Besides his hit song "Bad to the Bone," George Thorogood is known for covers of blues standards by Hank Williams, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley.
George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers have released 16 studio albums, including two that were certified Platinum. and six that have been certified Gold. The band has sold 15 million albums worldwide.
Thorogood was raised in Naamans Manor, in suburban Wilmington, Delaware. Thorogood played semi-professional baseball, but turned toward music after seeing John P. Hammond perform in 1970. His demo, “Better Than the Rest,” was recorded in 1974 and released in 1979.
In 1976 he recorded his debut album: George Thorogood & The Destroyers with his band - sometimes known as The Delaware Destroyers, or simply GT and D - and issued the album in 1977.
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Thorogood released his next album Move It On Over in 1978 with The Destroyers, which included the Hank Williams remake "Move It On Over." "Please Set a Date" and their remake of the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love?" both followed in 1979.
In the late 1970s, Thorogood played on a team in Delaware in the Roberto Clemente League which was created in 1976. He was the second baseman and was chosen rookie of the year in the league. Soon after The Destroyers made him quit baseball.
Thorogood gained his first mainstream exposure as a support act for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 U.S. tour. He also was the featured musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October 1982.
During this time, George and the Destroyers also became known for their rigorous schedule, including the "50/50" tour of 1980, on which the band toured 50 US states in the space of 50 days. After two shows in Boulder, Colorado, Thorogood and his band flew to Hawaii for one show and then performed a show in Alaska on the following night. The next day the band flew to Washington State, met their roadies who had their Checker car and a truck, and continued a one show per state tour for all fifty states in exactly fifty nights. In addition, they played Washington, DC on the same day that they performed a show in Maryland.
George signed with EMI America Records and in 1982 released his best-known song, "Bad to the Bone," and an album of the same name.
The song has been used frequently in television and film, including the sci-fi thriller Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the comedies Problem Child, and Problem Child 2, Stephen King's Christine, and many episodes of the television sitcom Married with Children, and during the intro to the movie Major Payne.
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