Biography

Lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Gregory Hoskins always seemed to be surrounded by music. He was only in the first grade when he started learning to play the guitar while other children were happy simply expanding their vocabulary and finding out who could cross the monkey bars without falling. In his teens, in 1979, Hoskins formed his first band. In his early twenties, he put together the group known as Gregory Hoskins & the Stick People. Other members were singer Lynn Simmons, bassist Mike Fabello, saxophonist Colleen Allen, drummer Michael Spencer-Arscott, and singer and keyboardist George Civello. In 1991, Gregory Hoskins & the Stick People recorded their first album, Moon Come Up, released under the True North label. To promote the full-length debut, the band hit the road. While on tour, the group opened for many popular and well-known acts, like the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan. A sophomore album, Raids on the Unspeakable, appeared in 1993. There was a six-year gap before a third album broke into the light of day. The offering was titled Surgery and released under the Encore Records label. For 2001, another new album was completed, King of Good Intentions. Some of the tracks on these recordings include "Let the World Call You Crazy," "Labeling Blues," "Dance of the Vulnerable," "Neighborhood," "Remember Where You Come From," and "Let Her Go." ~ Charlotte Dillon