Tribute act

A tribute act is a musician or group that performs the music of a well-known artist. This includes solo performers like Elvis impersonators, as well as bands such as The Iron Maidens, an all-female group that honors Iron Maiden. Many tribute bands aim to closely replicate the original act’s vocal style and appearance, while others add a twist—for example, Dread Zeppelin performs Led Zeppelin songs as reggae, with a lead singer dressed as Elvis, and Gabba plays ABBA songs in the style of the Ramones. Tribute bands often name themselves after the original band’s name (sometimes with a pun) or after one of their songs or albums.

The UK tribute-band scene was covered by journalist Tony Barrell in a 1997 Sunday Times feature, mentioning groups like Pink Fraud, the Pretend Pretenders, and Clouded House. Barrell noted that Australia was the main birthplace of tribute bands, as local audiences created homegrown versions of acts that rarely toured there. One such band, the ABBA tribute Björn Again, gained attention in the early 1990s by arriving at Heathrow Airport in white jumpsuits like those on ABBA’s 1976 album Arrival.

Other long-running tribute acts include The Beatnix (Beatles), Zeppelin Live, and The Australian Pink Floyd Show. In 1992, Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford left the band and was replaced in 1996 by Tim "Ripper" Owens, who had sung in the Judas Priest tribute band British Steel. This was the first known case of a tribute performer joining the band they imitated, inspiring the 2001 film Rock Star.

Owens left in 2003 when Halford returned. Similar events followed: Tommy Thayer replaced Ace Frehley in Kiss in 2002, and Benoît David replaced Jon Anderson in Yes after performing with the Yes tribute band Close to the Edge. Martin Jakubski, vocalist of the Marillion tribute StillMarillion, regularly appears in Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery’s solo shows. In 2000, filmmakers Jeff Economy and Darren Hacker released the documentary ...An Incredible Simulation, which explored the tribute band phenomenon.