Eric Burdon

As the Animals' lead singer, Eric Burdon was one of the British Invasion's most distinctive vocalists, with a searingly powerful blues-rock voice. The group's first lineup fell apart in 1966, and Burdon kept the Animals going with various players for a few years, but his real triumphs as a solo artist arrived in the early '70s when he hooked up with some L.A. soul/funksters who became his backing band, War, recording two albums and a number three hit single, "Spill the Wine." Burdon quit the band in 1971 and recorded off and on after that, continuing into the new millennium. In 2012, he joined Bruce Springsteen on-stage at SXSW and was soon in back in demand, releasing 'Til Your River Runs Dry in January 2013. ~ Richie Unterberger