History
Tower of Power is a horn-based funk/soul band from Oakland, California. In the mid-1960s, 17-year-old tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo moved from Detroit, Michigan, to Fremont, California. He started a band called the Motowns, specializing in soul music. In 1968, Castillo teamed up with baritone saxophonist Stephen "The Funky Doctor" Kupka and trumpet/trombone player Mic Gillette, moved to Oakland, and began writing original material. They changed the band's name to Tower of Power and began playing frequently in the Bay Area.
In 1970, TOP signed a recording contract with Bill Graham's San Francisco Records and quickly released its first album, East Bay Grease. 1972's Bump City and 1973's self-titled release were breakout albums for the band; the latter included possibly their most enduring song, What is Hip?.
Genres
Members
![Jerry Cortez Jerry Cortez](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Rocco Prestia Rocco Prestia](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Tom Politzer Tom Politzer](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Hubert Tubbs Hubert Tubbs](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Lee Thornburg Lee Thornburg](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Mic Gillette Mic Gillette](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Chester Thompson Chester Thompson](https://artists.staticmusichearts.com/2/212/21231/s.webp?231214124817)
![Jeff Tamelier Jeff Tamelier](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Richard Elliot Richard Elliot](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Lenny Williams Lenny Williams](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Larry Braggs Larry Braggs](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Stevie Roseman Stevie Roseman](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Stephen Kupka Stephen Kupka](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Greg Adams Greg Adams](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Emilio Castillo Emilio Castillo](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Ellis Hall Ellis Hall](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Carmen Grillo Carmen Grillo](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Rick Stevens Rick Stevens](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![David Garibaldi David Garibaldi](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)
![Skip Mesquite Skip Mesquite](https://ru.musichearts.fm/img/stubs/artist-s.webp)