59-481: The George Hatcher Band is an American Southern Rock band formed by vocalist/songwriter George Hatcher (born March 8, 1947, in Bennettsville, South Carolina ) after moving to England in the summer of 1975. Between 1976 and 1985, the group released 5 studio albums and one live in-studio EP. Their first three releases were produced by Tom Allom and issued on United Artists . After a hiatus, Hatcher reformed
118-518: A Behind the Music episode, Lewis had discussed the settlement in violation of their nondisclosure agreement. Lewis lives on a ranch near Stevensville, Montana . He considers it his permanent residence. He married his manager's secretary, Sidney Conroy, in 1983 in Hawaii. They separated six years later. They have a daughter and a son. In April 2018, Lewis revealed that he had hearing loss as
177-456: A New World . South rock musicians like Little Big Town , Billy Currington and Ryan Adams combine the Southern rock sound with country, bluegrass and blues. This has been propelled by record labels like Capitol Records Nashville , Mercury Nashville and Lost Highway Records . Southern metal is a fusion genre combining southern rock with heavy metal music. It appeared in the 1990s and
236-565: A failed self-titled debut in 1980, the band finally broke through to Top 40 success with the gold album Picture This (1982). It rose to No. 13 on the albums chart thanks to the Mutt Lange-penned " Do You Believe in Love " (No. 7), the band's first hit. The band's third LP, Sports (1983), is one of the best-selling pop releases of all time. It became a No. 1 hit in 1984 and had multi-platinum success in 1985. Four singles from
295-696: A group which fused rock, country, blues, and jazz. Erlewine described the band's sound as "a distinctly Southern blend" which emphasized improvisation in their instrumentation. After the success of " The Devil Went Down to Georgia ", a single which Erlewine described as a "roaring country- disco fusion", Daniels shifted his sound from rock to country music and "helped shape the sound of country-rock ". The Marshall Tucker Band , from Spartanburg, South Carolina, opened many of The Allman Brothers Band concerts using elements of blues , country rock and blues rock in their music. They also collaborated with Charlie Daniels. Their self-titled album, released in 1973, included
354-485: A loyal following. Duane Allman 's playing on the two Hour Glass albums and an Hour Glass session in early 1968 at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama had caught the ear of Rick Hall , owner of FAME. In November 1968, Hall hired Allman to play on an album with Wilson Pickett . Allman's work on that album, Hey Jude (1968), got him hired as a full-time session musician at Muscle Shoals and brought him to
413-459: A master's degree in psychology . The band has since been re-activated and Dry Run and Coming Home were re-issued on CD in 2011 and released digitally. Original GHB guitarist John Thomas died on March 3, 2016, from pneumonia. Drummer Mac Poole, who recorded the Rich Girl album with Hatcher, died on May 21, 2015, after a long battle with throat cancer. Southern rock Southern rock
472-491: A mother," according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine . Erlewine described Daniels as "a redneck rebel, not fitting into either the country or the rock & roll [...] but, in retrospect, he sounds like a visionary, pointing the way to the future when southern rockers saw no dividing lines between rock, country, and blues , and only saw it all as sons of the south." Daniels later formed the Charlie Daniels Band,
531-519: A pair of originals, "Rockin’ in the Morning" and "Drinkin’ Man", the latter written on the spot and recorded on the first take. These four songs made up the 1977 Have Band Will Travel 10" EP. Hatcher started off the new year with more live work, including a show with UFO in late January at Friars Aylesbury . After supporting Frankie Miller on March 26, 1977, at The Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland ,
590-657: A performance of the Allmans' " Whipping Post " and later performing Skynyrd's " Free Bird " and, with Skynyrd on stage with him, "Sweet Home Alabama". Southern rock currently plays on the radio in the United States, but mostly on oldies stations and classic rock stations. Although this class of music gets minor radio play, there is still a following for older bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers play in venues with sizable crowds. A number of books in
649-539: A plane ticket back to the US. Upon his return, Lewis entered the engineering program at Cornell University. While there he made friends with Lance and Larry Hoppen who later played with Orleans and Eddie Tuleja of King Harvest . Initially an active student, Lewis soon lost interest in college. He signed up with a band called Slippery Elm, and in December 1969 during his junior year, he dropped out of Cornell and moved back to
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#1732787889957708-592: A recurring character on Hot in Cleveland . Lewis provides the voice of Bulworth the junkyard dog in the animated series Puppy Dog Pals . In 2013, he played himself in a parody of himself in American Psycho with "Weird Al" Yankovic . On October 21, 2015, on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live , Lewis reprised his role from Back to the Future in a segment where Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrive in
767-689: Is True , minus Lewis and Alex Call, the singers. As Lewis told Rolling Stone years later, "there isn’t any harmonica. I tell people, 'All the harmonica that isn’t on the Elvis Costello record was played by me.'" In 1978 the band returned to California, McFee joined the Doobie Brothers , and Clover disbanded. McFee and Lewis, credited as Huey Harp, both appear as guest musicians on the George Hatcher Band's 1977 sophomore album, Talkin' Turkey , produced by Tom Allom . Under
826-540: Is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana . It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll , country music , and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar speculates the term "Southern rock" may have been coined in 1972 by Mo Slotin, writing for Atlanta's underground paper, The Great Speckled Bird , in a review of an Allman Brothers Band concert. Rock music's origins lie mostly in
885-549: Is performed by bands such as Texas Hippie Coalition , Norma Jean , and He Is Legend . Huey Lewis Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis , is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News , in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs. The band is perhaps best known for their third, and best-selling, album Sports , and their contribution to
944-540: The Atlanta Rhythm Section , ZZ Top , Black Oak Arkansas , Potliquor , Barefoot Jerry , Grinderswitch, Wet Willie , Blackfoot , Johnny Winter , Edgar Winter Group, and Sea Level. Charlie Daniels ' self-titled debut album , released in 1970, was a pivotal recording in the development of the Southern rock genre, "because it points the way to how the genre could and would sound, and how country music could retain its hillbilly spirit and rock like
1003-642: The Rossington Collins Band . By the beginning of the 1980s, the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd had disbanded, and Capricorn Records had gone bankrupt. Leading acts of the genre (in particular, 38 Special ) had become enmeshed in arena rock . With the rise of MTV , new wave , funk , urban contemporary, and heavy metal , most surviving Southern rock groups were relegated to secondary or regional venues. Rock musicians such as Molly Hatchet, Outlaws , Georgia Satellites ,
1062-530: The San Francisco Bay Area . He stated California was where "it was all happening." His aim was to continue playing music, though along the way he also tried other fields of work including landscaping, carpentry, wedding and event planning, as well as delivering and selling natural foods. In 1971 Lewis joined the Bay Area band Clover . Around this time he took the stage name "Hughie Louis",
1121-730: The Tedeschi Trucks Band ( the Derek Trucks Band ), Warren Haynes, Gov't Mule , Chris Duarte Group, Dixie Witch , Whiskey Myers , Widespread Panic , the Black Crowes , Blackberry Smoke , Kid Rock , and the Allman Betts Band are continuing the Southern rock art form. In 2005, singer Bo Bice took an explicitly Southern rock sensibility and appearance to a runner-up finish on the normally pop-oriented American Idol television program, with
1180-415: The "Be Stiff" Tour '78 as Mickey Jupp & The Cable Layers, documented on Jupp's 2004 archives release Live At The BBC . Signing a new record deal with German label Shark Records, Hatcher and his band headed to Germany where they recorded Rich Girl , with engineer and co-producer Manfred ‘Manni’ Neuner at Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein near Nürnberg . The album, a mix of originals and covers, was released under
1239-402: The 1960s, rock musician Lonnie Mack blended black and white roots-music genres within the framework of rock, beginning with the hit song "Memphis" in 1963. Music historian Dick Shurman considers Mack's recordings from that era "a prototype of what later could be called Southern rock". The Allman Brothers Band , from Jacksonville, Florida , made their national debut in 1969 and soon gained
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#17327878899571298-495: The 2000s have chronicled Southern rock's history, including Randy Poe's Skydog: The Duane Allman Story and Rolling Stone writer Mark Kemp 's Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race & New Beginnings in a New South . Turn It Up was released by Ron Eckerman, Lynyrd Skynyrd's former manager and plane crash survivor. Sociologist Jason T. Eastman analyzes contemporary Southern rock to illustrate changes in today's southern identity in his book The Southern Rock Revival: The Old South in
1357-470: The 2005 Jammy Awards and is featured on two tracks of their album Safety in Numbers . On February 13, 2007, Lewis was interviewed on the podcast series Stuck in the 1980s. During the interview, he revealed that the band had written several new songs that they planned to record in 2008. He also stated that, given how much the industry has changed since their last album, he was unsure how they would sell
1416-540: The ABC television series Dancing with the Stars , where he performed "The Heart of Rock & Roll" in celebration of the 30th anniversary release of Sports and a concert tour with the News. On April 13, 2018, Lewis announced that he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease , and that he "couldn't hear well enough to sing". As a result, the remaining shows scheduled for the 2018 tour were cancelled. In November 2023, it
1475-582: The Car Thieves, and played a few club shows before deciding to form his own band. Hatcher first met drummer Terry Slade , formerly of Renaissance , and then recruited guitarists Phil Swan, whom he knew personally, and John Thomas, whom he met in a club in Birmingham. Keyboardist Steve Wren and bassist Harris Joannou were recruited through friends and word of mouth. While still unsigned, the group supported Man , Canned Heat and Dr. Feelgood around
1534-551: The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan, Point Blank, Tom Petty , Bruce Hornsby, Steve Earle, Widespread Panic , and Kentucky Headhunters , emerged as popular Southern bands across the southeastern United States during the 1980s and 1990s. During the 1990s, the Allman Brothers reunited and became a strong touring and recording presence again, and the jam band scene revived interest in extended improvised music. Georgia 's alternative rock band R.E.M. released
1593-679: The George Hatcher Band appeared on the BBC in Concert series, broadcast on June 18. They also played the massive Reading Rock Festival on August 27, 1977, with headliners Thin Lizzy topping the bill. Earlier that month, they had supported Ted Nugent during his two-night stand at London's Hammersmith Odeon , and returned to the Hammersmith on October 25 as openers for AC/DC on their Let There Be Rock UK tour. Soon thereafter, Hatcher dissolved
1652-540: The UK. After playing a label showcase at Dingwalls at Camden Lock in London, they were approached by A&R executive Andrew Lauder who signed the group to a three-album deal with United Artists . Through Lauder, the band was introduced to producer Tom Allom who expressed interest in working with the band. They entered Wessex Sound Studios in London in the summer of 1976 and recorded their debut album Dry Run with Allom at
1711-702: The album Fables of the Reconstruction which explicitly invokes the Reconstruction Era in the title and is considered a Southern Gothic album. The 1990s also saw the Black Crowes rise to mainstream popularity with the releases of Shake Your Money Maker (3× platinum), the Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and certified 2× platinum), and Amorica (certified Gold). New musicians such as
1770-520: The album had five top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum. Lewis and his bandmates performed on USA for Africa 's 1985 fund-raising single " We Are the World ". The remainder of the 1980s and early 1990s were mostly spent touring and recording fourteen top-20 Billboard Hot 100 hits and releasing two more hit albums: Small World (1988), which reached number 11 on
1829-734: The album reached the top-10 of the Billboard Hot 100 : " Heart and Soul " reached No. 8, while " I Want a New Drug ", " The Heart of Rock & Roll ", and " If This Is It " all reached No. 6. Lewis knew Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds from having played harmonica on their 1979 albums ("Labour of Lust" and "Repeat When Necessary") and produced Lowe's 1985 version of " I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll) ". He later produced several songs (including one where he sang backup and played harmonica) on Bruce Hornsby & The Range 's debut album, The Way It Is . Hornsby thanked him by writing
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1888-635: The attention of a number of other musicians, such as Eric Clapton, who later related how he heard Pickett's version of "Hey Jude" on his car radio and called Atlantic Records to find out who the guitarist was: "To this day," Clapton said, "I've never heard better rock guitar playing on an R&B record. It's the best." Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Their blues rock sound incorporated long jams informed by jazz and also drew from native elements of country and folk . They were also contemporary in their electric guitar and keyboard delivery. Gregg Allman commented that "Southern rock"
1947-450: The band due to members going in different directions in their personal and professional lives, with guitarist 'Big' John Thomas joining Welsh rockers Budgie . By 1978, Hatcher had put together a whole new line-up comprising guitarists James Morgan and Pete Gosling, keyboardist Geraint Watkins , bassist Vic Young, and drummer Mac Poole, best known for his earlier stints with Big Bertha and Warhorse . All but Morgan toured with Mickey Jupp on
2006-561: The band headed straight into Wessex Sound Studios through the month of May to record their sophomore album, Talkin’ Turkey , with Tom Allom producing once more. Expanding on their sound, Hatcher brought in musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra , returning guest players Tony Carr and John McFee, as well as McFee's then Clover bandmate, Huey Lewis , credited as Huey Harp, on harmonica. Talkin’ Turkey and Have Band Will Travel were released in short succession and
2065-649: The band with new members in the 2000s. Before forming the group, vocalist George Hatcher was a member of Asheville, North Carolina , band, Flatrock, who recorded two albums for North Carolina-based label, King Records, with producer Shadow Morton . Neither album was released and because of contractual problems, Flatrock broke up and Hatcher travelled to the UK. Arriving in August 1975, the first musicians Hatcher connected with were Curved Air members, drummer Stewart Copeland (later to co-found The Police ) and violinist Darryl Way Hatcher joined their project, Stark Naked and
2124-509: The charts, and Hard at Play (1991) which peaked at number 27. Lewis had a planned solo album titled Back in Blue that was canceled in the mid-1990s due to living arrangement issues on the part of Lewis. One of the songs from that cancelled project, "100 Years From Now", was later used for the compilation album Time Flies... The Best Of . Lewis has sung with Chicago-based progressive jam band Umphrey's McGee at several shows beginning with
2183-699: The country back to New York City and how he learned to play the harmonica while waiting for rides. He talked about hanging out at the airport for three days until he stowed away on a plane to Europe. In later interviews, Lewis would reveal other encounters he had traveling around Europe. While visiting Aberdeen , Scotland, with no money and nowhere to sleep, he claimed that the locals were very hospitable by offering him somewhere to stay. In Madrid , Spain, he became an accomplished blues player as he hitchhiked and supported himself by busking with his harmonica. He gave his first concerts in Madrid, earning enough money to buy
2242-770: The eve of his 58th birthday, Huey Lewis and the News were the opening act for the annual A Capitol Fourth celebration on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. More than a half million people attended and was broadcast live on PBS . The band performed "The Heart of Rock & Roll", "The Power of Love" and " Workin' for a Livin' ". On May 29, 2011, Lewis played the annual Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois , along with Umphrey's McGee. They were billed as Huey Lewis and The Rumors. Together they played covers as well as songs from both their respective catalogs. On April 2, 2013, Lewis appeared on
2301-518: The group returned to Manni Neuner's Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein in Germany to cut 1980's Coming Home . They were joined by original GHB guitarist Phil Swan who made a guest appearance on three songs. The album's epic eight-minute title track became something of signature tune for the band as well as a strong fan favorite. Originally released on Shark and Kaleidoscope, respectively, the album was licensed stateside by The Goods Records in 1982. By then, Hatcher
2360-481: The helm. John McFee , aka John McSteel, later to join the Doobie Brothers , would play pedal steel guitar on “Sunshine (Shine Down On Me)”, with Tony Carr providing percussion. To promote the record, they supported label mates, Dr. Feelgood, on their September/October Stupidity UK tour and Continental Europe in November as well as headlining their own shows. The band quickly turned to writing and rehearsing for
2419-546: The hit " Can't You See ". Perhaps known best for the single " Fire on the Mountain ," the Marshall Tucker Band hit "Heard it in a Love Song" charted in 1977. Lynyrd Skynyrd played British hard rock influenced music until the deaths of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and two other members of the group in a 1977 airplane crash . After this tragic plane crash, members Allen Collins and Gary Rossington started
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2478-640: The math portion of the SAT . He was also an all-state baseball player. Lewis attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His mother had an extramarital affair with Beat Generation poet Lew Welch , who became his stepfather. Lewis credits Welch with inspiring him in his early teenage years. His mother was close friends with the Grateful Dead's manager and extended family. In an interview with David Letterman , Lewis talked about hitchhiking across
2537-550: The movie. "The Power of Love" was nominated for an Academy Award. Following the success of "The Power of Love" and Back to the Future , Huey Lewis and the News released their fourth studio album, Fore! in 1986. Fore! followed the success of Sports and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned the No. 1 singles, " Stuck with You " and "Jacob's Ladder" as well as the mainstream rock hit " Hip to Be Square ". In all,
2596-691: The music of the American South , and many stars from the first wave of 1950s rock and roll such as Bo Diddley , Elvis Presley , Little Richard , Buddy Holly , Fats Domino , and Jerry Lee Lewis hailed from the Deep South . However, the British Invasion and the rise of folk rock and psychedelic rock in the middle 1960s shifted the focus of new rock music away from the rural south and to large cities like Liverpool , London , Los Angeles , New York City , and San Francisco . In
2655-542: The name "Bluesy Huey Lewis", Lewis played harmonica on Thin Lizzy 's 1978 landmark album Live and Dangerous . That same year, he was playing at Uncle Charlie's, a club in Corte Madera, California , doing the "Monday Night Live" spot along with future members of the News. At this point, he had adopted the "Huey Lewis" spelling, and the band was billed as Huey Lewis and the American Express. After recording
2714-593: The new material. During a show at the California State Fair on August 21, 2007, Lewis was named Sacramento 's Musician of the Year by the fair's general manager and presented with a gold statue of the California state bear. Lewis recorded a duet version of " Workin' for a Livin' " with Garth Brooks , which was included on Brooks's three-disc set The Ultimate Hits , in late 2007. On July 4, 2008,
2773-605: The next album. On December 12, 1976, they decided to invite a few friends and record some tracks at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London with a live audience. According to Hatcher, some 250 people showed up by four o’clock in the afternoon and the band proceeded to record covers of Blind Willie McTell ’s " Statesboro Blues ", based on the version popularized by the Allman Brothers Band , and Loggins and Messina ’s "Good Friend" (which also appears on Dry Run ), as well as
2832-405: The piece the band plays is an instrumental heavy metal version of "The Power of Love". (Lewis plays the audition committee leader, who, after glancing at the other, equally unimpressed fellow faculty members, picks up the megaphone and says, "Hold it, fellas ... I'm afraid you're just too darn loud. Next, please".) A poster for the album Sports is hanging on Marty's wall when he awakes at the end of
2891-421: The shortened name George Hatcher and supported with a UK tour. At the time, Hatcher began to contemplate a return to the U.S. traveling back and forth between England and his native North Carolina. In 1980, Hatcher assembled a new all-American line-up comprising guitarists Curt Stines and David Phelps, bassist Mike Parnell, keyboardist Tad Hough, and drummer Danny Howe. Reverting to the George Hatcher Band moniker,
2950-521: The song " Jacob's Ladder ", a No. 1 single from the News' next album Fore! His song " The Power of Love " was a No. 1 U.S. hit and was featured in the 1985 film Back to the Future , for which they also recorded the song, " Back in Time ". Lewis has a cameo appearance in the film as a faculty member who rejects Marty McFly's band's audition for the school's "Battle of the Bands" contest. As an inside joke,
3009-399: The song "Exodisco" (a disco version of the theme from the film Exodus ) simply as American Express, Lewis landed a singles contract from Phonogram, and Bob Brown became his manager. The band played a few gigs (including an opening for Van Morrison ), before adding new guitarist Chris Hayes to the line-up. On Brown's advice, they changed their name again to Huey Lewis and The News. After
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#17327878899573068-493: The soundtrack of the 1985 feature film Back to the Future . Lewis previously played with the band Clover from 1972 to 1979. Huey Lewis was born in New York City . His father, Hugh Anthony Cregg Jr., was an Irish-American from Boston , and his mother, Maria Magdalena Barcinska, was Polish, from Warsaw . His grandfather, Hugh Cregg , was district attorney of Essex County, Massachusetts from 1931 to 1959. Lewis
3127-592: The spelling of which he would tinker with for some years after. Other members of the band (at various points) included John McFee and Alex Call. Lewis played harmonica and sang lead vocals on a few tunes. In 1976, after playing in the Bay Area with limited success, Clover went to Los Angeles. They had their big break in a club there when their act was caught by Nick Lowe , who convinced Clover to travel to Great Britain with him. However, Clover arrived in Britain just as their folk-rock sound, known as pub rock in Britain,
3186-407: The time machine and talk to the host. On February 12, 2021, he played himself on an episode of The Blacklist . In 1985, Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. over similarities between Parker's theme for the 1984 movie Ghostbusters and Lewis's " I Want a New Drug ". The case was settled out of court with both parties agreeing to keep the settlement secret. In 2001, Parker sued Lewis, alleging that in
3245-430: Was a redundant term, like "rock rock." Early 1970s, popular musicians in the southern area included Creedence Clearwater Revival (from California ), Dale Hawkins , Delaney & Bonnie , Janis Joplin , Leon Russell , and Tony Joe White . Lynyrd Skynyrd of Jacksonville, Florida, is known for " Free Bird ", " Sweet Home Alabama ", "Saturday Night Special", and "What's Your Name". 70s southern rock bands include
3304-732: Was announced that the musical The Heart of Rock and Roll featuring the band's music would debut on Broadway in March 2024. Lewis has been involved in the development of the show since 2018. After Lewis's cameo appearance as a teacher in Back to the Future , more substantial roles followed, including Vern Miller in Robert Altman's ensemble feature, Short Cuts , and Ricky Dean in Duets . He has performed in occasional television roles as well, including One Tree Hill , The King of Queens and
3363-426: Was being replaced by punk rock . The two Clover albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange for Phonogram were not successful. By this point the spelling of Cregg's stage name had changed to "Huey Louis"; it is under this spelling that he is billed on both of Clover's albums for Phonogram, although for songwriting credits he is billed as "H. Cregg". The band accompanied Elvis Costello on his debut album, My Aim
3422-1081: Was firmly based in the U.S. again where the band supported major acts such as Black Sabbath , Scorpions , Ted Nugent , Molly Hatchet , The Outlaws , Cheap Trick , Billy Idol , Johnny Van Zant , Black Oak Arkansas , and The Kinks , often as the Charlotte Coliseum . The George Hatcher Band recorded one final album for Trout Records in 1985. Recorded at the Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith 's (of " Dueling Banjos " fame) studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hindsight featured Hatcher, Stines and Howe in addition to newcomers Ace Philbeck on guitar, Joe Nims on bass, Ricky Kirby on keyboards, and Joey Dunlevy on keyboards and saxophone. Despite no longer recording new music, Hatcher continued to tour through 2005, including playing in front of 80.000 people with 38 Special during Charlotte's Speed Street festival in 2002, before putting music on hold and going to college to pursue
3481-734: Was raised in Marin County, California , living in Tamalpais Valley and Strawberry , and attending Strawberry Point Elementary School (where he skipped second grade) and Edna Maguire Junior High School in Mill Valley . When he was 13, his parents divorced. He attended and graduated from the Lawrenceville School , a then all-male prep school in New Jersey, in 1967, and he achieved a perfect score of 800 on
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