The Guess Who

The Guess Who
The Guess Who in 1970. From left to right: Kurt Winter, Garry Peterson, Greg Leskiw, Burton Cummings, and Jim Kale
Background information
Also known as
    • Al & The Silvertones (1958–1962)
    • Chad Allan & The Reflections (1962–1963)
    • Chad Allan & The Expressions (1963-1965)
    • Guess Who? (1965–1966)
    • The Guess Who? (1966–1969)
OriginWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres
Years active
  • 1958–1975
  • 1979
  • 1983
  • 1999
  • 2000–2003
Labels
Spinoff of
  • Al & the Silvertones
  • Chad Allan & the Reflections
  • Chad Allan & the Expressions
Past members See also List of the Guess Who members
Websitetheguesswho.com

The Guess Who was a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band found their greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s under the leadership of singer and keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, with hit songs including "American Woman", "These Eyes", "No Time", "Laughing" and "Share the Land".

During their most successful period, the Guess Who released eleven studio albums, all of which reached the charts in Canada and the United States. Their 1970 album American Woman reached number 1 in Canada and number 9 in the United States, while five other albums reached the top ten in Canada. The Guess Who charted fourteen Top-40 singles in the United States, and more than thirty in Canada. The band was the first Canadian rock band to have widespread success in the United States and, unlike several other Canadian acts of the time, did not move to the US to achieve fame, become American citizens, or downplay their Canadian identity.

The Guess Who officially broke up in 1975, with a major reunion tour in the early 2000s. A separate band organized by former bassist Jim Kale also toured and recorded under the Guess Who name for several decades, often performing without any original band members on stage. After a long legal dispute, Bachman and Cummings regained control of the Guess Who name in a 2024 settlement.