The band formed in Chicago when Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan teamed up. Peterik was an established artist, having scored the #2 hit "Vehicle" in 1970 with his band The Ides of March. Sullivan was a rising star on the scene, performing in a band called Mariah. The pair formed the nucleus of the group and co-wrote most of their songs, but they got along like orange juice and milk. Peterik claimed that Sullivan took over the group, marginalizing Peterik to keyboards when he started out as a lead vocalist and guitarist. Their tenuous relationship led to a great deal of tension in the band, which went through a number of member changes over the years.
Bickler and Peterik both worked as jingle singers before forming the band. Peterik sang a popular Sunkist commercial that re-worked the Beach Boys song "Good Vibrations."
Survivor is one of the few bands to rack up hits with two different lead singers. Their early hits, including "Eye of the Tiger," were sung by original lead vocalist Dave Bickler. When Bickler had throat surgery in 1983, he was unable to sing, so the band dumped him and filled his spot with Jimi Jamison, who sang on their later hits, including "High on You" and "The Search Is Over." In 2013, the band began touring with both Jamison and Bickler, but in 2014 Jamison died of a heart attack at age 63.
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