The B-52's were formed (1976) like R.E.M. in Athens, Georgia by vocalist Cindy Wilson, her elder brother guitarist Ricky Wilson (who died from AIDS in 1985), keyboardist and vocalist Kate Pierson and drummer/percussionist Keith Strickland. Whammy!, their fourth album, moves the B-52's more into the electronic sound that started with their previous album 'Mesopotamia', though now goes further with the use of a drum machine. The classic B-52's sound remains. 'Whammy! Rocks off with "Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss" and "Song For A Future Generation". This album really launches the musical direction that would ultimately culminate in "Cosmic Thing." Here the B-52's announced that they're a pop band, albeit a unique and heavily creative one.