R.E.M. is an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/keyboard player Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. Berry retired from the band in October 1997 after having suffered a brain aneurysm on the ‘95 Monster tour. He is now a farmer and has never been officially replaced as a drummer.

Although “R.E.M.” can stand for “Rapid Eye Movement”, which is a certain stage during a person’s nightly sleep, it does not have special significance with respect to the band, for they have stated that they got the term at random out of a dictionary. Their first show together had been performed under the name Twisted Kites.

Throughout the 1980s, the band worked relentlessly, releasing records every year from their debut album Murmur in 1983 through Green in 1988. Alongside this hectic recording schedule, R.E.M. toured constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. ... read more »