[2] The Ides of March began in Berwyn, Illinois (a near western suburb of Chicago), on October 16, 1964, as a four-piece band called "The Shon-Dels".

In 1966, after changing their name to The Ides of March (a name suggested by bassist Bob Bergland after reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in high school), the band released their first single on Parrot Records, "You Wouldn't Listen".

He was succeeded in late 1969 by two horn players, John Larson and Chuck Soumar, with Bergland often doubled up on tenor saxophone.

Parrot singles: (** these are the only two tracks they recorded in stereo during the Parrot years) Kapp single: Ray Herr, a folk singer who had been gigging with another local outfit, the Legends of Time, joined the Ides as alternate lead singer (alongside Peterik) and rhythm guitarist.

[4] Fourteen seconds of the completed "Vehicle" master tape (primarily the guitar solo) were accidentally erased in the recording studio.

The band toured extensively throughout 1970 in support of many top acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin.

He changed his name to Ray Scott and formed the short-lived group Orphanage before relocating to Nashville to pursue a career in country music.

Between 1973 and 1990, The Ides of March went on an extended hiatus, during which Jim Peterik co-founded[8] the band Survivor and co-wrote all of their platinum hits including "Eye of the Tiger", "The Search Is Over", "High on You" and "I Can't Hold Back".

He also began a career of writing collaborations which resulted in many platinum hits for other artists, most notably "Hold on Loosely", "Rockin' into the Night", "Caught Up in You", "Fantasy Girl" and "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" for .38 Special and "Heavy Metal" for Sammy Hagar.

With the help of Columbia Records Promo men Dave Remidi and John Galobich, former lead singer for "The Cryan Shames" Tom Doody (Toad) was contacted.

With the addition of Don Melton on piano and John Pavletic on lead guitar, this new aggregation was called "The Ides and Shames Union".

The band recorded a two-hour live performance for XM Satellite radio in Washington, D.C.. Also, "Vehicle" was used for an extensive national advertising campaign by General Motors.

In 2004, the Ides of March celebrated 40 years since their original formation, together with a series of multi-media shows emceed by Dick Biondi.

Sony BMG released Ides of March Extended Play nationally; the album was culled from the band's live recordings.

In September 2010, the City of Berwyn, Illinois, dedicated Home Avenue between Riverside Drive and Cermak Road (the location of J.

[9][10][11] John Larson (born on November 6, 1949, in Elgin, Illinois) died on September 21, 2011, in Warsaw, Indiana, from cancer at the age of 61.

They have released a 50th anniversary career retrospective box set and a DVD called "Last Band Standing", and continue to write and record new music.

On September 23, 2021, The Ides of March celebrated over 57 years together, and their return to touring after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a concert at The Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee, WI.