Athletes - Ted Nugent

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	Athletes - Ted Nugent

Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent (born December 13, 1948) (aka The Nuge, "the Motor City Madman'", and "Uncle Ted") is a guitarist from Detroit, Michigan, originally gaining fame as a member of the Amboy Dukes, and recently gaining fame (and notoriety) for his support for hunting and conservative political views. Some of his best known songs include "Stranglehold," "Free For All," "Dog Eat Dog," "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang," "Cat Scratch Fever," "Motor City Madhouse," "Great White Buffalo," and "Wango Tango." Nugent gained acclaim for his raucous, intense live music, and still tours frequently today.

Amboy Dukes

The Amboy Dukes' second single was "Journey to the Center of the Mind", which Nugent, an ardent anti-drug campaigner, claimed he didn't know was about drug use. The Amboy Dukes (1967), Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968) and Migration (1969) sold moderately well. After settling down in a ranch in Michigan, in 1973 he signed a record deal with Frank Zappa's new record label DiscReet and recorded Call Of The Wild. The following year, Tooth Fang & Claw (Which contained the song "Great White Buffalo"), established a fan base for Nugent and the other Amboy Dukes. Personnel changes nearly wrecked the band, which became known as Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes. Though the group's studio recordings rarely sold well (and Nugent was upset he did not earn fair royalties with Frank Zappa), the band managed to keep a large following.

Solo career

Ted Nugent dropped the band name and signed to Epic Records in 1975, with Derek St. Holmes (guitar, vocals), Rob Grange (bass) and Cliff Davies (drums and producer, formerly from a prog-hard band called "If") as his back-up. Ted Nugent was his first solo release. The album was a smashing success among the heavy metal community, due mostly to Nugent's immense personality and aggressive guitar and vocals. Personel problems led to St. Holmes' departure from the band before the recording of Free For All (1976), with the then unknown Meat Loaf replacing him. St. Holmes returned for Cat Scratch Fever (1977); the album was another hit, as was the titular single. Nugent had begun dressing as a caveman for live shows, which were growing more and more extravagant. Double Live Gonzo (1978) furthered his fame, though financial problems began to mount.

Solo discography

Ted Nugent (1975)
Free For All (1976)
Cat Scratch Fever (1977)
Double Live Gonzo (1978)
Weekend Warriors (1978)
State of Shock (1979)
Scream Dream (1980)
Intensities in 10 Cities (live) (1981)
Nugent (album) (1982)
Penetrator (1984)
Little Miss Dangerous (1986)
If You Can't Lick 'Em...Lick 'Em (1988)
Spirit of the Wild (1995)
Live at Hammersmith '79 (1997)
Full Bluntal Nugity (live) (2001)
Craveman (2002)
Hunt Music (2003)

Damn Yankees

During the 1980s, Nugent released a series of generally ignored albums. Near the end of the decade, however, Nugent formed a supergroup, Damn Yankees, with Jack Blades (bass, vocals, formerly of Night Ranger), Tommy Shaw (guitar, vocals, formerly of Styx) and Michael Cartellone (drums). Damn Yankees (1990) was a hit, selling 5 million albums, thanks in no small part to the smash hit power ballad "High Enough." The "High Enough" video featured Nugent in a priest's collar and later in a zebra-striped cape during the guitar solo.

Damn Yankees toured on the heels of the first Persian Gulf War, which Nugent endorsed by shooting flaming arrows at Saddam Hussein in effigy. Several police complaints and at least one arrest resulted from Nugent's actions. Nevertheless, they were a top concert attraction in the early '90s. However, another Damn Yankees release, 1992's Don't Tread On Me, was unable to sustain similar momentum.

Back to solo

Returning to his solo career, Nugent released Spirit of the Wild, his best-reviewed album in quite some time. A series of archival releases came out in the 1990s, keeping Nugent's name in the national consciousness; he also began hosting a radio show in Detroit and owns several hunting-related businesses. He also created and hosted an outdoors television show, also called Spirit of the Wild, on The Outdoor Channel. Nugent created and produced the Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild PBS video series.

Organization memberships

Beginning in the '90s Nugent has become quite popular for his conservative and libertarian beliefs and his anti-drug and anti-alcohol stances. In a 1977 interview with People magazine, Nugent admitted smoking "50 joints in the '60s" and having tried cocaine "once." He is a national spokesman for the DARE program, advocating the "natural highs" to be found in an outdoor lifestyle. He has also hosted the Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids, which combines a curriculum of hands-on hunting, conservation, archery and a strong anti-drug message aimed mainly at underprivileged inner-city children. He is also a spokesman for the National Field Archers Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

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