Ted Nugent Biography

Musician. Born December 13, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan. Although Nugent would take formal guitar lessons later in life, he was largely a self-taught musician who began playing at the age of six. At the age of 14, he formed his first band, the Lourds. On the strength of their 1964 performance at the Michigan State Fair, the Lourds were given the opportunity to open for the Beau Brummels and the Supremes. Later that year, Nugent moved to Chicago, where he fronted the band the Amboy Dukes.

Upon his high school graduation, in 1967, Nugent returned to Detroit, where he began recruiting new members for the Amboy Dukes. Within three months, the band signed with Mainstream Records and released their self-titled debut album. The following year, they achieved national recognition with the single, “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” which reached No. 8 on the pop charts.

In the early 1970s, the Amboy Dukes continued to record while averaging more than 300 concert dates per year. With the aid of props, wardrobe, pyrotechnics, and live animals, their concerts approached operatic dimensions. Nugent’s popularity, coupled with his expanding stage presence, surpassed that of his fellow band members. The Amboy Dukes were soon renamed Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes.

In 1975, Nugent had disassociated himself with the Amboy Dukes and decided to pursue a solo career. Now recording with the Epic Records label, he released his first solo album, Ted Nugent, featuring the hit singles “Strangle Hold” and “Hey Baby.” In 1977, Nugent recorded his most successful album to date—Cat Scratch Fever. Eventually selling more than three million copies, the LP included the now-classic rock anthems “Cat Scratch Fever,” "Workin' Hard, Playin' Hard," and "Out of Control."

In the early 1980s, Nugent’s popularity began to dwindle. He retreated from the spotlight for a few years before releasing two relatively successful albums, Penetrator(1984) and Little Miss Dangerous (1986).In 1989, he joined forces with rock veterans Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades to form the heavy metal band Damn Yankees.

An avid hunter and political activist, Nugent’s outspoken commitments to gun ownership and right-wing politics took a toll on his success in the 1990s. In 1995, he resumed his solo career with the critically panned album Spirit of the Wild, in which he expressed his deeply held political views and his unique relationship with nature and hunting.

In the summer of 2000, Nugent opened 79 sold-out concerts on the KISS Farewell Tour. That same year, he published a book of essays titled God, Guns and Rock-N-Roll. In addition to recording, Nugent currently serves on the boards of more than two dozen political and charitable associations, including the National Rifle Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.