Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Andy Stein (L) and John Tichy (R) at the Hollywood Bowl opening for Grateful Dead, July 21, 1974. The Wall of Sound PA is in the background. Photo: David Gans
Background information
Origin	Ann Arbor, Michigan United States
Genres	Country rock, Western swing, rock and roll, rockabilly, jump blues, Americana
Years active	1967–1976, 1997–present as "The Commander Cody Band"
Associated acts	Asleep at the Wheel
Members	George Frayne (Commander Cody) Steve Barbuto Mark Emerick Randy Bramwell Greg Irwin (interim)
Past members	John Tichy Billy C. Farlow Bill Kirchen Andy Stein Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow Norton Buffalo Lance Dickerson Bobby Black Steve Davis (The West Virginia Creeper) Peter Siegel Rick Mullen Rick Higginbotham Ernie Hagar

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. The group's founder was founder George Frayne IV (alias Commander Cody, born July 19, 1944 at Boise, Idaho) on keyboards and vocals.

The band's style mixed country, rock 'n' roll, western swing, rockabilly, and jump blues together on a foundation of boogie-woogie piano. They were among first country-rock bands to take its cues less from folk-rock and bluegrass and more from the rowdy barroom country of the Ernest Tubb and Ray Price style. The band became known for marathon live shows.

Alongside Frayne, the classic lineup was Billy C. Farlow (b. Decatur, Alabama) on vocals and harmonica; John Tichy (b. St. Louis, Missouri) on guitar and vocals; Bill Kirchen (b. January 29, 1948 at Ann Arbor, Michigan) on lead guitar; Andy Stein (b. August 31, 1948 at New York) on saxophone and fiddle; Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow (b. December 3, 1948 at Oxnard, California) on bass guitar; Lance Dickerson (b. October 15, 1948 at Livonia, Michigan; died November 10, 2003 at Fairfax, California) on drums; Steve Davis (b. July 18, 1946 at Charleston, West Virginia) and Bobby Black on steel guitar.