Frijid Pink

Biography by Jason Ankeny Detroit hard rockers Frijid Pink formed in 1967, originally comprised of singer Thomas Beaudry (stage name Kelly Green), guitarist Gary Ray Thompson, bassist Tom Harris, keyboardist Larry Zelanka, and drummer Richard Stevers. After two years of relentless touring throughout the southeast Michigan area, the group -- substituting Harris with Beaudry on bass -- signed with the Parrot label in 1969. Although their first two singles, "Tell Me Why" and "Drivin' Blues," failed to attract much attention, their third effort for the company -- a distorted, guitar-heavy interpretation of "The House of the Rising Sun" -- reached the Top Ten on the U.S. pop charts, becoming an even bigger hit overseas. Frijid Pink's self-titled debut LP followed in 1970, as did the follow-up Defrosted; subsequent singles including "Sing a Song for Freedom" and "Heartbreak Hotel," however, failed to match earlier successes, and after 1972's Earth Omen the group did not reenter the studio until recording 1975's All Pink Inside, disbanding soon after.