The Six

The Six performing

**The Six**, formerly known as **The Dunne Brothers**, is a blues-rock band in the *Daisy Jones & The Six* novel and its television series adaptation. The Six partner with Daisy Jones, forming the collaborative group Daisy Jones & The Six.

## Plot Summary

### In the TV series

In Pittsburgh, 1968, guitar player Graham Dunne decides to start a band with his brother and three best friends, Eddie Roundtree a guitarist, Warren Rojas a drummer, and Chuck Loving a bassist. While Billy, a talented singer-songwriter and guitar player, didn't agree to join the band right away, Graham knew he wouldn't be able to resist. Years later, Eddie recounts that by the second practice Billy was in the band, and by the third, it was his. By 1970, they had accumulated a plethora of gigs around town. While performing at a wedding, Billy and Graham have a confrontation with their estranged father, and it was that night Billy decided they, with enough practice and by sticking together, would become the biggest band in the world. The boys were like his brothers and he knew they could do it. For the next year, all the band did was practice and perform.

While most members never doubted their success, Chuck didn't feel the same way and quit the band in 1971 to attend college and become a dentist. With Chuck out and the band about to open for The Winters, Billy told Eddie to move from rhythm guitar to bassist for what would become an indefinite switch. While opening for The Winters, the Dunne Brothers met The Winters keyboardist Karen Sirko. LA tour manager Rod Reyes sat in the audience of their performance alongside Karen. Rod spoke to the band afterward and suggested they move to LA, start singing their own songs about love, and find a producer of the likes of Teddy Price. The Dunne Brothers eagerly followed every suggestion. The group, completed by Billy's girlfriend Camila Alvarez, drove to LA to start their career.

Immediately upon arriving to LA, the group visits the home of Rod Reyes to ask for a place to stay, money, and Teddy Price. Rod asks if they're fucking idiots, if they really think they can just show up in LA and be handed a key to the city and a sit down with Teddy Price. Rod's a tour manager, not a band manager, so unless they're planning a world tour he's not their guy. Billy insists they aren't looking for a handout. Rod tries to recall their sound and remembers thinking their set was kind of tight. He'll make one call over to his guy at Filthy's, a bar on the Strip, and the group is grateful to him. They start to leave when Graham asks for one more favor - Karen's phone number.

They convince keyboardist Karen Sirko to leave her band The Winters and join The Dunne Brothers. They all move into a home on Laurel Canyon they got for cheap after an old lady died in it the week prior. For the next eight or nine months of playing at Filthy McNasty's, hardly anyone saw them play. But it was where they really fell in love as a band. The only problem is that they didn't get paid at all. Camila tries to contact multiple record companies but either hears a "no" or no one calls back. She submits her photos to magazine and newspapers, but to no response. One night while scraping together change for rent and food, Karen raises the idea of renaming the band. Three of the members aren't Dunne's and she's no one's brother. Billy refuses to change the name since that's what people know them as, but Eddie argues it's not doing them much good. Warren, Graham, and Eddie exchange terrible band name ideas - "Immaculate Reception", "Hercules", "Deliverance", "Espionage", and "Poison". All of which are met with overwhelming disapproval. Billy, with finality, believes the six of them will never agree one a name. Karen perks up and asks about "The Six". Eddie disagrees as there's only five of them, but Karen nods to Camila as the sixth member. Warren knows they can't be The Five because of bands like The Dave Clark Five, the Jackson 5, everybody's the five. Everyone agrees on liking "The Six".

One night while getting groceries at the local corner store, Graham, who is waiting int he car for Billy, sees Teddy Price enter the store. Moments later, Billy walks out. Graham tells Billy that Teddy just walked in and Billy hurries in after him. He convinces a very skeptical Teddy to hear his band "The Six" play one song for him. Before giving over his card, Teddy asks if he's ready and Billy, without missing a beat, says "absolutely". Once home, Billy tries to figure out the perfect song to play for their audition. Camila suggests "Daybreak" but it's a Bowie rip-off and he doesn't think "Blind Alley" is good enough. She convinces him to play her the song he's been tinkering with, called "Silver Nail", and she knows it's the one when he's done. Eddie isn't pleased to be playing a ballad for Teddy and Graham is still shaky on the chorus. Billy squashes their worries of only getting to play one song, because this will be the one. Teddy was blown away.

“*People think we played one song for Teddy Price and he gave us a deal. Not true. For months he puts us through the wringer. But it was worth it.*”
―Billy in the band's documentary

Around 1973, The Six perform at Whisky A Go Go during their months-long trial-run from producer Teddy Price. After one particularly intense set, Teddy tells Billy Dunne that it's high time he and the band make an album. Billy shares the news with his band who are overjoyed. They hug one another and then an off-put Teddy, who tries to fend off the sweaty musicians. Just like that, they were in Sound City recording their first studio album titled *SevenEightNine*. They record the album in six days, have two-weeks off, and then it's time to hit the road for their first tour. During the two-week hiatus, Camila tells Billy that she's pregnant and they decide to get married in the backyard of their Laurel Canyon home.

The Six head out on tour while Camila stays at home. Billy's addiction to drugs and alcohol escalates during the tour and he begins to cheat on his wife. Camila surprises the band by showing up at their motel and catches Billy in the midst of a threesome. She doesn't care what he does until the baby comes, but when it comes, he will show up for both of them. He subsequently spirals deeper into his addiction until it begins to effect his performance. After ending a San Diego gig early and getting boos, Billy finds Teddy waiting for the group backstage. He came to check on him and because Camila had the baby, a little girl. He takes Billy back to LA to meet his daughter, though the initial plan is to meet the band in Seattle at their next gig. Ultimately, Billy can't meet his daughter in the condition he's in so Teddy takes him straight to rehab instead.

Billy is released from rehab in 1974, returning home to his wife and daughter. He decides to quit the band to take care of his family, prompting the remaining members to look for a new front man. They scope potential members out while at a party, but no one sticks out. Graham puts an ad in the paper and talks to his contact at the Troubadour to bring in as many new singers as possible. They audition what Karen believes to be every front man in all of California at their Laurel Canyon home, and they're all terrible or a bad fit. Eddie wants to take the position and sings to prove that he can sing almost as good as Billy and play the guitar better. He becomes their new lead singer.

Over Christmas, Billy asks to play them a new song he wrote, if they're open to it, but understands if they're not. He's changed his mind about leaving LA after talking to Camila. Eddie doesn't want to let him back in, but the rest of the band wants to hear him out, so Eddie caves. Because they love the song, Billy plays it for Teddy, who warns they burned a lot of bridges and money after canceling their tour. He plays it for the label anyway but they pass on the song. Teddy plays the song for his other performer Daisy Jones, and asks for her opinion on what she'd do to it. He then books The Six and Daisy Jones into a studio session on his dime, telling the band he wants to put a female vocalist on the track to give them an edge.

Billy isn't thrilled with the idea but goes along with it for Teddy. Karen is surprised by how good they sound together, but it's short-lived when Billy cuts-off Daisy for singing the wrong words. Daisy shows him the rewrites that she made and is annoyed he didn't get it. Teddy ultimately convinces Billy to try her version. Billy and Daisy stand by the mic. She wants to tell him something but he cuts her off. They'll try her version and then they'll get the original. There's no need to argue. She simply smiles. She was just going to say that she loves the sound of his voice. Teddy clears the room for Honeycomb take three. The duo are in synch throughout the entire song, locking eyes as they sing through the verses. Teddy stares at them, mouth open, a cigarette in his hand.

### In the book series

In Pittsburgh, young teens Billy and Graham Dunne decide to create a rock band. They bring in drummer Warren Rhodes, bassist Pete Loving, and rhythm guitarist Chuck Williams, deciding to call the band the "Dunne Brothers". The band played all around Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, playing every birthday, wedding, bar mitzvah, and event they possibly could. However, Chuck gets drafted into the war so the band brings in Pete's brother Eddie to replace Chuck, who ultimately dies overseas. They eventually meet a keyboardist one night named Karen Sirko and invite her to join the band. With the addition of Karen and Eddie, the group decides to rename to **The Six**.

## Members

### Members in the book series

* Billy Dunne, lead singer
* Graham Dunne, lead guitar
* Warren Rhodes, drummer
* Pete Loving, bassist
* Eddie Loving, rhythm guitarist
* Karen Sirko, keyboardist

While Daisy Jones worked with the group, she was not a member of it.

### Members in the television series

* Billy Dunne, lead singer
* Graham Dunne, lead guitar
* Warren Rojas, drummer
* Eddie Roundtree, rhythm guitar (formerly), bassist
* Chuck Loving, bassist (With The Dunne Brothers; quit)
* Karen Sirko, keyboardist
* Camila Alvarez, photographer/manager, honorary member

## Discography

**Studio albums**

* *The Six* (1974)
	+ *Señora* (book only)
	+ *Born Broken* (book only)
	+ *Just One More* (book only)
	+ *When the Sun Shines on You* (book only)
* *SevenEightNine* (1976)
	+ *Honeycomb*, featuring Daisy Jones, single
	+ *Hold Your Breath* (book only)
	+ *Give In* (book only)
	+ *Around to You* (book only)
* *Aurora* (1978), album with Daisy Jones

**Songs**

* *Nevermore*
* *Farther from You*
* Look Me In The Eye (TV series only)
* Flip The Switch (TV series only)

**Covers** (TV series only)

* Susie Q by Dale Hawkins
* Have Love Will Travel by Richard Berry
* Have Love Will Travel by The Sonics

## Gallery

Single "Honeycomb" in the top charts (from the book trailer)
## References

1. ↑ "Track 1: Come and Get It"
2. ↑ "Track 2: I'll Take You There"
3. ↑ "Track 3: Someone Saved My Life Tonight"