Crowbar's origins are closely linked to the early career of Roly Greenway. Greenway began his musical journey in 1958 with The Centurys, a band based in Guelph that included Ed Dameron on bass, Rick Cassolato on drums, Glenn Higgins on saxophone, and another unidentified drummer. He subsequently played with Joe Pino & The Starlites in 1962, followed by a stint in The Ascots in 1963. It was during his time with The Ascots that he met guitarist Rheal Lanthier, and together they spent two years performing on the Vegas lounge circuit alongside notable figures like Liberace and Zsa Zsa Gabor. The band ultimately disbanded due to boredom, prompting Greenway to return to Canada and join Bobby Curtola's touring band.

In 1967, Greenway and Lanthier reformed the group as the New Ascot Revue, adding pianist/vocalist Kelly Jay and renowned harmonica player Richard Newell, also known as King Biscuit Boy, to the lineup. Newell had earned his nickname while playing intermittently with Ronnie Hawkins, who later asked him to assemble a new band. Newell, in turn, recruited the New Ascots along with Richard Bell on keyboards, John Gibbard on guitar, and Larry Atamanuik on drums to form a new version of Hawkins' band, titled ...And Many Others.

This ensemble performed at prestigious venues, including the Fillmore East, sharing the stage with artists like Joe Cocker, Johnny Winter, and Mountain. However, in 1970, during a performance at the Grange Tavern in Hamilton, Hawkins unexpectedly dismissed the entire band, famously stating, "You guys are so crazy you could f*ck up a crowbar in three seconds!" This incident led to the formation of Crowbar.

Following this change, the band welcomed drummer Sonnie Bernardi and keyboardist Jozef Chirowski, replacing Atamanuik and Bell, respectively. With King Biscuit Boy, Crowbar recorded their debut album, 'Official Music', on credit at Terry Brown and Doug Riley's Toronto Sound production facility. Released on July 13, 1970, it marked the first release from Daffodil Records and received widespread acclaim from critics. The band became known for their memorable performance at the Strawberry Fields Rock Festival near Toronto later that summer. In late 1970, King Biscuit Boy departed to work on the 'Gooduns' album, while Crowbar prepared to release their debut album, 'Bad Manors'.

Just three months after its release, 'Bad Manors' received critical praise from publications such as Creem and Rolling Stone. Crowbar made history as the first act to release a record during the implementation of Canadian content legislation, with their single "Oh, What A Feeling." Although the song achieved success in England, its drug-related lyrics limited its airplay in the United States. It was also included on the live album 'Larger Than Life', which went gold within three weeks of its release.

In 1972, as part of Pierre Trudeau's efforts to engage the youth vote, his wife, Margaret Trudeau—an admirer of Crowbar—invited the band to open for Trudeau during his re-election campaign. Their performances at major venues like Maple Leaf Gardens helped Trudeau secure victory, and Crowbar emerged as a household name. This newfound recognition necessitated the hiring of industry professionals, leading to the management of Martin Onrot.

While Daffodil Records negotiated distribution with A&M Records, Crowbar was approached by Clive Davis to sign with Columbia Records and its affiliate, Epic Records. Their debut album for Epic, 'Million Dollar Weekend', was produced by Jack Richardson, along with emerging producers Jack Douglas and Bob Ezrin. A second album for Epic followed in 1974, but the lack of commercial success prompted the band to disband later that year.

After several years pursuing individual projects, the original members reunited in 1977-78 (excluding Chirowski, who had joined the Alice Cooper Band), adding Ray Harrison on keyboards and Rick Birkett on bass. However, the band disbanded again shortly after their winter tour. Greenway briefly joined the band Next in 1976, while Kelly Jay embarked on a solo career, and Harrison co-founded Shooter, releasing one album on GRT.

In 1996, Crowbar reformed for a series of revival shows, albeit without Kelly Jay. In recent years, he has joined the band for select performances, and Crowbar continues to participate in various event shows as opportunities arise.

Members: - Larry Atamanuik (drums) - King Biscuit Boy (aka Richard Newell) (harmonica) - Roly Greenway (bass) - Kelly Jay (aka Blake Fordham) (vocals, piano) - Rheal Lanthier (guitar) - Richard Bell (keyboards) - John Gibbard (slide guitar) - Sonnie Bernardi (drums; replaced Atamanuik, 1970) - Jozef Chirowski (keyboards; replaced Bell, 1970) - Ray Harrison (keyboards; replaced Chirowski, 1977) - Rick Birkett (bass; replaced Greenway, 1977)

with notes from Francis W. Davies, Brad Cassolato, and Roly Greenway.