Although he looked to Van Morrison and Bob Dylan for inspiration, Adam Duritz wrote melancholy lyrics more in sync with the world-weary perspective of post-grunge rock & roll. Duritz was born in Baltimore, MD, on August 1, 1964. In 1991, he formed Counting Crows with guitarist David Bryson in San Francisco, performing acoustic sets in coffeehouses. The duo eventually added bassist Matt Malley, guitarist Dan Vickrey, drummer Steve Bowman, and keyboardist Charles Gillingham. The band was equal parts roots rock and R.E.M. jangle, united by Duritz's sad, introspective songs.

Two years later, the group recorded their debut album, August and Everything After. The LP didn't catch on at first; the band was mainly played on adult alternative radio stations, which were th ..[Full version]