The AMBOY DUKES, formed in Detroit, Michigan during  1966, were a cult success in their native America where their caustic blend of high charged rock n' roll and garage psychedelia won the band many fans on the live circuit. Upon the band's dissolvement in 1975 the AMBOY DUKES guitar toting and gun-slinging mouthpiece Ted Nugent went on to forge an illustrious if controversial solo career. In England the band's releases were put out under the title of the AMERICAN AMBOY DUKES so as not to confuse them with the British pop act of the same name.

Nugent's formative teenage bands included THE ROYAL HIGH BOYS, in 1960, and, at aged fourteen in 1962, THE LOURDS. In 1965 Nugent's family relocated to Chicago. Here he became aware of a 1964 formed band titled the AMBOY DUKES. Their line-up featured lead guitar player Ron Medeiros, second guitarist Dave Opatic, bassist James Jackson and drummer Ben Vineyard. Ted Nugent subsequently heard about the break up of this band, and liking the title taken from a gangster novel, adopted it for his own group once he had journeyed back to Michigan.

The 1967 AMBOY DUKES inaugural single, a raucous guitar driven cover of a hit by THEM 'Baby Please Don't Go' gave the band valuable radio play. The group comprised a roster of vocalist/guitarist Ted Nugent, singer Bob Lehnert, guitarist Gary Hicks, bassist Dick Treat with Gail Uptadale on the drums.

A complete re-vamp of the unit would then see Nugent and Hicks being joined by vocalist John Drake, a former member of THE LOURDS, bassist Bill White, keyboard player Rick Lober and THE CITATIONS and THE GALAXY FIVE credited drummer David Palmer. This version of AMBOY DUKES signed to New York label Mainstream Records.

Following the debut Bob Shad produced self-titled album, released in November 1967 and peaking at no. 183 on the national US charts, the AMBOY DUKES shifted shape again, bringing in Steve Farmer on guitar. Second album 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind', again seeing Bob Shad behind the desk, was released in April 1968. This effort scored higher, reaching no. 74 on the Billboard charts. However, the AMBOY DUKES profile was raised significantly when the Acid-Psychedelic album title track, composed by Nugent and Farmer, was released as a single to considerable success, attaining a no. 16 position on the charts.

Nugent once again completely reshaped the band. Drake and Farmer were supplanted by vocalist / guitarist Rusty Day, the bass position went to Greg Arama, later of URSA MAJOR, whilst keyboards were given over to Andy Soloman. Strangely, the group's third album, entitled 'Migration', failed to chart. Ed Kramer acted as producer for their fifth album, 'Marriage On The Rocks / Rock Bottom'. In 1970 Day departed to join CACTUS.

A 1971 concert album 'Survival Of The Fittest Live (At The Eastown Theatre, Detroit)', recorded live on 31st July and 1st August 1970, was credited to TED NUGENT'S AMBOY DUKES and comprised a line-up of Nugent, bassist Bob Grange, keyboard player Andy Solomon and drummer KJ Knight.

The band's next album deal came courtesy of the FRANK ZAPPA owned label Discreet Records. Not one to stand still though in the interim Nugent had been keeping himself in the public eye with a series of live 'guitar battles' featuring himself alongside IRON BUTTERFLY man MIKE PINERA, MC5's guitarist WAYNE KRAMER and MAHOGANY RUSH's six string guru FRANK MARINO.

The first Discreet album 'Call Of The Wild', co-produced by Leo Futterman and Ted Nugent, was released under the revised title of TED NUGENT'S AMBOY DUKES. He retained the services of bassist Grange but added fresh faces vocalist Andy Jezowski, keyboard player Gabriel Magno and drummer Viv Mastianni.

For the 'Tooth, Fang And Claw' album, actually the AMBOY DUKES swansong, Magno lost his place to the bizarrely named Reverend Atrocious Theodolius.

AMBOY DUKES folded in 1975 and Nugent pursued a long reigning and always controversial solo career taking Grange with him for his first three solo albums. AMBOY DUKES bassist Greg Arama was killed in a motorbike accident on 18th September 1979 aged just 29.

Ted Nugent reunited with the AMBOY DUKES on 17th April 2009 to receive a Distinguished Achievement Award at the annual Detroit Music Awards. The group also played 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind', marking the first performances of the band since 1968.