Atlanta Rhythm Section
Artist
Atlanta Rhythm Section (or ARS) is an American Southern rock band formed in Doraville, Georgia, USA in 1970.
While historically known as a Southern Rock band, some of their songs have been described as having a soft-rock or smooth-jazz sound. The band has been labeled Southern Rock, pop rock, classic rock, soft rock, yacht rock, country rock, contemporary pop rock, jazz rock, smooth jazz, and album rock.
In the spring of 1970, before forming ARS, three former members of the Candymen (Rodney Justo, Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix) and the Classics IV (Daughtry and James B. Cobb, Jr.) became the session band for the newly opened Studio One recording studio in Doraville, Georgia, near Atlanta.
After playing on other artists' recordings, the Atlanta Rhythm Section was christened in May 1970, with Justo (singer), Barry Bailey (guitar), Paul Goddard (bass), Daughtry (keyboards), Nix (drums) and Cobb (guitar). Bailey and Goddard had played together in several groups and, like the Candymen, had also backed up Roy Orbison. The group’s name was thought up by Studio One’s owner Buddy Buie and his two partners in the venture, Cobb and Bill Lowery.
Atlanta Rhythm Section went on to achieve commercial success with songs such as their first hit, “Doraville”, which peaked at #35. The band had two top ten hits in the U.S. with 1977’s, ‘So in to You’, and 1978’s, ‘Imaginary Lover’ which both peaked at #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart. ARS also had a top 20 hit with ‘Spooky’ – originally a Classics IV tune. In the U.S., the song reached #15 on Cashbox and #17 on Billboard.
