Classics IV

Founded by drummer and singer Dennis Yost in the late ‘60s, Classics IV were a soft rock outfit from Jacksonville, Florida. Initially born as a surf rock cover band, the group’s lineup was completed by J.R. Cobb (guitar), Walter Eaton (bass), and Joe Wilson (keyboards). They made their debut in 1966 with the hit single “Pollyanna,” a Joe South-penned earworm in the vein of The Four Seasons, which sparked a controversy with the popular doo-wop vocal group. Follow-up singles “Spooky” (1968) “Stormy” (1968), and “Traces” (1969) peaked at Number 3, 5, and 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100, respectively, and all obtained gold certification by the R.I.A.A. after selling over a million copies. During the ‘70s, and with Yost as the only original member remaining, the band was renamed Dennis Yost and the Classics IV and produced the 1972 Top 40 single “What Am I Crying For?” before dissolving in 1975. In subsequent years, Yost kept performing under his own name in the hotel circuit and regained exclusive rights to the Classics IV’s name in the early aughts before suffering a fall-related accident in 2006 that caused him severe brain trauma. Despite the singer’s death in 2008, the band still performs and tours under the direction of Tom Garrett, lead vocalist and Yost’s handpicked successor.

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