The Guess Who

For other uses, see Guess Who (disambiguation).

The Guess Who
"American Woman"-era lineup of the Guess Who / Clockwise from top left: Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Jim Kale
"American Woman"-era lineup of the Guess Who / Clockwise from top left: Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Jim Kale
Background information
OriginWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres
Years active
  • 1965–1975
  • 1979
  • 1983
  • 1999
  • 2000–2003
  • 2024–present
Labels
Spinoff of
  • Al & The Silvertones
  • Chad Allan & The Reflections
  • Chad Allan & The Expressions
Members
Past members See also List of The Guess Who members
Websitetheguesswho.com

The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965. The band found their greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, with hit songs including "American Woman", "These Eyes", and "No Time".

During their most successful period, The Guess Who released eleven studio albums, all of which reached the charts in Canada and the United States. Their 1970 album American Woman reached no. 1 in Canada and no. 9 in the United States, while five other albums reached the top ten in Canada. The Guess Who charted fourteen Top 40 singles in the United States and more than thirty in Canada.[1] The band was the first Canadian rock band to have widespread success in the United States and, unlike several other Canadian acts of the time, did not downplay or hide their Canadian identity.[2]

The Guess Who officially broke up in 1975, with a major reunion tour in the early 2000s. A separate band organized by former bassist Jim Kale also toured and recorded under The Guess Who name for several decades,[3] often performing without any original band members on stage.[4] After a long legal dispute, Bachman and Cummings regained control of the Guess Who name in a 2024 settlement.[5]

  1. ^ "The Guess Who | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  2. ^ "Guess Who". Encyclopdedia.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Darius C. Gambino (November 16, 2023). "What's in a name? The tragic tale of The Guess Who". The Trademark Lawyer. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  4. ^ "Former Guess Who friends now bitter enemies". Winnipeg Free Press. November 17, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Millman, Ethan (September 4, 2024). "The Guess Who End Decades-Long Legal Battle: 'An Impossible Task'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2024.