Dallas-born guitarist Jim Suhler learned the guitar at 14, influenced by rock bands of the day such as Lynyrd Skynyrd or Led Zeppelin. In 1985, the young musician briefly joined hard rock band Overlord, before moving on to blues rock outfit Road Hogs the next year. Keeping up with his passion for blues and rock, Suhler formed The Homewreckers in 1989. George Thorogood saw the band perform and encouraged Suhler to send a demo of compositions to his producer. The association led to the release of a first album, Radio Mojo (1993), for Suhler's new band Monkey Beat. A favourite of Thorogood's, Monkey Beat was opening act for The Destroyers from 1993 to 1995, with Suhler also taking on the role of lead guitarist in 1999. Monkey Beat's Tijuana Bible was released in 2009.