10,000 Maniacs
10,000 Maniacs (named after the low-budget horror movie 2,000
Maniacs) was formed in Jamestown, NY, in 1981 by singer
Natalie Merchant (pictured below right) and guitarist John
Lombardo.
 The group gigged extensively and recorded independently before
signing with Elektra and making their The Wishing Chair album
in 1985.
The album was a delightful folk-rock record full of insight,
originality and personality, with Merchant's strong, clear voice
providing a fine lead instrument.
Co-founder Lombardo left the band in 1986, and they continued
as a quintet, releasing the second album, In My Tribe, in
1987.
This album broke into the charts, where it stayed 77 weeks,
peaking at number 37. Blind Man's Zoo, the 1989
follow-up, hit number 13 and went gold.
After 1992's Our Time in Eden had finished its run on
the charts, Natalie Merchant announced that she was leaving for
a solo career. MTV Unplugged was released a few months
after her departure.
The remaining 10,000 Maniacs decided to continue performing,
adding the folk-rock duo John & Mary. Merchant released her
first solo album, Tiger Lily, in the summer of 1995. Guitarist Rob Buck died on 19 December 2000 from liver
failure.
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