

(He was later pardoned by President Ford.) This forced him to leave the group, and he was replaced by Larry Goshorn. During this period, Fuller encountered legal difficulties over his claim of conscientious objector status to avoid the draft, eventually serving two years in a hospital instead. But they added a second friend of Hinds', bassist Michael Reilly, and continued to play around the Midwest. Though later considered a landmark in country-rock, Bustin' Out initially suffered disappointing sales upon release in September 1972, and RCA dropped the group. Among the other session musicians on the album was David Bowie associate Mick Ronson, who played guitar and arranged the strings.

Lanham, Caughlan, and Call left, and remaining members Fuller and Powell brought back Hinds, who in turn recruited a friend, keyboard player Michael Connor, to play on the second album, Bustin' Out, and subsequently become a full-fledged bandmember. Pure Prairie League did not sell well enough to reach the charts, and the group fragmented. Luke would turn up on all the band's subsequent album covers, giving them a distinctive visual conception. Adding steel guitar player John David Call, the group went into the studio and recorded its self-titled debut album, which was released in March 1972 with a cover depicting a Western character named Luke, an illustration drawn by famed American painter/illustrator Norman Rockwell that had first appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1927. By that time, McGrail had left and been replaced by Jim Caughlan, though Billy Hinds had also drummed with the band for a time. Pure Prairie League built up a following in Ohio, playing around Cincinnati for a year before earning a record contract with RCA Victor.
PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE MOVIE
Pure Prairie League was formed in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Craig Fuller, bass player Jim Lanham, and drummer Tom McGrail, who named the band after a women's temperance group in the 1939 Errol Flynn movie Dodge City. Now in their sixth decade, Pure Prairie League continues to lead the way for the new generation of country rockers like Keith Urban, Wilco, Nickel Creek, Counting Crows and many more that cite PPL as one of their main influences.Īs crisp and clean as mountain spring water and as comfortable as a well-worn cowboy shirt, Pure Prairie League continues to bring us all back home.Despite significant personnel changes, Pure Prairie League maintained itself as a successful country-rock band during the 1970s and early '80s, releasing ten albums and enjoying hits including "Amie" and "Let Me Love You Tonight" with different configurations of the group. During the 70’s and 80’s PPL featured the contributions of several noteworthy members, including co-founder George Ed Powell, Cincinnati’s legendary Goshorn Brothers, Country Hall-of-Famers Gary Burr and Vince Gill, award-winning songwriter Jeff Wilson (3 Top-Ten singles), as well as a host of guest appearances from Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Gimble, David Sanborn, Eagle Don Felder, Nicolette Larson and many others. With 1975’s “Two Lane Highway” PPL began a streak of continuous classic albums, constant touring and growing prowess as a major concert draw, PPL has forged a legacy that has continued to flourish for over five decades.
PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE FULL
PPL’s second effort, the multi-platinum “Bustin’ Out” brought us the Craig Fuller-penned “Amie”, along with a full LP of classic songs of the genre.

Their eponymous first album – featuring the Norman Rockwell/Saturday Evening Post cover that introduced fans to PPL’s trademark cowpoke “Sad Luke” – has been hailed as a “major early influence in the emerging popularity of Country Rock music.” Their vocals are as strong as Kentucky moonshine and the musicianship and performance skills are as sharp as a straight-razor.” As one reviewer recently wrote: “PPL’s trademark sound combines sweet memories with edgy contemporary muscle. Pure Prairie League continues to embellish the rich history of one of Country-Rock’s pioneering forces for over 50 years.
PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE PLUS
From their beginnings in mid-60’s Southern Ohio as a group of friends playing cover tunes to the present-day unit featuring founding member/innovative pedal steel guitarist John David Call, propulsive drummer/vocalist Scott Thompson, keyboard master/vocalist Randy Harper and featuring new members Jared Camic on bass and vocals, plus ace guitarist/vocalist Jeff Zona,
