Commander Cody ends 23-year hiatus (Created June 5, 2013)

Born George Rayne IV, the original Commander Cody brought together a lineup that successfully combined rock & roll, R&B and country rock. And call them a bar band, call them out for a no-frills approach to music. These guys could still flat out play.

Originally formed in 1967, the lineup included Rayne (piano), John Tichy (lead guitar), Steve Schwartz (guitar), Steve Davis (bass) and Ralph Mallory (drums). Yet when the group relocated to San Francisco, only Frayne, Bolton and Tichy made the move to the City By the Bay. Eventually, they added Billy C. Farlow (vocals, harp), Andy Stein (fiddle, saxophone), Billy Kirchen (guitarist), "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow (bassist), and Lance Dickerson (drummer) for their 1971 debut album, "Lost in the Ozone."

The following year, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airman hit the Top Ten with "Hot Rod Lincoln." Yet, they couldn't sustain the momentum going forward. They continued to release albums until Tichy left the band in 1976, and it was at that point that Commander Cody went solo. He released
the album "Midnight Man" in 1977, then he re-formed the group as the Commander Cody Band, leading to the release of three albums between 1977 and 1980.

In 2009, after a 23-year hiatus, Commander Cody returned with "Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers," a collection of new songs and classics. With an evolving cast of musicians, they are still known for their live shows and recently released "Commander Cody and the Modern Day Airman: Live from the Island," recorded at a performance in Bay Shore, New York.