Originally formed in 1964, The Amboy Dukes enjoyed their first commercial success with their 1968 release "Journey to the Center of the Mind".
A series of line-up changes through 1968–71 left Nugent as the only original member of the band. Although he held on to the Amboy Dukes name until 1975, the version of the band that appeared at Celebration of Life was primarily a vehicle for Nugent's solo career, which reached its peak in the late '70s with hits like "Stranglehold" and "Cat Scratch Fever".