As the world awaits the big game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals this Super Bowl Sunday, we're looking at some of the artists and bands who call Cincinnati, Ohio home -- from The National to 98 Degrees!
Get ready by listening to your favorite music now on Audacy's all-new stations curated for fans, by fans like Halftime Radio!
Plus, be sure to check out even more music from some of the biggest and brightest stars from 'The Queen City' and related artists in our shortlist of all-new stations below!
The National
The National members Matt Berninger, twin brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf formed their band in Brooklyn, NY, but all call Cincinnati, OH home. After a number of releases, 2013's Trouble Will Find Me was nominated for a GRAMMY and in 2018 the band's album Sleep Well Beast, won them the Best Alternative Music Album GRAMMY. The National's eighth studio album, I Am Easy to Find, was released in May 2019. Aaron Dessner was also a major part of the creation of Taylor Swift's folklore, along with Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.
Bootsy Collins
"Don't forget, groove is in the heart." Legendary bassist and guitarist Bootsy Collins started his career with his older brother, "Catfish," in The Pacemakers in 1968 and were both recruited to join James Brown in 1970 as part of his backing band, The J.B.'s, who also hailed from Cincinnati. Collins would go on to be a fixture in Parliament-Funkadelic, and has been a frequent collaborator with musicians from a wide range of genres. Even casual fans will recognize his contributions to Deee-Lite's "Groove Is in the Heart," and Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice." Bootsy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with 15 other members of P-Funk.
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon singer Nicholas Petricca founded the Alt-pop band in Cincinnati in 2006 while attending Kenyon College. After breaking out with their single "Anna Sun," the band signed to RCA for their subsequent releases. The band's third album, Talking Is Hard, features their biggest hit to date, "Shut Up and Dance." Their fifth studio album, Heights, was released in November 2021.
The Afghan Whigs
"Don't forget the alcohol... oooh baby!" Officially active from 1986 to 2001, Cincinnati's The Afghan Whigs signed to Seattle's Sub Pop records in 1988 and released eight studio albums and a number of EPs before they ultimately disbanded. Singer Greg Dulli would go on to be a member of The Twilight Singers, and Gutter Twins with Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, and is also known as the voice of John Lennon in the 1994 Beatles film Backbeat.
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers, O'Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald, and the late Vernon grew up in the Lincoln Heights area of Cincinnati, OH, and broke onto the scene with their 1959 song "Shout," which sold over a million copies, and followed with their GRAMMY-winning hit, "It's Your Thing." Their mix of impeccable soul, R&B, funk, gospel, Motown, doo-wop, and rock has earned the group several honors, including their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, a star on Hollywood's Rockwalk, induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and they received the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
98 Degrees
Although formed in Los Angeles, all four members of the beloved boy band 98 Degrees -- Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre -- originate from the great state of Ohio. After making the move to Los Angeles, Timmons eventually formed his band with Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate Nick Lachey and his brother Drew, as well as Jeffre, a history student at the University of Cincinnati.
L.A. Reid
All of those vibe-heavy songs you love -- from Bobby Brown to Mariah, and Mary J. to Toni Braxton -- have one man in common, Cincinnati's own producer extraordinaire, L.A. Reid. With his partner Babyface, Reid has produced countless R&B hits, racking up over 40 number 1 singles. He was honored with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' President's Merit Award at the GRAMMYs Salute to Industry Icons in 2013 and is also a three-time GRAMMY winner. In 2014, Reid received the Harvard University Alumni Award of Excellence in Media.
For every mood, every interest, every passion. By Audacy.
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Listen to more of your favorite music on Audacy's all-new stations like Conscious Hip Hop, Let's Get Social, K-Bops, Don't Metal In My Affairs, Collabornation, Audacy New Country, Wake Up and Rock and ALT Roots -- plus check out our talent-hosted Ed Lover's Timeless Throwbacks and Kevan Kenney's Music Discovery!
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