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Rock 'n' Roll icon Eric Burdon has led a life matched by few other performers in rock history. He has gone from the driving force of one of the grittiest British Invasion bands of the early '60s, to pioneering the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene of the late '60s, to fronting Eric Burdon and WAR, one of the biggest funk bands of the '70s, to recording with blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon, to coming full circle and reuniting the Animals. Along the way he has been an author (having written two volumes of his autobiography), an artist (often doing his own album cover art), has written sound tracks and made guest appearances in feature films, has appeared in more than 100 television and video performances, has recorded almost continuously for the past 35 years, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1994 along with the other original Animals), and has been on an almost never-ending tour. Born May 11, 1941 in Walker-on-Tyne, England, Eric Victor Burdon was heavily influenced by blues and R&B legends Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and John Lee Hooker before he formed the Animals in 1964. Built around a heavy blues sound and Burdon's distinctively scorching vocals, the Animals recorded some of the most memorable rock anthems of the 1960's. Songs such as, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place," "House of the Rising Sun," and "It's My Life," have left an indelible imprint on the consciousness of a whole generation of rock 'n' roll listeners. Burdon's newest collaboration, Eric Burdon & the New Animals features material from the classic Animals song list as well as new material that defines a distinct new sound. Eric Burdon's life can be summed up in the words of his autobiographical song, The Road. "I don't live -- if I don't play this Rock 'n' Roll."
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