If there is one universal - or almost universal - truth that pertains to rock bands, it's that they change their personnel as often as most of us change our clothes. Musicians and singers leave, come back, or get replaced. You need a scorecard to keep track of all the transitions. The grind of recording and touring is hard on people, especially if they also want a personal life. Sometimes, they simply need to walk away. But when all the original members of a band finally make an exit, something fundamental and precious is lost.
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A piece of a band's shared history goes away. For example, Journey kept going minus Steve Perry, but it was still a huge loss. Sure, new singers and musicians can be found to flesh out the ranks. But the original people, well, they are sometimes sorely missed. They defy easy substitution. Here are some renowned rock bands that eventually lost all their original members, per Ultimate Classic Rock.
Little River Band
The band, begun in 1975, had a core triumvirate of Glenn Shorrock, John Farnham, and Graeham Goble. All of them, plus Beeb Birtles, eventually took off. Little River Band did not end there, however. In 1980, Goble introduced bassist Wayne Nelson into the group. There was a comeback of sorts, with songs such as "Take It Easy on Me," "The Night Owls," and "The Other Guy."
Heart
I think of Heart as Ann and Nancy Wilson. What I learned is that this band dates way back to the late 1960s. The band also sported different names, like White Heart, Hocus Pocus, and even, weirdly enough, the Army! Then in the 1970s, the Wilson sisters began their triumphant reign. Steve Fossen and Roger Fisher, who jointly launched the band, headed for the door. Songs like "Barracuda" and "Magic Man" in the 1970s, and "Alone" in the 1980s, cemented Heart's stature in rock history.
Yes
Five people launched Yes - Bill Bruford, Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, and Peter Banks. With the passage of time, several of them peeled off from the band. Kaye found his way back in the 1980s; Anderson rejoined Yes sporadically until 21 years ago. Alan White and Steve Howe signed on in the early 1970s. They were joined over the years by Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, and Geoff Downes.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Fate can intervene in a band's life in awful ways. Case in point - a plane crash in 1977 that decimated the band. Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant died. Leon Wilkeson was badly hurt. Yet that was not the end of Lynyrd Skynyrd. A decade later, the band was revitalized with Wilkeson, Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Ed King. Johnnie Van Zant, Ronnie's bro, entered the picture. More departures happened over time to change the band's composition yet again.
