he Knack are a Los Angeles-based rock band that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in 1979 (see 1979 in music). The power pop of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's "retro" '70s new wave look, earned the band comparisons to the early Beatles. Many music critics of the era disliked disco, which dominated the music industry at the time, and were, at best, coolly receptive to other developing genres like punk rock, hip hop and heavy metal music. The Knack's power pop and hard rock influences earned them some critical credibility. They were also vilified by some critics for their misogynistic lyrics. After subsequent albums, there was a critical backlash against the band and they broke up amidst internal squabbles. They have re-united periodically over the years and in 2001 put out a studio album Normal As The Next Guy and a live DVD Live From The Rock N'Roll Funhouse. As of 2005, The Knack are still active and play at various venues. All members of the group are Jewish. Singer Doug Fieger, a native of Detroit, Michigan, had previously played in a country rock band called Sky as well as The Sunset Bombers. Fieger is the brother of Detroit-area attorney Geoffrey Fieger, best known for representing Dr. Jack Kevorkian in a series of assisted suicide cases. Of the three other original members of The Knack (Berton Averre - Guitar, Prescott Niles - Bass, and Bruce Gary - Drums), Averre and Niles still currently play with The Knack. Bruce Gary died from lymphoma on August 22, 2006. He was 55. Bruce Gary left the band well before his death, becoming a respected producer (archive recordings of Jimi Hendrix and new recordings of The Ventures) and a very successful sideman performing live and on studio sessions with artists such as Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Spencer Davis, Stephen Stills, Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow - and he did not join the more recent Knack reunions. Several drummers have played for the group since Gary's departure including Billy Ward (Serious Fun album), Terry Bozzio (Zoom album), and David Henderson as 'Holmes Jones' (Normal as the Next Guy and Live at the Rock N Roll Funhouse albums). Currently Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) is playing the drums for the group. All four original band members, including Bruce Gary, reunited in the studio on one occasion in recent years to record a track for a multi-artist compilation album saluting the British band Badfinger. In 2005, The Knack made an appearance on the TV program "Hit Me Baby One More Time". As of August 2006, the band has been on hiatus after Doug Fieger underwent surgery. Doug Fieger appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia between late-August and early-September 2007. He sang The Knack favourite "My Sharona" only. Bassist Prescott Niles runs his myspace page myspace.com/prescottniles
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