Biography
Punky Meadows first gained notice in the Washington, D.C. rock community during the mid-1970s when he co-established the hard rock and glam ensemble Angel as its lead guitarist. Born Edwin Lionel Meadows, he entered the music world while still attending high school, assembling the Intruders and later the Cherry People in the mid-1960s. Drawing from British Invasion acts and, subsequently, psychedelic pop, the Cherry People secured a contract with Heritage Records, an MGM subsidiary, resulting in one full-length release and several singles issued between 1968 and 1972. By his early twenties, having already logged road experience, Meadows teamed with bassist Mickie Jones in the hard rock group BUX, previously known as Daddy Warbux, which produced a single album for Capitol. Following the 1974 dissolution of BUX, whose Capitol recording remained unreleased, Meadows and Jones once again combined forces and launched Angel the next year. The band adopted a flamboyant white stage wardrobe that stood in deliberate opposition to the black outfits worn by their labelmates Kiss, leading to moderate commercial traction throughout the latter half of the 1970s. Although the debut album displayed progressive, Queen-inspired tendencies, later efforts shifted toward pop structures, and despite the absence of a breakout single the group cultivated a dedicated following. Meadows’s trademark glam rock expression directly prompted Frank Zappa’s 1977 composition “Punky’s Whips.” Rather than object, Meadows expressed appreciation and performed alongside Zappa during one concert. After completing five studio albums plus a live recording, Angel disbanded in 1980, prompting Meadows to withdraw from the music business entirely. Thirty-five years later, in 2016, he issued his debut solo project, Fallen Angel, comprising fifteen hard rock tracks developed in partnership with guitarist Danny Farrow.
Singles