Sacramento has generate a new big names in music every decade going back to the 1940s. In the early 60s Sacramento had an
all-female band called The Svelts featuring June and Jean Millington. By the end of the decade the Millington sisters had relocated to
Los Angeles and were signed by Warner label Reprise under the band name Fanny. The band recorded four albums for Reprise then
one for Casablanca, which produced the top 40 hit "Butter Boy" in 1975. They disbanded shortly before the album was released but are remembered as the
first all-female rock band to release albums on a major label. Another local artist, Timothy B. Schmit was well known in town
with the band Redwing then joined The Eagles on their 1979 studio album The Long Run.
Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden
Lynn Anderson (1947-2015) grew up in the Sacramento area and answered phones at top 40 radio station
1240 KROY AM in the early 60s. After sending her song "(My Friends are Gonna Be) Strangers" to music executives in Nashville, Chet Atkins
brought her to the attention of RCA Victor, which signed her in 1964. She then moved to Nashville and the
rest is history. One of her biggest hits was "Rose Garden" in 1971.
Barbi Benton - Brass Knuckles
Benton became known as a model through appearing on the cover of Playboy, then marrying the publication's owner Hugh Hefner.
She appeared on the CBS TV series Hee Haw as a country singer, leading to a few hits on the country charts, including "Brass Knuckles" in 1975.
She went on to appear in other TV shows such as Fantasy Island and The Love Boat.
Fanny - Butter Boy
The band's lineup had changed from its original Sacramento personnel when this single was a hit, but some early members such as Jean Millington remained.
Los Angeles singer/keyboardist Nickey Barclay became the lead vocalist. This lineup included Suzi Quatro's sister Patti Quatro on guitar, replacing June Millington.
Fanny has regrouped in Sacramento in the 2010s and 2020s under the name Fanny Walked the Earth.
Little Roger & The Goosebumps - Stairway To Gilligan's Island
This single was a novelty hit on radio stations across the United States, particularly on KROY in Sacramento. It featured the
lyrics to the theme song of the classic TV series Gilligan's Island set to the music of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven."
But when Led Zeppelin's management found out they got a court order to have all the copies of the Little Roger single destroyed.
Timothy B. Schmit - I Can't Tell You Why (Live)
Timothy B. Schmit was a vocalist and bassist for Poco in the mid-seventies. He then played bass and sang lead
vocal on The Eagles' hit "I Can't Tell You Why." The recording was made in 1979 for The Long Run album, released in the fall. The single was the third release from the album and
made the top 10 in 1980. Schmit rejoined the band a decade later for reunion tours. He also became a member of Ringo Starr's All-Star Band.
