Biography
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Years Active
1980 – present (44 years)
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Founded In
Akron, Summit County, Ohio, United States
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Members
- Gary Garcia
- Jerry Buckner
Buckner & Garcia, was an American musical duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio.
Their first recording was made in 1972, when they performed a novelty song called "Gotta Hear the Beat", which they recorded as Animal Jack. Later, in 1980, they wrote a novelty Christmas song titled "Merry Christmas in the NFL", imagining sports journalist Howard Cosell as Santa Claus. Performed under the pseudonym Willis the Guard & Vigorish, the song reached No. 82 on the Billboard charts despite limited airplay after Cosell found the song offensive. In 1981, the duo wrote a sentimental country theme to back the poem "Footprints in the Sand", performed by Edgel Groves. The duo also wrote the lyrics for extra verses of an extended version of the WKRP in Cincinnati theme song in 1982.
However, the duo is best known for the song "Pac-Man Fever", which became a large novelty hit in 1982, peaking at No. 9 in the United States. The single was a million-seller and earned a gold record. Later the same year, after the song became a hit, the duo signed a record deal with Columbia/CBS Records. According to interviews, the duo never wanted to become a novelty act known for songs based on video games, but when it signed with the label, the company insisted on a full album of video-game songs, although the duo had intended to write a more varied collection of pop music. They complied despite their misgivings and released the album Pac-Man Fever, consisting entirely of songs about arcade games.
The rest of the duo's band consisted of Ginny Whitaker (drums), Larry McDonald (bass guitar), Chris Bowman (lead and rhythm guitar), Rick Hinkle (lead and rhythm guitar on "Pac-Man Fever", "Mousetrap" and "Goin' Berserk"), Mike Stewart (Moog synthesizer on "Mousetrap" and "Goin' Berserk"), and David "Cozy" Cole (syndrum on Pac-Man Fever). Steve Carlisle and Sharon Scott provided background vocals on "Pac-Man Fever".
On November 17, 2011, Gary Garcia died at his home in Englewood, Florida from undisclosed causes. Buckner later worked with Jamie Houston to write the song "Wreck It, Wreck-It Ralph!" for the Disney film Wreck-It Ralph (2012); despite Garcia's death, the track was credited to "Buckner & Garcia".
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