Black Country Communion is a Los Angeles-based English-American hard rock band. The band was formed in 2009 and consists of bassist and lead vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist and second vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian.
Hughes and Bonamassa began working on the side project in November 2009, following an impromptu performance together. They hired Bonham and Sherinian on the advice of their producer, Kevin Shirley, to complete the band’s lineup. The name Black Country Communion comes from the term Black Country, which refers to a region of England’s West Midlands where Hughes and Bonham grew up. The band’s music is purposefully reminiscent of popular classic rock groups from the 1970s, reflecting vocalist Hughes’ earlier work (in bands such as Trapeze and Deep Purple), as well as the connection between Bonham and his father John’s band, Led Zeppelin.
After a while of playing together, the group released its self-titled debut album in 2010. The next year saw the release of Black Country Communion 2, which was promoted during the group’s first concert tour of the United States and Europe. Afterglow, the band’s third album, was released in 2012.
After months of public strife, Bonamassa revealed in early 2013 that he was no longer a member of Black Country Communion, leaving the question of whether the band will continue with another guitarist unanswered. Hughes acknowledged the band’s demise a few days later, implying that he would continue working with Bonham and Sherinian under a new moniker. Hughes and Bonham eventually formed California Breed with guitarist Andrew Watt, while Sherinian later joined Bonamassa’s touring band. Hughes and Bonamassa later reconciled, and the band reformed in late 2016, releasing their fourth album, BCCIV, in 2017. Following six years of focusing on separate projects, the band intends to enter the studio in 2023 to record a possible fifth album.