Eric Burdon

British rock musician, singer and songwriter, lead vocalist with The Animals. They signed a recording contract in January 1964 and topped the charts in Britain within six months, followed by the U.S. in September. With increasing drug use and decreasing harmony, the group split in September 1966 when it regrouped as Eric Burdon & the Animals. Their biggest success was "House of the Rising Sun," insuring Burdon's reputation as one of the finest white blues singers of his era.

In January 1970 Burdon joined the black jazz and rock band Nite Shift before he segued into Eric Burdon and War, which released "Spill the Wine." He tried unsuccessfully to break into acting and took a hiatus from burn-out. When Hendrix died on 18 September 1970, he claimed to have a suicide note from Jimi.

He emerged onto the pop scene again in the late '70s, producing a new album in March 1977. He published his autobiography in 1986, "I Used to be an Animal but I'm Allright Now," and a solo album with the same name in 1988.

In 2008, the music journal Rolling Stone ranked Eric Burdon No. 57 on the list of the 100 Greatest Singers of all Time.