The Afghan Whigs - Definition and Overview

The Afghan Whigs were an American soul-influenced hard rock band of the 1990s. Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), John Curley (bass), Rick McCollum (lead guitar) and Steve Earle (drums -- not to be confused with Steve Earle) formed the band in Cincinnati in 1986. Their debut album, Big Top Halloween (Ultrasuede, 1988) created a buzz in the independent music community, and the band soon signed to Sub Pop of Seattle in 1989. Then in 1990, Up in It was released; this was followed by the critically acclaimed 1992 album Congregation and a covers album, Uptown Avondale.

The Afghan Whigs then signed to a major label, Elektra Records, and released another critically acclaimed album, Gentlemen that failed to break the band into the mainstream, though it spawned the minor hit "Debonair". For the next few years, personnel problems interfered with recording and touring, and the band released two more albums - Black Love in 1996 and 1965 in 1998 - before they broke up in 2001. In 1996, Greg Dulli served as executive producer for the soundtrack for the Ted Demme film Beautiful Girls. The Whigs also contributed two songs to the soundtrack: "Be For Real" and the Barry White cover "Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe".

Rolling Stone magazine described the band as spending "the bulk of their career on the brink of stardom", yet they've "never quite broken beyond a substantial legion of devotees enamored of their thinly veiled sleaze."

Band Member Update

• Greg Dulli is currently recording and performing as The Twilight Singers
• John Curley is a member of the Staggering Statistics
• Rick McCollum is the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Moon Maan

Afghan Whigs Archive: Summer's Kiss - A Tribute to the Afghan Whigs (http://www.summerskiss.com)