WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1999

Sugar Ray proves its 15 minutes are not up

By Daniel Oliveira

On-Line Forty-Niner

Two similar ballads, two hits!

With "Every Morning," off of its latest album "14:59," California rock band Sugar Ray has continued the success it achieved with the ballad "Fly (Featuring Super Cat)," from the 1997 album "Floored."

"We are all very fortunate and lucky," singer Mark McGrath said. "I know how hard it is to become successful. We've been out in the vans, we've played for five people, we've had lackluster record sales. So being in the other end, we can really appreciate the fact that the shows are sold out every night."

First criticized by music journalists as one-hit-wonders, McGrath, guitarist Rodney Sheppard, bassist Murphy Karges, drummer Stan Frazier and disc jockey Craig Bullock made fun of their reputation in the media by using the idea of pop artist Andy Warhol - "Everyone will have 15 minutes of fame" - for the title "14:59."

However, unlike Warhol's idea, the band's success is lasting hours, days, weeks and months. "14:59" has already sold 500,000 copies in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Sometimes bands do not adjust to the pressure of fame. Pop band Blondie faced a 17-year hiatus due to a stress-related disease of one of its members. Rock band Kiss took 16 years to reunite when two of its members abused drugs and alcohol.

McGrath said none of that has affected Sugar Ray.

"It's sort of like the Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. thing - more money, more fame, more problems," he said. "But we've been friends even longer than we've been a band. Of course, there's a new set of tensions and problems, but nothing we can't handle."