Lewis performed a duet with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, a remake of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" that did well. The band continues to tour with original members Lewis, saxophonist Johnny Colla, drummer Bill Gibson, and keyboardist Sean Hopper, and five others, and embarked on a 30th anniversary tour (of the album Sports) in 2013. Another album and tour scheduled for 2018 was cancelled when Lewis suffered hearing loss.