Dan Baird was the frontman for late-'80s roots rock/one-hit wonders the Georgia Satellites, before launching his own solo career. Born on December 12, 1953, in San Diego, CA, but raised in Atlanta, GA, Baird picked up the guitar early on and began playing with local bands during his teenage years.
By December of 1980, Baird had formed the Georgia Satellites (who would eventually consist of both Baird and Rick Richards on vocals/guitar, Rick Price on bass, and Mauro Magellan on drums). The quartet quickly found their musical niche – a bar band version of such classic three-chord rockers as AC/DC and the Rolling Stones – and in 1985 issued their debut recording, an independently issued six-song EP titled Keeping the Faith.
The mini-album helped land the Satellites a recording contract with Elektra, which led to the release of their full-length, self-titled major-label debut a year later. It took a while for the album to pick up steam, but it eventually became a surprise platinum certified hit by the summer of 1987, due to the number five hit single "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," and another popular single/video, "Battleship Chains.
" Baird and the Satellites issued two more releases during the late '80s, 1988's Open all Night and 1989's In the Land of Salvation and Sin, but neither matched the success of their self-titled debut, and led to the group's split by the dawn of the '90s.
It didn't take long for Baird to regain his footing and begin a solo career, as evidenced by 1991's Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired (issued on Rick Rubin's Def American label). The album appeared to put Baird back on the right track commercially, as it spawned a popular single/video with "I Love You Period.
" But a long break ensued before the appearance of his sophomore solo effort, 1996's Buffalo Nickel, which sunk from sight shortly after release (the same year, the Georgia Satellites re-formed, but without Baird).
He set his sights on producing and/or guesting on other artist's recordings, including Fred Haring's This Grand Parade, Will Hoge's Carousel, and Chris Knight's Pretty Good Guy. Baird, along with his group the Yayhoos (which formed in the midst of the unsuccessful Buffalo Nickel tour), released two albums: 2001's Fear Not the Obvious and 2006's Put the Hammer Down.
