Pablo Cruise
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, singles |
Pablo Cruise is a pop/rock ensemble from San Francisco, currently comprising David Jenkins (guitar, vocals), Cory Lerios (keyboards, vocals), Sergio Gonzalez (drums), Larry Antonino (bass, vocals), and Robbie Wyckoff (vocals, percussion). Established in 1973, the group produced seven studio albums over ten years, achieving five singles that reached the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following multiple personnel changes, they disbanded in 1986. The founding members—Jenkins, Lerios, Price, and Bud Cockrell—briefly reunited in 2004, and the band continues to perform live with three original members.[1]
History
Originating in San Francisco in 1973, Pablo Cruise was formed by former members of Stoneground (Cory Lerios on keyboards and vocals, David Jenkins on guitar and vocals, Steve Price on drums) along with Bud Cockrell from It's a Beautiful Day on bass and vocals.[2] Prior to this, Lerios had founded Together at Palo Alto High School, where Price initially worked as a roadie before taking over drums. Jenkins hails originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The band's name often caused confusion among fans who believed Pablo Cruise was a person; however, the group clarified that "Pablo symbolizes an honest, genuine, down-to-earth character while Cruise reflects his carefree and easygoing lifestyle."[3] Under the guidance of manager Bob Brown, they secured a contract with A&M Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in May 1975 which achieved moderate success. This was followed by Lifeline in March 1976.[4] Lifeline reached No. 139 on U.S. charts, with the instrumental track "Zero to Sixty in Five" gaining recognition as theme music for sports television programs, leading to additional scoring work for film and TV.[5]
Their 1977 release A Place in the Sun represented a commercial milestone featuring hit singles "Whatcha Gonna Do?" which peaked at No. 6 and the title track reaching No. 42. The album climbed to No. 19 on the Billboard 200.[6]
Further success and lineup changes
In mid-1977, Bud Cockrell departed to form a duo with his wife Pattie Santos, also formerly of It's a Beautiful Day. Bruce Day replaced him on bass; Day had previously performed with Carlos Santana prior to Santana's mainstream success.
Bruce Day's inaugural album with Pablo Cruise was the platinum-certified 1978 Worlds Away, featuring hits such as "Love Will Find a Way" and "Don't Want to Live Without It". The album also included a rendition of Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio". Their subsequent 1979 album Part of the Game yielded the single "I Want You Tonight". That same year, Pablo Cruise contributed "Reach For The Top" to the soundtrack of Dreamer, followed by "What've You Got To Lose" for Inside Moves in 1980.
Following Day's exit in 1980, session bassist John Pierce joined along with second guitarist Angelo Rossi (formerly of Cockrell & Santos) for the 1981 release Reflector, which included their final Top 40 hit "Cool Love".
Drummer Price left midway through 1981; he was briefly succeeded by Donny Baldwin before Baldwin moved on to join Jefferson Starship in 1982. Subsequently, David Perper took over drumming duties while Rossi was replaced by Stef Birnbaum (also known as Stef Burns).
The band's 1983 album Out of Our Hands showcased a transition toward an '80s pop keyboard style, with Lerios focusing more on synthesizers rather than piano. Price returned to play drums on two tracks. That year’s tour featured new member Jorge Bermudez handling vocals and percussion. However, due to the increasing popularity of new wave, the album did not achieve strong commercial results. By late 1984, Pierce, Birnbaum, Perper, and Bermudez had all departed, coinciding with the conclusion of Pablo Cruise's contract with A&M Records.
1985 reunion attempt and subsequent break
In 1985, original members Jenkins, Lerios, Price, and Cockrell came together once more in pursuit of a fresh recording contract but ultimately parted ways again by 1986.
Following this, Jenkins joined the country rock group Southern Pacific in 1987, collaborating with former Doobie Brothers musicians and Stu Cook, the bassist from Creedence Clearwater Revival. After departing Southern Pacific in 1989, Jenkins relocated to Hawaii, where he partnered with Hawaiian musician Kapono Beamer on the 2006 release Cruisin' On Hawaiian Time, an album honoring Hawaiian traditions.
At the same time, Cory Lerios shifted his focus toward composing for film and television, gaining recognition for his work on the widely viewed 1990s series Baywatch.
Partial reunion in 1996
Around 1996, Jenkins and Cockrell revived Pablo Cruise while Lerios and Price were unable to participate. They brought in keyboardist Kincaid Miller and drummer Kevin Wells (formerly of Clover) as replacements. Percussionist James Henry made occasional appearances from 1999 through 2008. For live shows between 1999 and 2002, second guitarist Kenny Emerson (who took over from Stef Burns, briefly back in 1998) along with backing vocalists Regina Espinoza and Carolyn joined to enhance performances. Drummer Billy Johnson, known for his work with Santana, often filled in for Wells during this timeframe.
Former bassist Bruce Day passed away on June 30, 1999, in Windsor, California, at the age of 48.
From 2004 onward
In June 2004, all four founding members reunited during Steve Price's wedding celebration. This event inspired Jenkins, Lerios, and Price to permanently reform the band without Cockrell. Bassist and vocalist George Gabriel was added to the lineup. During the band's inactive period, Price became a prominent figure in E-learning and launched a business specializing in aerial photography. Gabriel departed in November 2009 and was succeeded by seasoned bassist Larry Antonino—known for collaborations with Air Supply, Jeff Beck, among others—in 2010.
Bud Cockrell died on March 6, 2010, at age 59 due to complications related to diabetes.
On November 8, 2011, Pablo Cruise unveiled their first live album titled It's Good to Be Live under Red Recording. This release featured both a live CD and DVD recorded during concerts held in July 2010 in Loomis, California. The CD included updated renditions of "A Place in the Sun," featuring Red Recording artist Katrina, and "Love Will Find a Way," with guest vocals by Ty Taylor of Vintage Trouble.
In 2015, Cory Lerios issued an EP called If I Could Change Anything It Would Be You! under the moniker Cory Charles.
By 2017, singer and percussionist Robbie Wyckoff—recognized for touring with Roger Waters on The Wall Live—became part of the band.
In February 2020, Pablo Cruise completed their performances aboard the Rock and Romance Cruise before live events were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During lockdown, they recorded a new single titled "Breathe" remotely via Skype. This period also saw new drummer Sergio Gonzalez stepping in after Steve Price retired owing to health concerns.
The group resumed touring activities in summer 2021, focusing mainly on venues throughout California.
In November 2025, it was announced that original drummer Steve Price had rejoined Pablo Cruise.
Current lineup
- David Jenkins – guitar and vocals (1973–1986, 1996–present)
- Cory Lerios – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (1973–1986, 2004–present)
- Steve Price – drums and percussion (1973–1981, 2004–2020, 2025–present)
- Larry Antonino – bass guitar and vocals (2010–present)
- Robbie Wyckoff – percussion and vocals (2017–present)
Former members
- Bud Cockrell – bass guitar, lead vocals (1973–1977, 1985–1986, 1996–2004; deceased 2010)
- Bruce Day – bass guitar, vocals (1977–1980; deceased 1999)
- John Pierce – bass guitar, vocals (1980–1984)
- Angelo Rossi – guitar, vocals (1980–1983)
- Donny Baldwin – drums, percussion (1981–1982)
- David Perper – drums, percussion (1982–1984)
- Stef Birnbaum – guitar, vocals (1983–1984, 1998) (also known as Stef Burns)
- Jorge Bermudez – vocals, percussion (1983–1984)
- Kincaid Miller – keyboards (1996–2004)
- Kevin Wells – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1996–2004)
- James Henry – percussion (touring replacement 1999–2008)
- Billy Johnson – drums, percussion (touring replacement 1999–2002)
- Kenny Emerson – guitar, vocals (1999–2002)
- Regina Espinoza – backing vocals (1999–2002)
- Carolyn – backing vocals (1999–2002)
- George Gabriel – bass guitar, vocals (2004–2009)
- Sergio Gonzalez – drums, percussion (2020–2025)
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | |||
| Pablo Cruise |
|
174 | — | |
| Lifeline |
|
139 | — | |
| A Place in the Sun |
|
19 | 92 |
|
| Worlds Away |
|
6 | 7 |
|
| Part of the Game |
|
39 | 53 | |
| Reflector |
|
34 | 83 | |
| Out of Our Hands |
|
— | — | |
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Classics Volume 26 |
|
| The Best of Pablo Cruise |
|
Live albums
| Album Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| It's Good to Be Live |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US BB | US CB | CAN | AUS | |||
| "Island Woman" | 1975 | 104 | 115 | — | — | Pablo Cruise |
| "What Does It Take" | 1975 | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Think It's Finally Over" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | Lifeline |
| "Don't Believe It" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Crystal" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Whatcha Gonna Do?" | 1977 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | A Place in the Sun |
| "A Place in the Sun" | 1977 | 42 | 42 | 36 | — | |
| "Never Had a Love" | 1978 | 87 | 89 | 87 | — | |
| "Love Will Find a Way" | 1978 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | Worlds Away |
| "Don't Want to Live Without It" | 1978 | 21 | 18 | 10 | 76 | |
| "I Go to Rio" | 1979 | 46 | 56 | 39 | — | |
| "I Want You Tonight" | 1979 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 43 | Part of the Game |
| "Cool Love" | "1981" | "13" | "17" | "—" | "91" | " rowspan=2 Reflector " |
| "Slip Away" | "1981" | "75" | "86" | "—" | "—" | " " |
| "Will You, Won't You" | "1983" | "107" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "Out of Our Hands" |
| "Breathe" | "2020" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "Template:Non-album single" |
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- American pop rock music groups
- American soft rock music groups
- Musical groups established in 1973
- Musical groups disestablished in 1986
- Musical groups reestablished in 1996
- A&M Records artists
- Musical groups from San Francisco
- Musical quintets from California
- Musical quartets from California
- Yacht rock musicians
- Pages with reference errors