Theodore Anthony "
Ted"
Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American
guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer and activist. From
Detroit,
Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of
The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career. He is also noted for his
conservative political views and his ardent defense of
hunting and
gun ownership rights.
Early life
Nugent was born and raised in
Detroit, Michigan, the son of Marion Dorothy (née Johnson) and Warren Henry Nugent. He moved to
Palatine, Illinois as a teenager, and has two brothers: John and Jeffrey. Raised Catholic, Nugent has mentioned his ties with the Christian faith many times during interviews, and has stated that he regularly attends
church. He attended
St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Career
Nugent has released more than 34 albums, and has sold a career total of 30 million records. He was known throughout his early career in the 1970s for using
Fender amps, a large part of his signature sound, and for playing the hollow-body
Gibson Byrdland guitar.
Gibson Guitar Corporation has since developed a model named for him. Performing professionally since 1958, Nugent has been touring annually since 1967, averaging more than 300 shows per year (1967–73), 200 per year (1974–80), 150 (1981–89), 127 concerts in 1990, 162...
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