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his early influences and how the band came together . David Lowery , the band ' s lead vocalist , and Johnny were both raised on military bases throughout the country . Both of their fathers were in the Air Force serving their last tour of duty . It was an instant friendship when the two met on an Air Force base in California and shared a love for music of all kinds . In a rapidly growing punk craze , David and Johnny had deep appreciation for everyone from The Rolling Stones to Johnny Cash .
In 1991 , Johnny and David formed a band and signed with Virgin Records . A year later , they released their first album entitled " Cracker ". As the two continued to write songs together , their sound was made unique in a grunge era by incorporating all the genres of music they loved . Johnny ' s passion for the soulful blues and the rock and roll that came from England that " mirrored American music " influenced the way he and David wrote and played their music for Cracker . He credits the longevity of the band to the mixture of sounds they have incorporated into the music . " We have never been really huge ", Hickman said , " we have always been more like a cool , secret band ." When I asked Johnny about the fans of Cracker , his enthusiasm could not be hidden as he said , " We have the best fans in the world . They are loyal and many of them take off work to come to two or three shows if they are scheduled in neighboring towns . That is so humbling for us ." The loyal fans to the band have even cleverly named themselves the " Crumbs " or " Crumb Nation ". Johnny said he wants to thank their fans for keeping the band alive and well for twentyfive years .
Being a teen in the 1990s myself , I was curious about the differences of music then
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