Editing Better Than Ezra (section)

=== Formation and early success ===
Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988<ref name=cbs /> by vocalist and guitarist [[Kevin Griffin]], lead guitarist [[Joel Rundell]], bassist [[Tom Drummond (musician)|Tom Drummond]], and drummer Cary Bonnecaze.<ref name=cbs>{{cite news |first=Ellen |last=Crean |title=Better Than Ezra: Than Ever? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/better-than-ezra-than-ever/ |work=[[The Early Show]] |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=August 27, 2005 |access-date=July 12, 2009}}</ref> All four members were attending  [[Louisiana State University]] at the time of Better Than Ezra's formation.<ref name=cbs /> Better Than Ezra's first public performance was at Murphy's in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], also in 1988.<ref name=ledger>{{cite news |first=Tanya |last=Bell |title=Better Than Ezra's Name Is Mystery Around It |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8xATAAAAIBAJ&pg=6480,8422672 |work=[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]] |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado |publisher=[[The Ledger]] |date=December 20, 1998 |access-date=August 20, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Though many theories abound, the band refuses to disclose the origin of its name.<ref name=ledger /> A possibility is it was a tribute to Joel Rundell's grandfather, who was named Ezra.  Another possibility is a quote from the novel ''[[Earth Abides]]'' by [[George R. Stewart]]. In chapter two of part two, the main character, Ish, remarks to himself that he is better than Ezra, another character,  at the task at hand.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} Fans of the group often refer to themselves as Ezralites.

Better Than Ezra circulated a demo cassette tape later in 1988, the ''Chime Street Demo''. While not an official release, this demo is sought after by the band's fans, and traded by collectors. In 1990 the band released a cassette-only album, ''[[Surprise (Better Than Ezra album)|Surprise]]''.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book |title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music |editor=Colin Larkin |editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |date=1997 |edition=Concise |isbn=1-85227-745-9 |page=127 |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>

Joel Rundell, the band's lead guitarist, died by suicide on August 8, 1990.<ref name=cbs /> The remaining three members of the band took some time off to reassess its future following Rundell's death.<ref name=cbs /> However, Griffin, Drummond and Bonnecaze reunited Better Than Ezra as a [[trio (music)|trio]] by the end of 1990.<ref name=cbs /> The trio continued playing house parties and fraternity shows across the southern United States during the early 1990s.

The band released its first nationally distributed album, ''[[Deluxe (Better Than Ezra album)|Deluxe]]'', in 1993 on its own [[indie label]],<ref name=cnn /> Swell Records, which caught the attention of major record labels and radio. Better Than Ezra signed with [[Elektra Records]] in 1995.<ref name=cnn>{{cite news |first=Donna |last=Freydkin |title=Better Than Ezra break new ground on third album |url=https://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9903/08/better.than.ezra/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=March 8, 1999 |access-date=August 20, 2009}}</ref> Elektra rereleased ''Deluxe'' in 1995, and the single "[[Good (Better Than Ezra song)|Good]]" reached the No.&nbsp;1 position on the [[Hot Modern Rock Tracks]] chart which helped push the album to [[RIAA certification|platinum record]] status by the end of 1995.<ref name="riaa">{{cite web |url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Better&Than&Ezra&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |title=Gold & Platinum&nbsp;– Search Results: Better Than Ezra |publisher=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date=November 13, 2010}}{{dead link |date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

Success came quickly to Better Than Ezra. Tom Drummond commented later in a 1998 interview with [[CNN]], "It took us seven years to get signed, and then seven weeks to get to No. 1", when describing the overnight success of ''Deluxe'' and its single "Good".<ref name=cnn />