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Counting Crows music biography continued...

The San Francisco-based group, which was named after a line in a poem, came together in the early 90s, and consisted of vocalist/songwriter Adam Duritz, guitarist David Bryson, bassist Matt Malley, drummer Steve Bowman, and organist Charlie Gillingham. The group was handed a golden opportunity when just months before they released their first record, they were hand-picked by Robbie Robertson to stand in for an absent Van Morrison at the 1993 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Crow's debut, August and Everything After, took the world by storm only months after its release in September of 1993. Fueled by the catchy, if not wholly original, jangle of "Mr. Jones" and other trademark Counting Crows songs crafted by Duritz.
"What made Counting Crows was how they were able to balance Duritz's tortured lyrics with the sound of the late '60s and early '70s;" according to VH1 "It made them one of the few alternative bands to appeal to listeners who thought that rock & roll died in 1972." The Crows released several more successful albums after their breakout debut hit, culminating in the 2004 chart topper, "Accidentally in Love," which was crafted for the movie Shrek 2. Through it all, Counting Crows, and Adam Duritz in particular, have become renowned for the energetic, passionate nature of their live performances, which been described by music critics as "riveting and revealing...emotionally wracked, radical rearrangements." It has been said that "each set is wholly raw, emotional and on the fly." That couldn't make fans of this stellar rock and roll band, any happier.