The J. Geils Band was an American rock band that formed in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1976. The band shot to fame with their 1981 single, “Centerfold,” which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Singles Chart, and spurred a whole new following of fans for the band. When the band first began in the mid-1960s they were an acoustic blues/R&B trio with singer John Geils, bassist Danny Klein, and harmonica player Magic Dick ( Richard Salwit). By the end of the 1960s the band began to move in another music direction that was more rock and roll based with the implementation of electric guitar and bass into their music, additional drummer Stephen Jo Bladd, additional singer Peter Wolf, and organist Seth Justman. After playing locally around Boston the band were offered a record deal in 1970 with Atlantic Records.

The band’s early success came in the 70’s with lots of radio play in both Detroit and Boston. A number of hit singles began to emerge, notably, “Looking for a Love” (1971), “Ain’t Nothin’ But a Houseparty” (1973), “Give it to Me” (1973), and “Must of Got Lost” (1974). In 1971, the J. Geils Band performed a live show at Boston Common with The Allman Brothers Band, which elevated their popularity status at the time. 1973 saw the band switch labels to EMI Records. The turning point for the band came with the release of their 1980’s album “Freeze Frame,” which included the smash hit “Centerfold.”

The band’s last album, “You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd,” was not a commercial success and the band decided to call it quits in 1985 and go their separate ways. The band reunited a decade later in 1999 to play 13 dates along the east coast. A second reunion occurred in 2009 the band played in Atlantic city selling out the Borgata’s 2,000-seat Event Center. 2010 saw The J. Geils Band reunited once again opening up for Aerosmith at Fenway Park, to a sold out show.

The J. Geils Band embarked on a short U.S. tour in August/September 2012. However, guitarist J. Geils was not a part of this tour. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, John Geils, founder of the J. Geils Band, has filed a lawsuit against the other members of the group over use of the name in an upcoming tour that doesn’t feature the guitarist, Reuters reports. Geils names band members Richard Salwitz, Danny Klein, Peter Wolf and Seth Justman in the lawsuit filed in Boston Superior Court, claiming they “planned and conspired” to exclude Geils from a tour and are unlawfully using the group’s trademarked name. On their 2012 tour, guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry replaced Geils and the new drummer was Tom Arey.
On May 30, 2013 the J. Geils Band performed 6 songs as part of the Boston Strong concert at the TD Garden in Boston. The concert, a benefit for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
2014 sees the band touring with Bob Segar as well as some selective individual tour dates.

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