As Zebra approaches a milestone few bands ever reach, guitarist and vocalist Randy Jackson is looking back on a journey that began in the clubs of New Orleans and ultimately found a second home on Long Island. Now celebrating their 50th anniversary, the legendary hard rock trio continues their anniversary tour with a stop at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on March 28.
For Jackson, the band’s connection to New York traces back to one pivotal moment in the early days of Zebra. While performing in New Orleans, the band crossed paths with fellow rockers the Good Rats, who encouraged them to head north.
“That’s when we met the Good Rats who convinced us to make a move from New Orleans to New York.”
At the time, Zebra was already drawing crowds in Louisiana, but the band realized that if they wanted a record deal, they needed to be closer to the music industry’s epicenter.
“We were doing really great in New Orleans,” Jackson said. “But we were playing the biggest clubs we could there. If we didn’t get a record deal, there was really nowhere to go but down.”
The band ultimately chose New York over Los Angeles after hearing about the thriving club scene on Long Island.
Building a Following on Long Island
Before releasing their debut album, Zebra spent years building a devoted fanbase in Long Island’s vibrant club circuit. Venues such as Hammerheads and My Father’s Place became early proving grounds for the band.
“There weren’t too many places we didn’t play when we came up here,” Jackson said. “We were fortunate to get in front of a lot of bands that were already successful in the area.”
“Those fans were the ones that picked the songs for that record because those were the songs we got the best responses to.”
Those early club gigs helped Zebra refine the songs that would later appear on their debut album. By the time the record was released in 1983, audiences already knew many of the tracks.
Radio and the Record Deal
While many fans credit influential alternative station WLIR with launching many artists in the region, Jackson says another station played the crucial role in Zebra’s breakthrough.
“It wasn’t LIR — it was WBAB that broke Zebra.”
Jackson explained that WBAB began playing Zebra’s demo recordings in regular rotation, quickly making them some of the station’s most requested songs.
“Bob Buchmann started playing our demos, and they became the most requested songs on the station,” Jackson said. “Next thing you know, we had a record deal.”
Touring and Life After the First Album
Following the success of their debut record, Zebra suddenly found themselves performing across the country and sharing stages with major acts such as Loverboy and Cheap Trick.
“It was a whole different ballgame,” Jackson said. “Now we were getting airplay all over the country and opening for bands like Loverboy and Cheap Trick.”
One tour stop in Denver during the No Tellin’ Lies era produced a particularly memorable moment — though not for the reasons the band had hoped.
“All of a sudden the whole building went BOOM and all the power went out.”
The band was performing “Lullaby,” which had just reached number one on Denver radio.
When the power came back on, the band’s keyboards had reset mid-song.
“The rule is you don’t stop,” Jackson laughed. “So we kept going.”
Encounters with Rock Legends
Over the course of five decades, Zebra has crossed paths with countless music legends. One of the most meaningful encounters for Jackson happened during a technology convention in Las Vegas.
While watching a performance by Cheap Trick, he suddenly noticed someone standing beside him.
“I looked to my right and standing there was Les Paul… I kind of melted.”
The meeting was especially meaningful because Jackson says the first record he ever owned was by Les Paul and Mary Ford.
Paul later signed a photo from that moment and sent it to Jackson.
A Near Miss with Led Zeppelin
Zebra’s long-running reputation for performing songs by Led Zeppelin led to several unexpected connections with members of the iconic group.
At one point, Jackson even came close to joining a project with frontman Robert Plant.
“Robert Plant needed a guitar player and they were going to have me do it. I was ready to leave for England.”
The opportunity ultimately fell through at the last moment, but it remains one of the more surreal experiences of Jackson’s career.
New Music and 50 Years of Zebra
Even after half a century together, Zebra continues to create new music. Jackson revealed that the band is currently finishing a new album expected to arrive later this year.
Half of the record was produced by longtime collaborator Jack Douglas, who also worked on Zebra’s earliest albums in the 1980s.
“It was great working with Jack again after 40 years,” Jackson said. “He’s as funny as ever.”
Rock and Roll That Still Resonates
Despite dramatic changes in the music industry — from vinyl to streaming — Jackson believes one thing has remained constant.
“The one thing that’s stayed consistent is that people still want to see the band live.”
For Zebra, that connection with fans has kept the band performing for five decades.
“If it wasn’t for the fans,” Jackson said, “Zebra wouldn’t be where we are today.”
With their upcoming 50th anniversary performance at Bethel Woods, the band is ready to celebrate that milestone with the audience that helped make it possible.
“To all our fans — we love you and thank you so much.”
Zebra’s 50th anniversary tour continues throughout 2026 with performances across the country. Fans can catch the band at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on March 28 as part of the celebration marking five decades of rock.
For a full list of upcoming tour dates and ticket information, visit Zebra’s official website here.
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