Buckcherry
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Anaheim, California , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, singles |
Buckcherry is a hard rock group originating from Anaheim, California, established in 1995. They initially released two studio albums, Buckcherry (1999) and Time Bomb (2001), before disbanding in 2002. Their debut album marked DreamWorks' first to achieve gold status. In 2005, vocalist Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson revived Buckcherry with a revamped lineup, leading to the 2006 release of 15. This record included their most notable crossover singles, "Crazy Bitch" and the band's first top ten entry on the Billboard Hot 100, "Sorry".
From 2008 through 2023, the band produced seven additional albums: Black Butterfly (2008), All Night Long (2010), Confessions (2013), Rock 'n' Roll (2015), Warpaint (2019), Hellbound (2021), and Vol. 10 (2023). Their eleventh studio effort, Roar Like Thunder, was released in June 2025.
Formation: 1995–1999
Raised in Anaheim, California, Josh Todd later relocated to Lake Forest, California. Early in his career, Todd was the frontman for the Hollywood glam rock outfit Slamhound. He connected with lead guitarist Keith Nelson through their mutual tattoo artist Kevin Quinn. Together, they created demo recordings before bassist Jonathan Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn joined them, forming the band Sparrow. Building a dedicated fan base in Hollywood, they secured a contract with DreamWorks Records. Following a cease-and-desist order from EMI's Sparrow Records, the group changed its name to Buckcherry—a playful spoonerism of Chuck Berry—drawing inspiration from a drag queen acquaintance named Buck Cherry.
Commercial success: 1999–2002
Produced by Terry Date, Buckcherry’s self-titled debut album released in 1999 received favorable reviews and achieved gold certification. It featured popular tracks such as "Lit Up", "For the Movies", "Dead Again", and "Check Your Head". After adding rhythm guitarist Yogi Lonich in 1999, the band embarked on extensive tours, including opening for Lenny Kravitz during his Freedom Tour and performing at Woodstock ’99. Their second album, Time Bomb (2001), garnered mixed critical reception and did not meet commercial expectations. Additionally, Buckcherry supported AC/DC on tour in spring 2000. Between 2001 and 2002, bassist Brightman, Lonich, and drummer Glenn departed due to creative differences; they were succeeded by Dave Markasky, Josh Fleeger, and Matt Lawrence. Although there were intentions to produce a third album, it remained unfinished as the band entered hiatus in July 2002.
Other projects: 2002–2005
During this period, Josh Todd and Keith Nelson collaborated with former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum at a tribute concert honoring Randy Castillo. Todd briefly assumed lead vocal duties for this initiative and recorded ten tracks before Slash replaced him with Scott Weiland, who became the frontman of Velvet Revolver. Nelson earned songwriting credits on Velvet Revolver’s "Dirty Little Thing" and continued his work writing and producing for various artists.
Commercial achievements and Crüe Fest: 2005–2009
In 2005, Josh Todd reunited Buckcherry alongside Keith Nelson and introduced new members Stevie D., Jimmy Ashhurst, and Xavier Muriel. Their 2006 release, 15, signified a commercial resurgence, featuring popular tracks such as "Crazy Bitch," "Sorry," "Everything," and "Next 2 You."
During 2006, Buckcherry encountered legal issues involving allegations of coercing a minor in the "Crazy Bitch" music video; however, all participants had confirmed they were above eighteen years old. The band’s legal counsel revealed the minor had provided false age information, resulting in the video's withdrawal.
On April 15, 2008, Buckcherry joined the lineup for Mötley Crüe's Crüe Fest tour alongside Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M., and Trapt, which commenced on July 1 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Their fourth studio album, Black Butterfly (2008), entered the Billboard 200 at number 8 and was the highest-ranking rock album that week. Additionally, Josh Todd provided vocals for Escape the Fate's This War Is Ours, lending his voice to “10 Miles Wide” and appearing in its accompanying video.
In 2009, Buckcherry supported KISS during their North American tour across the US and Canada. They also took part in Kerrang!'s Week Of Rock Tour in London alongside The 69 Eyes and Hardcore Superstar.
On September 29, 2009, the band released their inaugural live album, Live & Loud 2009, recorded during their Canadian tour earlier that year and featuring hits such as "Sorry," "Lit Up," and "Crazy Bitch."
All Night Long and Confessions: 2010–2013
On February 22, 2010, Buckcherry was announced as part of the Rocklahoma 2010 festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma.
Bassist Jimmy Ashhurst appears in Paul Miles' book Sex Tips from Rock Stars, published by Omnibus Press in July of that year.
The band's fifth studio album, All Night Long, was released on August 3, 2010. Mixed by Mike Fraser, its lead single "All Night Long" was initially scheduled for release to rock radio on May 3 but was postponed until May 24. On May 4, fans could download the single for free by sharing a promotional message on Twitter or Facebook. The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Top 200 and secured the top spot for rock debuts.
On November 30, 2010, the band digitally released a holiday-themed single titled "Christmas is Here."
From January 19 through March 18, 2011, Buckcherry toured alongside Hellyeah and All That Remains as part of the Jägermeister Music Tour.
By June of that year, Keith Nelson confirmed that the group was composing new songs for their upcoming album.
Buckcherry contributed the track "Wherever I Go" to the soundtrack of Avengers Assemble.
Their sixth studio album, Confessions, was issued on February 19, 2013. The initial single "Gluttony" became available for streaming starting December 7, 2012.
Fuck EP, Rock 'N' Roll and Warpaint: 2014–2020
The Fuck EP dropped on August 19, 2014, featuring tracks all incorporating "Fuck" in their titles. The song "Say Fuck It" is a reworked version of Icona Pop's hit from 2012, "I Love It."
Buckcherry appeared at VampPark Fest on February 19, 2015; this event was hosted by rock band Vamps at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan.
Their seventh studio effort, Rock 'n' Roll, was released on August 21, 2015. The lead single "Bring It On Back" premiered on June 2 that year, followed by "The Feeling Never Dies," which featured country singer Gretchen Wilson, released on February 17, 2016.
In May 2017, original members Keith Nelson and Xavier Muriel departed due to creative differences with Josh Todd and concerns about extensive touring commitments. Both left amicably. To fill their roles, guitarist Kevin Roentgen and drummer Sean Winchester joined the lineup, leaving Todd as the only founding member remaining.[1]
Their eighth studio album, Warpaint, was released on March 8, 2019; its title track preceded it with a release on February 8.
Guitarist Kevin Roentgen exited the band in July 2020 and was succeeded by Billy Rowe from Jetboy.
By October of that year, Buckcherry revealed plans to enter the studio to begin recording a new album.
Hellbound, Vol. 10 and Roar Like Thunder: 2021–present
On April 21, 2021, Buckcherry revealed their ninth studio album titled Hellbound, which was released on June 25, 2021, under the banners of Earache Records and Round Hill Records. The announcement was accompanied by the single "So Hott" along with its music video, which earned a nomination for Track of the Week by Classic Rock magazine. Alongside this, the band publicized a North American tour scheduled from June through November 2021. The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen, noted for his collaborations with Aerosmith and Def Leppard, and was promoted with limited edition collectible vinyl in various colors through both record labels.
In November 2024, Buckcherry returned to the studio in Nashville with Frederiksen to work on their eleventh album.
The band released their eleventh studio project, Roar Like Thunder, on June 13, 2025. This release was preceded by the singles "Roar Like Thunder" and "Come On."
Band members
Current lineup
- Josh Todd – lead vocalist (1995–2002, 2005–present)
- Stevie D. – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)
- Kelly LeMieux – bass guitar, backing vocals (2013–present)
- Francis Ruiz – drums (2019–present)
- Billy Rowe – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)
Past members
- Keith Nelson – lead guitar, backing vocals (1995–2002, 2005–2017)
- Devon Glenn – drums (1995–2002)
- Jonathan Brightman – bass guitar (1995–2001)
- Yogi Lonich – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1999–2001)
- Josh Fleeger – rhythm guitar (2001–2002)
- Dave Markasky – bass guitar (2001–2002)
- Matt Lawrence – drums (2002)
- Xavier Muriel – drums (2005–2017)
- Jimmy Ashhurst – bass guitar, backing vocals (2005–2013)
- Kevin Roentgen – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (2017–2020)
- Sean Winchester – drums (2017–2018)
Timeline
<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:5 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1995 till:11/29/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:Lead value:red legend:Vocals id:Backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:LGuitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:RGuitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Release value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1995 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1995
LineData =
layer:back color:Release at:04/06/1999 at:03/27/2001 at:10/17/2005 at:09/16/2008 at:08/03/2010 at:02/19/2013 at:08/21/2015 at:03/08/2019 at:06/25/2021 at:06/02/2023 at:06/13/2025
BarData =
bar:Josh text:"Josh Todd" bar:Keith text:"Keith Nelson" bar:Yogi text:"Yogi Lonich" bar:Fleeger text:"Josh Fleeger" bar:Stevie text:"Stevie D." bar:Kevin text:"Kevin Roentgen" bar:Billy text:"Billy Rowe" bar:Jonathan text:"Jonathan Brightman" bar:Markasky text:"Dave Markasky" bar:Jimmy text:"Jimmy Ashhurst" bar:Kelly text:"Kelly LeMieux" bar:Devon text:"Devon Glenn" bar:Lawrence text:"Matt Lawrence" bar:Xavier text:"Xavier Muriel" bar:Sean text:"Sean Winchester" bar:Francis text:"Francis Ruiz"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Josh from:01/01/1995 till:06/30/2002 color:Lead bar:Josh from:01/01/2005 till:end color:Lead bar:Keith from:01/01/1995 till:06/30/2002 color:LGuitar bar:Keith from:01/01/1995 till:06/30/2002 color:Backing width:3 bar:Keith from:01/01/1995 till:07/01/1999 color:RGuitar width:7 bar:Keith from:01/01/2005 till:05/16/2017 color:LGuitar bar:Keith from:01/01/2005 till:05/16/2017 color:Backing width:3 bar:Yogi from:07/01/1999 till:10/31/2001 color:RGuitar bar:Yogi from:07/01/1999 till:10/31/2001 color:Backing width:3 bar:Fleeger from:10/31/2001 till:end color:Rguitar
bar:Fleeger-from-10-31-2001-till-06-30-2002-color:Rguitar </timeline>
BDS Spin Awards
Buckcherry has been honored with two BDS Spin Awards recognizing their extensive radio airplay.
| 2007 | "Everything" | 50,000 Spins | Awarded |
| 2007 | "Crazy Bitch" | 100,000 Spins | Awarded |
Billboard Music Video Awards
| Year | Performer | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Buckcherry | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| Best Modern Rock Video ("Lit Up") | Nominated |
BMI Awards
The BMI Awards celebrate achievements by songwriters and publishers. Buckcherry earned recognition for:
| 2009 | "Sorry" | Best Pop Song | Awarded |
Grammy Awards
| 2000 | "Lit Up" | Best Hard Rock Performance | Nominated |
| 2007 | "Crazy Bitch" | Best Hard Rock Performance | Nominated |
Kerrang! Music Awards
Buckcherry secured a Kerrang! Award in the following category:
| 1999 | Buckcherry | Best International Newcomer | Awarded |
Discography
Studio albums
- Buckcherry (1999)
- Time Bomb (2001)
- 15 (2005)
- Black Butterfly (2008)
- All Night Long (2010)
- Confessions (2013)
- Rock 'n' Roll (2015)
- Warpaint (2019)
- Hellbound (2021)
- Vol. 10 (2023)
- Roar Like Thunder (2025)
External links
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).