Lone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.
Early era
They began their career as part of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for rockabilly and country music.[citation needed] The group started out as a strict cover band,[citation needed] but the additions of veteran bassist Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington, a former drummer in Emmylou Harris's Hot Band,[1] prompted them to compose their own material.[citation needed] Their early recordings can be described as a fusion of country and punk rock, with rockabilly elements. But by the time of their first album, the band had begun to incorporate elements of roots rock and singer-songwriter styles. Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was a frequent guest musician at their live shows.
Lone Justice became a popular attraction and a local LA favorite.[citation needed] With the help of Linda Ronstadt, they were signed to Geffen Records and were soon hyped[who?] as the next big thing.
Their self-titled debut appeared in 1985, followed by a tour in support of U2.[2] Still, despite good press[who?] and media hype—Jimmy Guterman, then a critic at Rolling Stone, included it in his list of the best albums ever made[3]—Lone Justice failed to sell; produced by the band's manager, Jimmy Iovine, it failed to connect with country or rock audiences.[citation needed] Even with radio-friendly singles like "Sweet, Sweet Baby" and "Ways To Be Wicked" (written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell), the album didn't meet commercial expectations. Regardless, the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1985 ranked it #24.
Later era
In the record's wake, Hedgecock, Etzioni, and Heffington all exited the band, leaving McKee to lead Lone Justice alone. After enlisting guitarist Shane Fontayne, bassist Greg Sutton, drummer Rudy Richman, and keyboardist Bruce Brody, Lone Justice recorded their second LP, Shelter. Steve Van Zandt was the producer. This record saw them almost completely abandoning much of their earlier cowpunk, rockabilly, and roots rock influences in favor of what could be considered more typical 1980s pop/rock production, with heavy emphasis on drum machines and synthesizers. Commercially, the album charted lower than its predecessor, only reaching #65 on the album charts. However, the title single did better than the band's previous two charting singles, reaching # 26 on the Rock Singles chart, and # 47 on Hot 100 chart.
"Sweet, sweet baby (I'm Falling)" released by BBC on "Old Grey Whistle Test 3" Compilation DVD, 2004.
Disbandment
Shortly after Shelter's release, McKee broke up the band for good and went on to a solo career. Heffington became a session drummer, while Etzioni recorded under the guise of Marvin the Mandolin Man. Rudy Richman played drums with UK rock band The Quireboys between 1992 and 1993, appearing on the album Bitter Sweet & Twisted. Fontayne played guitar in Bruce Springsteen's band for the tour backing up the Lucky Town/Human Touch albums.[citation needed] After a decade removed from the music industry, Hedgecock returned in 1996 as half of the duo Parlor James.[citation needed] A posthumous Lone Justice retrospective, This World Is Not My Home, followed in early 1999, including early demo recordings. A brief, budget compilation was issued in 2003 as part of Universal Music's 20th Century Masters series.
AlbumsYear Album Chart Positions Label US Country US 1985 Lone Justice 62 56 Geffen 1986 Shelter 65 1993 BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert Windsong 1998 This World Is Not My Home Geffen
SinglesYear Single Chart Positions Album US Rock US 1985 "Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)" 73 Lone Justice "Ways to Be Wicked" 29 71 1986 "Shelter" 26 47 Shelter
