4 Non Blondes
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| 4 Non Blondes | |
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 4 Non Blondes, left to right: Roger Rocha, Dawn Richardson, Christa Hillhouse, Linda Perry
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| Background information | |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1989-1996 |
| Label(s) | Interscope, Atlantic |
| Associated acts | Malibu Barbi |
| Former members | |
| Original Members Linda Perry (vocals) Christa Hillhouse (bass guitar) Shaunna Hall (guitar) Wanda Day (drums) Other members Roger Rocha (guitar) Dawn Richardson (drums) |
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4 Non Blondes were an American rock band formed in 1989. They consisted of bassist Christa Hillhouse, guitarist Shaunna Hall, drummer Wanda Day and vocalist Linda Perry. Prior to the release of their first album, Roger Rocha replaced Hall on guitar, and Dawn Richardson replaced Day on drums. They hit the charts in 1993 with "What's Up", their only hit. Perry left the band in 1995 to begin a solo career, and the remaining members disbanded soon thereafter.
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[edit] Founding
Bassist Christa Hillhouse and guitarist Shaunna Hall had been roommates and met drummer Wanda Day when they joined a band she was playing in. When the three left that band they started playing as a three piece but after seeing Linda Perry sing at a solo performance Hillhouse and Hall asked her to join as vocalist. According to Perry, she and Hall were at Nightbreak, a San Francisco club, and when it was mentioned the threesome were looking for a vocalist Perry announced she was a singer to which Hall replied "I know". Their first rehearsal was supposed to be at 6 PM on October 17, 1989, but shortly after 5 PM the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the San Francisco area.[1][2]
The band picked the name, 4 Non Blondes, after an incident in a San Francisco park where the band members were having pizza. Apparently, a family was walking by, and their little boy wanted to grab some left over pizza to feed the birds. He was told by his parents, "No, don't touch that, that's dirty from all the birds and people around here,” and they proceeded to give the band members a dirty look. The family was supposedly "very blonde", so they decided to call themselves 4 Non Blondes.[citation needed] The band was signed to Interscope in July 1991 following a performance at the Gavin Convention where the band opened for Primus on Valentine's Day of the same year. As they started to record their debut album, according to Hillhouse, Wanda Day was fired from 4 Non Blondes because of alcohol addiction and was replaced by Dawn Richardson. Shaunna Hall left the band in 1992 while recording Bigger Better Faster, More! over musical differences, particularly with the producer David Tickle.[3] She was replaced by Roger Rocha, who would stay with the band until 1995. After 4 Non Blondes, Day went on to join Malibu Barbi.[4] Day died July 10, 1997.[4]
An urban legend among people is, that while promoting the song "What's Up", lead singer Linda Perry, who wrote the song and had recently come out as a lesbian, displayed a "dyke" sticker prominently plastered on her guitar for a performance on Late Night with David Letterman. It is unlikely that the this actually happened, as the network would most likely have considered that the phrase "dyke" was not permissible as it was then considered derogatory towards homosexual females. Also, contemporary YouTube copies of the Late Show with David Letterman (not Late Night) performance do not show such a sticker on her guitar.
[edit] Musical success
Lead vocalist Perry went solo in 1995 and the group disbanded after recording, but not releasing, their second album. Perry has since released solo work, and produced songs on hit albums by Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson.
In 1994, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Bless The Beasts And Children" for the Carpenters tribute album "if I were a Carpenter."
In 1995, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Misty Mountain Hop" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin.
In 2007, Kitty Rose and Christa Hillhouse started working with Carolyn Gage on a five-woman rock musical called How to Write a Country-Western Song.
Guitarist Roger Rocha recorded an unreleased record with the hard rocking Dolorosa in 1995 and then in 1997, joined psychedelic pop group, Mockingbirds on Guitar. Rocha then recorded two CDs with El Destroyo, the Latest Drag 1999 and Power of my Mind released in 2002. The latter was produced and featured the bass guitar of founding member of the Violent Femmes, Brian Ritchie. Rocha recorded Roger Rocha has..."the Blues!" in 2006. Roger is currently living, singing, writing and performing in the San Francisco Bay Area with the group Roger Rocha & The Goldenhearts.
Founding guitarist, Shaunna Hall, became an official member of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in 2007, making her the first female band member in the bands' 35 + year history. Shaunna has been touring with P-Funk since 2002. Shaunna Hall released a producer project CD/DVD set in 2006 entitled Electrofunkadelica: e3+FUNKnth = music for the body, mind & soul, which features members of Parliament Funkadelic, Sativa Diva, Christa Hillhouse, Eric McFadden, Lisa Cash and many others. Shaunna has been a touring member of George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic since 2002. She has also recorded and performed with The Alcohol of Fame (1993-1995); The Eric McFadden Experience (1995-2002) Our Revels Now are Ended (1998 NMX Records); Tribe 8 (producer & guest guitarist) Role Models For Amerika (1998 Alternative Tentacles Records); Storm, Inc. (1999-2001) The Calm Years (2000 Taylor Made Records/ Gender Nectar); 420 Funk Mob Alive in Spain (2004 WeFUNK ad2k Records).
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992)
- Dear Mr. President (Live in Italy) (1993) - (1994).
[edit] Singles
- "Dear Mr. President" (1992)
- "What's Up" (1993) #1 Germany, #1 The Netherlands, #2 Australia, #2 Israel, #2 United Kingdom, #14 The Billboard Hot 100, #29 Modern rock, #16 Mainstream rock
- "Spaceman" (1993) #39 US Mainstream Rock, #28 Germany, #53 UK
- "Dear Mr. President" [re-release] (1994)
- "Superfly" (1994)
- "Bless The Beasts and Children" (1994)
- "Misty Mountain Hop" (1995)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Indiana, Gary (July / August 1991). "4 Non Blondes Interview" (in English). Flipside Magazine.
- ^ "Earthquake" (in English). Time Magazine (Time Inc). October 30, 1989. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958883-1,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-13.
- ^ Chun, Kimberly. "Noise: Miss understood" (in English). The San Francisco Bay Guardian (The San Francisco Bay Guardian). http://www.sfbg.com/40/01/noise_miss_understood.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-13.
- ^ a b Hall, Shaunna. "Life and Times of Wanda Day" (in English). Loudith Faire. http://loudithfaire.net/celebskin/shaunna_wandaday.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-24.
