Fueled by his distinctive voice as a member of the BoDeans, SAMMY LLANAS, was half of one of Americas most successful and original song-writing teams for more than 25 years.

Under the guidance of producer T-Bone Burnett, they entered Hollywood's Sunset Sound Factory in October to record their first album. The critically acclaimed debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams was released in 1986.

In January 1987, a Rolling Stone reader poll voted them Best New American Band. That year, the band traveled to California to work with an unnamed producer, but the sessions were halted after disagreement broke out between both parties over direction and sound. They went back to Wisconsin and accepted an offer from Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison to produce their second album and were given more freedom to experiment.[4] Outside Looking In was released in October 1987 and featured a more modern 80's-rock sound unlike its roots-influenced predecessor. However, though the band liked the album's experimentation, they decided to stick to their roots, stating that it was not able to capture the true essence of the band. The album's lead single, "Only Love", made #16 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. In support of the album, the band toured extensively with U2 on The Joshua Tree Tour, increasing their fanbase. Drummer Bo Conlon and keyboardist Susan Julian toured with the band throughout the rest of 1987. That year, they also contributed to Robbie Robertson's debut solo album alongside U2 and Peter Gabriel.

In 1988, the band began recording with Jim Scott, whom they had been introduced to by Robbie Robertson. Unlike their two previous albums, the tracking was mostly done live in their warehouse rental space. At least 22 songs were recorded during these sessions, but only 15 made it past the mastering stage and onto the record. In 1989, their third album, titled "Home", was released. It was more reminiscent of their rootsy debut, but showed a diverse range of influences including motown, U2-inspired arena rock, and heartland rock. This album was also the first with keyboard player Michael Ramos. Drummer Kenny Aronoff (best known for his work with John Mellencamp) also played on the album.

In 1991, in search of a different take on their music, the band began recording with David Z. (producer and sideman of Prince) at Paisley Park Studios, and released their 4th studio album Black and White that year. The album's electronic-influenced sound was a sharp departure from most of their previous efforts, with more emphasis on synthesizers, drum machines, and processed guitar tones. The album also explored darker and grander lyrical themes. Though not a single, the album's first track "Good Things" achieved some success and became one of their best-known songs. The rebellious and political "Black, White, and Blood Red" was the only single released from the album, though it did not perform well in comparison to their previous songs that made the charts.

After Black & White, the band decided to shift their focus to making the album that pleased them instead of searching for a hit. For their 5th album "Go Slow Down" in 1993, the band reunited with T-Bone Burnett and took a more homemade approach with Kurt playing many of the instruments himself. Unlike their previous album, "Go Slow Down" was more acoustic and marked their transition into 90's alternative rock. The first song from the album, "Closer to Free", brought them to a much larger audience after it was selected as the theme song to the TV series Party of Five.[1] The band would return in 1999 to perform a cover of The Beatles's "I've Just Seen a Face" as the theme song for the show's short-lived spinoff Time of Your Life. Due to the newfound exposure, "Closer to Free" became the group's biggest pop hit, peaking at #16 on the U.S. Hot 100, three years after its release. "Closer to Free" was also the opening song used in the movie Heavyweights.

In 2004, the band returned with their long-awaited 7th album Resolution, released on Rounder/Zoe.[1] Being their first album in 8 years, it was well received by fans. A live album recorded during the Resolution tour was released in 2005, entitled Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. The group released the DVD for Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst at the end of 2005. In January 2006, Bob Griffin left the band for personal reasons. During this time, the band was involved in a lawsuit for nearly 5 years against their former manager Mark McCraw over copyright and contract disputes. The case was settled in 2005.[1]

The BoDeans released an album, entitled "Still", on March 4, 2008. Produced again by T-Bone Burnett, the album moved away from the modern rock sound of their previous albums and was more reminiscent of their heartland-esque sound of the late 80's. "Everyday" was the first single to radio from "Still". It was stated that the first 15,000 copies of "Still" had some errors in the lyrics booklet. The record company recently re-released the album with the corrections in the booklet. Recently, a live, acoustic CD became available on The BoDeans Official Website. It was recorded in Schaumburg and Arlington Heights, Illinois, the 16, 17, and 18 of November 2006. It features only Sammy, Kurt, and Bukka, and has 13 rare live, acoustic songs.

The band released their 10th studio album, titled "Indigo Dreams", on July 26, 2011. The album was originally scheduled to be released on June 28, but was pushed back. The first single, "Blowing My Mind", was released to radio stations and posted online. The second single, "How Can We" had moderate success at radio.