The Los Angeles-based hard rock act
Buckcherry formed in mid-1995, after singer
Joshua Todd and guitarist
Keith Nelson were introduced through their tattoo artist. After cutting several demos, the duo recruited bassist
Jonathan "J.B." Brightman and drummer
Devon Glenn and began performing live, quickly earning a local following for their swaggering, grunge-flavored music. Following the subsequent addition of second guitarist
Yogi,
Buckcherry signed with DreamWorks Records and issued their self-titled debut LP in 1999. Singles such as "Check Your Head" and "For the Movies" were modern rock hits, allowing
Buckcherry to raise their profile by summer 2000.
The following year,
Buckcherry released their second album,
Time Bomb. Although it wasn't widely noticed by critics,
AC/DC recruited the band as an opening act for a series of shows, and
Buckcherry's audience grew accordingly. In July 2002, founding member
Joshua Todd unexpectedly quit the group, and
Buckcherry took a multi-year hiatus to recoup. They eventually regrouped in 2005 with original members
Todd and
Nelson, as well as newcomers
Xavier Muriel (drums), bassist
Jimmy Ashhurst, and guitarist
Stevie D. The revised lineup hit the studio later that year to record
15, which was released in early 2006 and yielded the band's first Top Ten pop single, "Sorry."
15 went platinum on the strength of its crossover appeal, and
Buckcherry quickly returned in 2008 with a fourth album,
Black Butterfly. The concert album
Live & Loud 2009 was released the following year, as the band prepared to hit the road as
KISS' opening act. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide