The Guess Who | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
Genres | |
Years active |
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The Guess Who was a Canadian rock band, originating as The Guess Who? in 1966, and adopting the name The Guess Who in 1968.[1] They were most successful from 1969 to 1975, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings.[2] During that period they released eleven studio albums, all of which reached the charts in Canada and the United States; their 1970 album American Woman reached no. 1 in Canada and no. 9 in the United States, and five other albums reached the top ten in Canada. They also achieved five number one singles in Canada and two in the United States.[2]
During the 1969-1975 era prior to the band's breakup, Cummings and drummer Garry Peterson were the only consistent members; they were joined by five guitarists and two bassists during those years. Cummings ended the band in 1975 and embarked on a solo career.[3] In the following decades, Cummings and original guitarist Randy Bachman led several one-time reunion shows or short commemorative tours with various former members.[4][5]
The original bassist Jim Kale organized a cover band lineup to perform Guess Who songs on nostalgia tours with a frequently changing cast of musician. Kale departed temporarily on some occasions, and then permanently, and the new cover band often performed with no original members.[6][7] Peterson appeared in both sequences of reunion tours. Kale retired in 2016, and Peterson (the final remaining original member) continues to lead a lineup of hired musicians, using the name The Guess Who, to the present day, often performing as a cover band without any original members.[8]
This list article does not include musicians who filled in temporarily for official members.
The original "The Guess Who" members (1965-1975)
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
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Garry Peterson | 1962–October 1975 (reunions November 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, May 2000 – July 2003) |
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all Classic Era releases | |
Jim Kale | 1962–May 1972 (reunions 1983, 1999, 2000) |
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all releases from Shakin' All Over (January 1965) to Live at the Paramount (August 1972) | |
Randy Bachman | 1962–May 1970 (reunions November 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, May 2000 – July 2003) |
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all releases from Shakin' All Over (January 1965) to American Woman (January 1970) | |
Chad Allan | 1962–May 1966 (died 2023) |
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Bob Ashley | 1962–January 1966 |
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Burton Cummings | January 1966–October 1975 (reunions November 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, May 2000 – July 2003) |
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all releases from It's Time (June 1966) to Power in the Music (July 1975) | |
Bruce Decker | May 1966 – August 1966 | rhythm guitar | none | |
Kurt Winter | May 1970–June 1974 (died 1997) |
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all releases from Share the Land (October 1970) to Road Food (April 1974) | |
Greg Leskiw | May 1970–March 1972 |
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Donnie McDougall | March 1972–June 1974 |
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Bill Wallace | May 1972–October 1975 |
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Domenic Troiano | June 1974–October 1975 (died 2005) |
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Cover band members (1977-present)
Current members
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
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Garry Peterson |
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Derek Sharp | 2008–present |
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Michael Staertow | 2021–present |
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Plein D'Amour (2023) | |
Teddy Andreadis | 2023–present |
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none to date | |
Greg Smith |
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Former members of the original The Guess Who and cover bands
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
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Jim Kale |
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Kurt Winter | 1977–1978 (died 1997) |
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Guess Who's Back (1978) | |
Donnie McDougall | 1977–1981 |
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Vance Masters | drums | |||
David Inglis |
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guitar | ||
Ralph Watts | 1978 |
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none | |
Bobby Bilan |
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guitar | ||
Brian Sellar | 1979–1981 | bass | ||
Jimmy Grabowski | keyboards | |||
Brent DesJarlais | 1981–1983 |
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Now and Not Then (1981) | |
Dale Russell |
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guitar |
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Mike McKenna | 1981 | Now and Not Then (1981) | ||
Sonnie Bernardi |
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drums | ||
Ken Currie | 1981–1983 | none | ||
Brian Tataryn | guitar | |||
Trevor Balicky | 1983–1985 | vocals | ||
Mike Hanford |
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keyboards | Guess Who '87 (1987) | |
Bob Fuhr | 1985–1986 | vocals | none | |
Kenny Carter | 1986–1991 | Guess Who '87 (1987) | ||
Terry Read | 1986–1987 | keyboards | none | |
Tom Whinnery | 1989–1990 | |||
Leonard Shaw | 1990–2023 |
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Terry Hatty | 1991–1997 |
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Liberty (a.k.a. Lonely One) (1995) | |
Carl Dixon | 1997–2008 |
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none | |
Ken Sinnaeve | 1998–2000 |
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Charlie Cooley | 2000 | drums | ||
Laurie McKenzie | 2006–2014 |
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Will Evankovich | 2014–2021 | The Future IS What It Used To Be (2018) | ||
Rudy Sarzo | 2016–2021 |
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Michael Devin | 2021–2023 | Plein D'Amour (2023) |
Timelines
Original "The Guess Who" timeline

Timeline of reunions and cover band tours

Lineups
Years | Members | Studio and live releases |
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1962 – January 1966
Chad Allan and the Reflections |
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January 1966 – May 1966 |
The Guess Who?
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May 1966 – August 1966 |
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August 1966 – May 1970 Classic line-up |
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May 1970 – March 1972 |
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March 1972 – May 1972 |
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May 1972 – June 1974 |
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June 1974 – October 1975 |
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Reunions lineups
Bachman/Cummings-led reunions
Years | Members | Studio releases |
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November 1979 |
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1983 |
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1999 |
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2000 |
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May 2000 – July 2003 |
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Cover band lineups
Years | Members | Studio releases |
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1977 |
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1978 |
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1978 |
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1979 |
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1979 – 1981 |
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1981 |
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1981 |
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1981 – 1983 |
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1983 – 1985 |
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1985 – 1986 |
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1986 – 1987 |
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1987 |
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1987 – 1989 |
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1989 – 1990 |
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1990 – 1991 |
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1991 – 1997 |
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1997 – 1998 |
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1998 – 2000 |
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2000 |
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2004 – 2006 |
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2006 – 2008 |
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2008 – 2014 |
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2014 – 2016 |
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2016 – 2021 |
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2021 |
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2022–2023 |
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2023–present |
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References
- ↑ Frank Hoffmann (November 12, 2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. pp. 992–. ISBN 1-135-94949-2.
- 1 2 "The Guess Who | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ↑ Burton Cummings - Burton Cummings | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-27
- ↑ "Guess Who - 1983 - Reunion soundboard@320". Guitars101 - Guitar Forums. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ↑ "That time they closed Portage and Main to pedestrians | CBC Archives". CBC. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ↑ "Great Guess Who divide embodies one of rock's oldest dilemmas". January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ↑ Tribune, Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star. "Randy Bachman discusses the Guess Who, his old pal Neil Young". telegram.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE GUESS WHO - THE FUTURE IS WHAT IT USED TO BE". The Spill Magazine. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2021-02-27.