List of The Guess Who members

The Guess Who in 1970 (L-R: Kurt Winter, Garry Peterson, Greg Leskiw, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale)

The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band, originating as The Guess Who? in 1966, and adopting the name The Guess Who in 1968.[1] They were most successful from 1969 to 1975, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings.[2] During that period they released eleven studio albums, all of which reached the charts in Canada and the United States; their 1970 album American Woman reached no. 1 in Canada and no. 9 in the United States, and five other albums reached the top ten in Canada. They also achieved five number one singles in Canada and two in the United States.[2]

During the 1969-1975 era prior to the band's breakup, Cummings and drummer Garry Peterson were the only consistent members; they were joined by five guitarists and two bassists during those years. Cummings ended the band in 1975 and embarked on a solo career.[3] In the following decades, Cummings and original guitarist Randy Bachman led several one-time reunion shows or short commemorative tours with various former members.[4][5]

Starting in the late 1970s, original bassist Jim Kale organized a separate band under the name of The Guess Who for nostalgia tours with a frequently changing cast of musicians, later including Gary Peterson. In 2024, Bachman and Cummings announced that they had gained control of the Guess Who name.[6]

This list article does not include musicians who filled in temporarily for official members or members of the unrelated Jim Kale band.

## The Guess Who members (1965-1975)

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| Garry Peterson | 1962–1975 (reunions 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2000–2003) |

* drums
* percussion
* backing vocals

| all Classic Era releases

| Jim Kale | 1962–1972 (reunions 1983, 1999, 2000) |

* bass
* backing vocals

| all releases from Shakin' All Over (1965) to Live at the Paramount (1972)

| Randy Bachman | 1962–1970 (reunions 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2000–2003) |

* lead guitar
* backing vocals

| all releases from Shakin' All Over (1965) to American Woman (1970)
| Chad Allan | 1962–1966 (died 2023) |

* vocals
* rhythm guitar

* Shakin' All Over (1965)
* Hey Ho (What You Do to Me!) (1965)
* It's Time (1966)

| Bob Ashley  | 1962–1966  |

* keyboards
* backing vocals

* Shakin' All Over (1965)
* Hey Ho (What You Do to Me!) (1965)

| Burton Cummings | 1966–1975 (reunions 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2000–2003) |

* vocals
* keyboards
* rhythm guitar
* flute
* harmonica

| all releases from It's Time (1966) to Power in the Music (1975)
| Bruce Decker  | 1966–1966 (died 1986) | rhythm guitar  | none

| Kurt Winter | 1970–1974 (died 1997) |

* lead guitar
* backing and occasional lead vocals

| all releases from Share the Land (1970) to Road Food (1974)

| Greg Leskiw | 1970–1972  |

* rhythm guitar
* vocals

* Share the Land (1970)
* So Long, Bannatyne (1971)
* Rockin' (1972)

| Donnie McDougall  | 1972–1974  |

* Live at the Paramount (1972)
* Artificial Paradise (1973)
* #10 (1973)
* Road Food (1974)

| Bill Wallace  | 1972–1975  |

* bass
* vocals

* Artificial Paradise (1973)
* #10 (1973)
* Road Food (1974)
* Flavours (1974)
* Power in the Music (1975)

| Domenic Troiano | 1974–1975 (died 2005) |

* guitars
* backing vocals

* Flavours (1974)
* Power in the Music (1975)

## Timeline

[edit]

## Lineups

[edit]

Years  | Members  | Studio and live releases

|
|

1962 – January 1966

Chad Allan and the Reflections
Chad Allan and the Expressions
Guess Who?

* Chad Allan – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Bob Ashley – keyboards, backing vocals
* Randy Bachman – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Jim Kale – bass, vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

* Shakin' All Over (1965)
* Hey Ho (What You Do to Me!) (1965)

January 1966 – May 1966

The Guess Who?

* Chad Allan – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Burton Cummings – keyboards, vocals
* Randy Bachman – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

* It's Time (1966)

May 1966 – August 1966

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Randy Bachman – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Bruce Decker – rhythm guitar
* Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

August 1966 – May 1970

Classic line-up

* Burton Cummings – vocals, guitar, keyboards, flute, harmonica
* Randy Bachman – guitar, backing vocals
* Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums, backing vocals

* A Wild Pair (1968) side 2 only
* Wheatfield Soul (1969)
* Canned Wheat (1969)
* American Woman (1970)

May 1970 – March 1972

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards, flute, harmonica
* Kurt Winter – lead guitar, vocals
* Greg Leskiw – rhythm guitar, vocals
* Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums, backing vocals

* Share the Land (1970)
* So Long, Bannatyne (1971)
* Rockin' (1972)

March 1972 – May 1972

* Burton Cummings – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, flute, harmonica
* Kurt Winter – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Donnie McDougall – rhythm guitar, vocals
* Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

* Live at the Paramount (1972)

May 1972 – June 1974

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards, flute, harmonica
* Kurt Winter – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Donnie McDougall – rhythm guitar, vocals
* Bill Wallace – bass, vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

* Artificial Paradise (1973)
* #10 (1973)
* Road Food (1974)

June 1974 – October 1975

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Domenic Troiano – guitar, backing vocals
* Bill Wallace – bass, backing vocals
* Garry Peterson – drums

* Flavours (1974)
* Power in the Music (1975)

### Reunion lineups

[edit]

Years  | Members  | Studio releases

|
|

November 1979

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Randy Bachman – guitar
* Bill Wallace – bass
* Garry Peterson – drums

1983

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Randy Bachman – guitar
* Jim Kale – bass
* Garry Peterson – drums

1999

2000

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Randy Bachman – guitar
* Donnie McDougall – guitar
* Jim Kale – bass
* Garry Peterson – drums

May 2000 – July 2003

* Burton Cummings – vocals, keyboards
* Randy Bachman – guitar
* Donnie McDougall – guitar
* Bill Wallace – bass
* Garry Peterson – drums

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Frank Hoffmann (November 12, 2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. pp. 992–. ISBN 1-135-94949-2.
2. ^ a b "The Guess Who | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
3. ^ Burton Cummings - Burton Cummings | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-27
4. ^ "Guess Who - 1983 - Reunion soundboard@320". Guitars101 - Guitar Forums. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
5. ^ "That time they closed Portage and Main to pedestrians | CBC Archives". CBC. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
6. ^ Millman, Ethan (2024-09-04). "The Guess Who End Decades-Long Legal Battle: 'An Impossible Task'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-04.