The Guess Who on Tour
The current version of The Guess Who may feature only one original member — drummer Garry Peterson — but the group's signature mix of tough bluesy rock and tender pop harmonies remains intact. Supported by a crew that includes multi-instrumentalist Leonard Shaw (a member since 1991), former Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo, Styx/Tommy Shaw sideman Will Evankovich and singer/guitarist Derek Sharp, Peterson spearheaded The Guess Who's first album in over 23 years, The Future Is What It Used to Be, in 2018. While that record hews toward a sleazy, Southern-rockin' sound that befits Sharp's brash, belt-it-out vocal style, their setlists are stacked with classics from the Burton Cummings/Randy Bachman–era golden years.
The Guess Who in Concert
Where many of Canada's most notable '60s-rock exports moved to the States to further their careers, The Guess Who not only kept their feet planted in their native Winnipeg, Manitoba, their Canadianness was integral to both their identity and their success. Guitarist Randy Bachman, bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson originally joined forces in the garage combo Chad Allan & the Expressions, who scored a hit in 1965 with their version of "Shakin' All Over." In an attempt to pique curious deejays' interest, the band's label sent out copies of the single to radio stations in sleeves branded with the words "guess who?" The ploy was almost too successful: with deejays mistakenly referring to the group as "Guess Who" on-air, the band opted to rebrand, a change that portended Allan's departure (due to tour-related exhaustion) and the promotion of new keyboardist Burton Cummings to the lead-vocal role. With Cummings at the helm, The Guess Who put their prairie pride front and center on 1969's Wheatfield Soul, whose elegant lead single "These Eyes" kickstarted their takeover of rock-radio playlists on both sides of the border for many years to come. Following the release of 1970's American Woman — whose seething title track became an instant anti-war anthem — Bachman left the group, eventually hitting equally lofty levels of success with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Cummings kept the hit parade rolling into the mid '70s with perennial anthems like "Share the Land" and "Clap for the Wolfman," before dissolving the band in 1975. A few years later, Kale and Peterson secured ownership of the band name and — both together and separately — have commandeered various Guess Who lineups over the years, occasionally reuniting with Cummings and Bachman for special one-off performances.
