The Georgia Satellites were a southern rock band that first formed in the early 1980s. Guitarist Rick Richards and bassist Rick Price were part of an Atlanta-based bar band, The Hellhounds. Lead vocalist and guitarist Dan Baird was in a rival band called The Woodpeckers. Richards and Price knew that Baird's voice was what their band needed, so they asked him to join The Hellhounds. They later recruited drummer Mauro Magellan, and the original lineup was complete.
The Satellites first recorded an independent EP in 1985, Keep The Faith, for a small English label. The band kept the Satellites moniker because that's what they called themselves on the EP, even though they were still known as The Hellhounds.
Their debut album, Georgia Satellites, was their most successful album to date, featuring the hickish track "Keep Your Hands To Yourself". That song went all the way to #2 on the Billboard chart, topped only by Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". Other hits included "Battleship Chains" and "Can't Stand The Pain". Even though the band was riding high on success, singer Dan Baird was not very happy with the band's direction.
In 1988, the band released the album Open All Night, which featured a cover of Ringo Starr's "Don't Pass Me By" and the hit title track. The album did not sell as well as its predecessor, and the band slowly started to fade.
In 1991, the band released their third album, In The Land Of Salvation And Sin. It featured 14 tracks, the most songs on any Georgia Satellites album, but it too failed to repeat the sales of their debut album. After a short tour, Baird left the band to start a solo career, and the Satellites broke up, temporarily. A greatest hits compilation was released in 1993, and featured a few rare tracks, including "Saddle Up" and their hit from the movie Cocktail, "Hippy Hippy Shake".
In 1996, the Satellites reformed without Baird or Magellan. They recruited drummer Billy Pitts and keyboardist Joey Huffman, and released the album Shaken Not Stirred for CMC Records in Denmark. Vocal duties were handled by Rick Richards and Rick Price. The album featured remakes of some of their earlier hits and eight new songs, including "Deep In The Heart Of Dixie" and the title track. After the album was completed, Huffman left the band, and the Satellites dissolved again.
Since the late 1990s, band members Richards and Price still play together as The Hellhounds, with Pitts on drums. Dan Baird continues his solo career in Nashville, and Mauro Magellan has left the music business altogether, working a regular job in Wisconsin. Besides his commitments to The Hellhounds, Richards also plays with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin in his band, The Ju Ju Hounds. It is not known whether or not there will ever be another Georgia Satellites album, or a reunion of the original band.