EDWARD "LITTLE BUSTER" FOREHAND - Little Buster may very well be the originator of soul and blues on Long Island. Born on September 28, 1942 in Hereford, NC, Buster developed glaucoma at age 3. By the time his vision was completely gone, he was fluent on six instruments, including the guitar.

He moved to Westbury, Long Island at age 16, and wasted no time making his mark. His first professional gig was at the Brooklyn Paramount, where he was a back-up guitarist for Allan Freed's Rock and Roll shows. He also became a regular at Long Island clubs.

In 1961, Buster composed his first original song "Looking For a Home" while living in Glen Cove. First recorded on Josie/Jubilee after winning a talent contest at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in 1964, Buster released "Looking For a Home". He recorded a series of 45s there, including his biggest hit in 1968, Doc Pomus' "Young Boy Blues". Pomus said that Buster's overwhelming version of this song was the best rendition that he ever heard, far outstripping Ben E. King's attempt. Buster's last single with Josie was "City of Blues/ Cry Me a River". His 45s and several new compositions were compiled for the 1970 LP, 'Looking For a Home' that never came out until it was released by the English label Sequel in 1997. Buster changed his focus, concentrating on the live blues with his band, the Soul Brothers, where they were legendary for bluesy rocking soul that took no prisoners, led by Buster's tremendous guitar playing and heart-wrenching vocals. Buster married his wife, Mary, in 1969.

In 1995, Buster committed his sound to to vinyl once again with his Bullseye release, 'Right On Time'. This release brought him worldwide exposure, with a Handy Award nomination, and a runner-up award for Living Blues magazine's Critics' Award. His 2000 CD 'Work Your Show' opened the door to mass media exposure via CBS This Morning, Late Night With Conan O'Brian, The David Letterman Show, on Dan Aykroyd's House of Blues Hour, international music festivals, and, perhaps most rewarding, articles in Juke Blues Magazine, Backyard Blues and 20th Century Guitar magazine.

As one of New York's great undiscovered treasures, Buster played the Long Island club circuit for over four decades. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Long Island Blues Society in 2002 for his efforts on behalf of the music, for his "slow-burning soul ballads, fiery blues guitar workouts and heart-stopping vocals". He passed away after a series of strokes in 2006.

www.little-buster-records.com (official website) and Fan page.

GEORGE GERSHWIN - George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershvin on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn. The Gershwin family purchased a piano in 1910, intended for George's brother, Ira, but George quickly claimed it as his own. He progressed rapidly in music lessons, and was accepted in 1912 as a pupil of Charles Hambitzer, who took him to concerts, and assigned pieces by Debussey, Chopin and Liszt to the young man.

In 1914, George dropped out of school to work for the Tin Pan Alley music publishing firm Jerome H. Remick & Co. for $15 per week as a song plugger. Young George cut his first piano rolls in 1915, and cut more than one hundred by his 18th birthday. George established himself as a Broadway composer by age 20, with three shows featuring his songs, and having composed the full score for 'La La Lucille'. 'Swanee', which was recorded in 1920 by Al Jolson, became a hit, bringing $10,000 in Composer's royalties in the first year of its publication. George continued to write scores for Broadway and London productions throughout the early 1920s.

In 1924, George composed and performed 'Rhapsody in Blue' for piano and orchestra in a concert billed as 'An Experiment in Modern Music'. The work was renowned as historic, as was its' composer: Gershwin was the man who brought jazz to the concert stage. By the time he turned 30, he was America's most famous and widely accepted composer of concert music. He received acclaim for composing favorites which included 'Strike Up the Band', 'Someone to watch Over Me','Embraceable You',and 'I Got Rhythm' among scores of other songs. He delved into Hollywood film scores in the 1930s, and began the score for the ground-breaking full-length American folk-opera 'Porgy and Bess' in 1934; this include one of his most iconic pieces, 'Summertime'.

In 1937, despite complaining of dizzy spells, George continued to perform and compose until July 9th, when he fell into a coma. He received emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor, but died two days later on July 11, 1937 at the age of 38.
Performances on YouTube Here, Here and Here.

Hear George Gershwin Performing His Rhapsody in Blue Here

www.gershwin.com

THE GOOD RATS - Peppi Marchello was born in Brooklyn, and moved to Long Island with his family when he was young. A baseball scholarship to St. John's University and biology as an academic strong suit could not trump the pull that rock and roll had once the music bug had bitten.

Peppi joined a band doing Beatle covers in 1965 and soon became front man. Within a year found he had dropped out of school and brought his younger brother into the fold to share the stage on guitar. Producers who signed the band - originally called the U-Men - to Kapp Records wanted a name a bit more in tune with the times; a period dominated by bands like the Byrds, the Beatles, and the Monkees. Being from New York, the band chose The Rats. Concerned producers thought the name was a bit ... unpleasant, and tacked on the "Good" for good measure.

The Kapp single and album received positive reviews but didn't score a chart hit. The band underwent a series of personnel changes as Peppi tried to get a group together that could develop a following, and put his songs across as he believed they were meant to sound. Eventually, the "classic" line-up of the Marchello brothers, Lenny Kottke, Joe Franco and John "The Cat" Gatto came together. In 1974, the band was signed to Warner Brothers where they released the now-classic album "Tasty".

The Rats began gigging constantly, and developed a huge fan base while honing their skills. Over the years, their opening acts included The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads. Cyndi Lauper, and The Cars. What differentiated them from many of their '70s contemporaries is that at the heart of everything they did the Rats were always just regular guys. Their shows didn't climax with lasers and explosions but with Peppi emptying a garbage can of rubber rats into the crowd and hunting them with a baseball bat. The jams were playful and lively, not bogged down or pretentious. And the blue collar, down home nature of the band was enhanced by Peppi's signature stage schtick - he'd yell at and abuse the audience viciously ... to their undying delight.

Despite the band's popularity as a live act, Warners didn't see the sales figures they wanted for "Tasty". For future releases the group decided to start their own label - and thus Rat City Records was born. The band released six successful albums on the label between 1975 and 1981, and also reissued a remixed "Tasty". And they never failed to draw huge crowds to their live shows.

Peppi Marchello is still rocking with a new version of the Good Rats that includes his sons Gene and Stefan. The band still plays the classic tunes from their early albums, along with music from recent Good Rats and solo releases. And though the group never made Billboard's Top 40, the loyalty and love of the band's fans at their live shows continue to prove that the Good Rats are a Rock & Roll success story.

The Good Rats - http://www.goodrats.com/goodrats.htm

ARLO GUTHRIE - Arlo was born with a guitar in one hand and a harmonica in the other, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York in 1947. He is the eldest son of singer/writer/philosopher Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company.

He grew up surrounded by dancers and musicians: Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hays (The Weavers), Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, all of whom were significant influences on Arlo's musical career. Guthrie gave his first public performance at age 13 and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world during the 1960s.

Arlo practically lived in the most famous venues of the "Folk Boom" era, and watched as new singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Joan Baez, and Phil Ochs made their mark. He grooved with the beat poets like Allen Ginsburg and Lord Buckley, and picked with players like Bill Monroe and Doc Watson. He learned something from everyone and developed his own style, becoming a distinctive, expressive voice in a crowded community of singer-songwriters and political-social commentators.

Arlo Guthrie's career exploded in 1967 with the release of "Alice's Restaurant". The epic story-song song, premiered at the Newport Folk Festival, helped foster a new commitment among the '60s generation to social consciousness and activism. Arlo went on to star in the 1969 Hollywood film version of "Alice's Restaurant", directed by Arthur Penn.

Arlo's "Coming into Los Angeles" was banned from many radio stations, but it became an instant classic at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. His lovely rendition of Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans" also helped to turn him into an artist of international stature.

Over the last four decades Guthrie has toured throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia winning a wide, popular following. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician - playing the piano, six and twelve-string guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments - Arlo is a natural-born storyteller, whose tales and anecdotes figure prominently in his performances.

Today Arlo spends nearly ten months of the year on the road, and is frequently accompanied by his son Abe. On special occasions, his daughter Sarah Lee and her husband Johnny Irion contribute acoustic guitar and supporting vocals.

Aside from his musical career, he and Alice May Brock of "Alice's Restaurant" fame co-wrote the award winning children's book "Mooses Come Walking". In 1991 Arlo purchased the old Trinity Church near Stockbridge, Massachussetts. It was on Thanksgiving 1965 that events took place at the church that inspired Arlo to write the song "Alice's Restaurant". Named for his parents, The Guthrie Center is a not-for-profit interfaith church foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of local and international services.

Arlo Guthrie - Audio Biography (2.9 MB); Related Links - http://www.arlo.net/ and http://www.guthriecenter.org/main.shtml and http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_oralh_arloguthrie.html

Arlo Guthrie, Remembering Alice's Restaurant Here.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5028273.

Arlo Guthrie Performances on Video Here.
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1076593411&fr=yfp-t-501.

MARVIN HAMLISCH - Hamlisch's life in music is notable for its great versatility as well as its substance.

As composer, Hamlisch has won every major award: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, one Tony and three Golden Globe awards. His groundbreaking show, A Chorus Line, even received the Pulitzer Prize.

Among the Broadway shows Hamlisch has composed are They're Playing Our Song, The Goodbye Girl, Sweet Smell of Success and Imaginary Friends. He is the composer of more than forty motion picture scores, including the Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were. Hamlisch's adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for The Sting also netted him an Oscar. The Entertainer, a Joplin piece pulled as a single from the soundtrack, reached number three on the Billboard charts in 1974. Marvin's prolific output of scores for films includes Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People, The Swimmer, Three Men and a Baby, Ice Castles, Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Save the Tiger.

Mr. Hamlisch has been a proud resident of Westhampton Beach for many years, and he serves on the honorary board of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. He currently holds the position of Principal Pops Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, as well as with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Hamlisch serves as Musical Director and arranger of Barbra Streisand's 1994 concert tour of the United States and England, as well as of the television special "Barbra Streisand: The Concert" (for which he received two of his Emmys). He served in the same capacities for her acclaimed Millennium concerts.

Hamlisch is a graduate of both Juilliard and Queens College (where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree). Believing in the power of music to bring people together, he says: "Music can make a difference. There is a global nature to music, which has the potential to bring all people together. Music is truly an international language, and I hope to contribute by expanding this communication as much as I can."

Marvin Hamlisch - http://www.scottstander.com/Personalities/marvin_hamlisch.html, http://www.marvinhamlisch.com/ and here

RICHIE HAVENS - Born in Brooklyn, Richard P. Havens was the eldest of nine children. At an early age, he began organizing his neighborhood friends into street corner doo-wop groups, and was performing with The McCrea Gospel Singers at 16. At the age of 20, Richie left Brooklyn to seek out the artistic stimulation of Greenwich Village.

Richie's reputation as a solo performer soon spread beyond the Village folk circles. He recorded two albums worth of demos for Douglas International in 1965 and '66, though none of the tracks were released until his first two albums caused a stir. After joining forces with legendary manager Albert Grossman, Richie landed his first record deal with the Verve label, which released Mixed Bag in 1967. This auspicious debut album featured standout tracks like, "Handsome Johnny" (co-written by Richie and future Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr.), "Follow", and the striking version of Bob Dylan's, "Just Like A Woman" that earned him the reputation of being a premier interpreter of Dylan's material. It was as a live performer that Richie first earned widespread notice.

By decade's end, he was in great demand in colleges across the country, as well as on the international folk and pop festival circuit. Richie played the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival, the 1968 Miami Pop Festival, the 1969 Woodstock Festival, the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival, and the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970. Richie's Woodstock appearance proved to be a major turning point in his career. As the festival's first performer, he held the crowd spellbound for nearly three hours, called back for encore after encore. Having run out of tunes, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual "Motherless Child" that became "Freedom", a song now considered to be the anthem of a generation. The subsequent movie release helped Richie reach a worldwide audience of millions. Meanwhile Richie started his own record label in 1970, and delivered Alarm Clock, which yielded the hit single "Here Comes The Sun", and became Richie's first album to reach Billboard's Top 30 Chart.

Richie Havens is gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, always soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since he first emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960's. It's a voice that has inspired and electrified audiences from the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair in 1969, to the Clinton Presidential Inauguration in 1993 -coming full circle with the 30th Woodstock Anniversary celebration, "A Day In The Garden", in 1999.

Performances on YouTube Here, Here and Here.

www.richiehavens.com

JOAN JETT - By playing pure and simple rock & roll without making an explicit issue of her gender, Joan Jett became a figurehead for several generations of female rockers. Jett's brand of rock & roll is loud and stripped-down, a combination of the Stones' tough, sinewy image and beat, AC/DC chords, and glam rock hooks.

As the numerous covers she has recorded show, she adheres both to rock tradition and breaks with it - she plays classic three-chord rock & roll, yet she also loves the trashy elements of it as well,- and she plays with a defiant sneer. Jett was born in Philadelphia, PA; her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 12 years old.

By the time she was 15, she had formed her first band and was performing around town. Kim Fowley, a Los Angeles record producer, discovered the band at one of their gigs and became their manager; soon, he renamed the all-female group the Runaways and secured them a contract with Mercury Records. The band released three albums that never had much commercial success in America, yet were very popular in Japan; the group was popular in both the Los Angeles hard rock and punk scenes, which led to Jett's production of the Germs' first record. The Runaways broke up in 1980 and Jett moved to New York to begin a solo career.

Teaming up with producer/manager Kenny Laguna, Jett moved to Long Island and independently released her self-titled debut album in 1980 in America, since no labels were interested in signing her. The record was a more traditional rock & roll record than the punky Runaways, yet it retained her previous band's defiant attitude. The record sold very well for an independent release, leading to a contract with Boardwalk Records, who reissued the album under the title Bad Reputation; it soon climbed to number 51 on the American charts. Jett formed the Blackhearts between Bad Reputation and her second album, 1981's I Love Rock-n-Roll, which became her greatest success, spending seven weeks at number one in the spring of 1982. The follow-up single, a version of Tommy James & the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover," went Top Ten as well, and her next album, released in 1983, went gold.

Jett starred in Paul Schrader's 1987 film Light of Day, which featured the Top 40 title song and in 1988, "I Hate Myself for Loving You" hit number eight; the album became her second platinum record. A new generation of female rockers had come of age of age; everyone from hard alternative rockers like L7 to the minimalist, riot grrrl punk rockers like Bikini Kill claimed Jett and the Runaways as an influence. In 1995, Jett recorded the live album Evilstig with the remaining members of the Gits, a Seattle punk rock band whose lead singer, Mia Zapata, was raped and murdered in 1993. Jett reunited with the Blackhearts in 1999.

Audio Portrait

Performances on YouTube Here, and Here and Here.

www.joanjett.com

www.rollingstone.com news story:
Rolling Stone

BILLY JOEL- Of all the musicians associated with Long Island, Billy Joel is easily the most recognized name. As a pop star, Joel is known around the world. As a recording superstar, his many hits have sold well over 100,000,000 copies placing him in the top echelon of all artists.

To many, Billy Joel is Long Island. Growing up in Hicksville, New York, Billy Joel's career began as many other Long Island musicians - in the garage. Several neighborhood friends formed The Echoes and asked Billy to sing and play piano with them. Their venues were basement parties and sock hops. Changing their name to The Lost Souls, the band began to win local competitions and an offer to record for Mercury Records where they waxed "Journey's End" and "Time and Time Again."

Before Mercury shelved the project, the band changed their name again to The Commandos and the tracks they recorded still rest somewhere in the Mercury vault. The Hassles, another up and coming Long Island band, advertised for a keyboard player and Billy Joel won the audition. Nearly overnight, The Hassles became one of the Island's top groups. Signing with United Artists, The Hassles recorded three albums and a single, a cover of Sam and Dave's, "You Got Me Hummin'." While never garnering big sales, the albums were popular on East Coast college campuses. With internal differences and management problems,

The Hassles folded in 1970. Billy and his childhood friend and bassist, Howie Blauvelt, then formed a two-man army called Attila which recorded one album. Again, management problems forced Billy to leave New York and head to Los Angeles where we worked in bars under the name Bill Martin.

Returning a year later, he recorded his first solo album as Billy Joel entitled Cold Spring Harbor. Again, the album did not sell well but it paved the way for a contract with Columbia Records and in 1973, he released Piano Man. From that time forward, his star began to rise deep into the pop galaxy. Streetlife Serenade, Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses, Songs in the Attic, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man, The Bridge, Storm Front and River of Dreams all sold well in to the millions. Commercial radio filled the air with hit song after hit song: "Piano Man", "The Entertainer", "Just The Way You Are", "Movin' Out", "Only The Good Die Young", "She's Always A Woman", "My Life", "Big Shot", "Honesty", "All for Leyna", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "Don't Ask Me Why", "You May Be Right", "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "She's Got A Way", "Pressure", "Allentown", "Uptown Girl", "Tell Her About It", "The Longest Time", "Keeping The Faith", "You're Only Human", "A Matter of Trust" and "We Didn't Start The Fire" are only some of the songs that were top hits. Some of these songs are now a firm part of the American music vocabulary. "Just The Way You Are" is played at nearly every wedding ceremony. "Allentown" focused upon the collapse of the industrial towns across the nation. "New York State of Mind" is often considered the state song. "The Downeast Alexa" portrayed the sad demise of Long Island's haul-seigners at the expense of the sport fishing industry. "We Didn't Start The Fire" ran down the news events of his life and is still often used as an illustrative history lesson in schools.

As a concert artist, his concerts are always sellouts. The Billy Joel Band was the first American rock band to tour the Soviet Union. Not long after the tour, the Iron Curtain fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. His solo tours with Elton John are also sold out events. In the mid 1990's, he stopped writing pop music and he curtailed his performance schedule focusing more on classical piano music and teaching master classes at local colleges (he holds a New York State Teaching License). His music also became a Broadway hit, "Movin' Out", with choreography by Twyla Tharp.

Audio Portrait

Performances on YouTube Here, Here, Here and Here.

www.billyjoel.com