Redbone

A Native American rock band that caught fire in the ’70s, Redbone broke boundaries and shined a light on social issues while topping the charts. ∙ Before they founded Redbone, brothers Lolly and Pat Vegas spent the ’60s on the pop circuit, touring with The Beach Boys and penning such hits as P.J. Proby’s “Niki Hoeky.” ∙ According to Pat, Jimi Hendrix—who himself had Cherokee heritage—encouraged the Vegas brothers to form an all-Native American band, and Redbone was born in 1969. ∙ Redbone’s first hits were the swamp rockers “Maggie” (1970) and “The Witch Queen of New Orleans” (1971), both of which landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. ∙ The politically charged “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee” was too controversial for US radio but found widespread success in Europe, even reaching No. 1 in the Netherlands. ∙ Funk anthem “Come and Get Your Love” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974—and found new life 40 years later, when it was featured in the film Guardians of the Galaxy. ∙ In 2008, the group was inducted into the Native American Music Association Hall of Fame.