Singer, Songwriter. He is best remembered as the founder of the band Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. His music blended the sounds of country swing, jazz, bluegrass, pop, folk, and gypsy music. He frequently infused his songs with humor, with such titles as "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away" (1969) and "The Piano Has Been Drinking" (2000). Born Daniel Ivan Hicks, his father made a career in the military. When he was five years old, he moved with his family to Santa Rosa California where he performed in local dance bands as a teenager. In 1959 he moved to San Francisco, California and became involved in the folk music movement and six years later he joined a psychedelic rock band called The Charlatans as their drummer. In 1967 he started his group Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks and signed a recording deal with Epic Records, releasing their first album "Original Recordings" in 1969. In 1971 the original band split up and he reformed it, releasing three albums, including "Last Train to Hicksville" (1973) that gained wider acclaim that led to his picture being on the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine. In 1992 he formed a new group called The Acoustic Warriors and released four albums, including "Shootin' Straight" (1996) and "Return to Hicksville" (1997). In 2000 he started using the Hot Licks name again, releasing albums "Beatin' the Heat" (2000), "Alive and Lickin'" (2001), "Tangled Tales" (2009), among others. His best known songs include "Canned Music" and "I Scare Myself" (both 1969). In 2013 he released his final album "Live at Davies." In 2014 he was diagnosed with throat and liver cancer and he died the following year as a result at the age of 74.
Singer, Songwriter. He is best remembered as the founder of the band Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. His music blended the sounds of country swing, jazz, bluegrass, pop, folk, and gypsy music. He frequently infused his songs with humor, with such titles as "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away" (1969) and "The Piano Has Been Drinking" (2000). Born Daniel Ivan Hicks, his father made a career in the military. When he was five years old, he moved with his family to Santa Rosa California where he performed in local dance bands as a teenager. In 1959 he moved to San Francisco, California and became involved in the folk music movement and six years later he joined a psychedelic rock band called The Charlatans as their drummer. In 1967 he started his group Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks and signed a recording deal with Epic Records, releasing their first album "Original Recordings" in 1969. In 1971 the original band split up and he reformed it, releasing three albums, including "Last Train to Hicksville" (1973) that gained wider acclaim that led to his picture being on the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine. In 1992 he formed a new group called The Acoustic Warriors and released four albums, including "Shootin' Straight" (1996) and "Return to Hicksville" (1997). In 2000 he started using the Hot Licks name again, releasing albums "Beatin' the Heat" (2000), "Alive and Lickin'" (2001), "Tangled Tales" (2009), among others. His best known songs include "Canned Music" and "I Scare Myself" (both 1969). In 2013 he released his final album "Live at Davies." In 2014 he was diagnosed with throat and liver cancer and he died the following year as a result at the age of 74.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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