the Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, the Byrds, Roger McGuinn, the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, Robert Johnson, Son House, Chuck Berry, Brian Wilson, the Who, Pete Townshend, Richard Thompson, Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Muhammad Ali, Jack Kerouac, the Twilight Zone, Martin Scorsese, John Ford, "the Grapes of Wrath, "the Searchers", Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Jeff Beck, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Dion, Richard Meltzer, Nick Tosches, Stax Records, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Steve Cropper, "Nuggets", Carl Perkins, Little Richard, 1966, James Ellroy, Jimi Hendrix, Jackie Gleason, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Katherine Hepburn, NYC, the New York Yankees, Sun Records, Sam Phillips, Chess Records, the Fillmore East, Damon Runyon, Leiber-Stoller, Barry-Greenwich, Phil Spector, the Wrecking Crew, the Stooges, MC5, Cyril Jordan, the Flamin' Groovies, Allen Ginsberg, Crawdaddy!, Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Philip K. Dick, Weegee, R. Crumb
WHO ME?
Rock N Roll is a living history and I feel connected to this music; I feel connected to Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie and Elvis Presley, to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, to Otis and Aretha, to the Stooges and Bruce Springsteen. I have staked out a claim to the music's past, present and of its future. This is where I find my voice, my own expression, my little shout-out to the world.
I was born in the South Bronx in 1954, the year of Rock'n'Roll. Elvis was cutting his first Sun record when I first felt the Bronx summer sun on my face. In the summer of '59 I went to my first Yankees game, and they become my religion. Mickey Mantle my god. My summers were spent in that great ballpark. This was pretty much my life until a few days after my 10th birthday. That was when the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show. This is when life starts to (rock'n') roll. Two years later i see The Who for the first time and my life's path is set. I get my first guitar, a Gibson SG Standard, walnut brown. The next morning I see my reflection in the mirror holding that thing and the mirror roars back its approval for the first time. In the summer of '70 I see The Stooges for the first time and now all bets are off. Two years after that I get a phone call from Andy Shernoff. he and Ross the Boss wanna start a Rock'n'Roll band. Make that THE Rock'n'Roll Band. Along with my childhood best pal, Dick Manitoba, we become the Dictators.
As the great philosopher Lou Whitney said, Been around the world twice, spoke to everybody once; I learned a few things. I co-founded and played with the Dictators for 30 years. Thats right, 30 years. Now they call it Punk, they didnt when we started; or for the first few years we were trying to make a living at it. I played rhythm guitar for the band. I took it serious, real serious. I kept that rocknroll locomotive on the tracks every night, no matter what. But it was during those lonesome late night after hours that I was chasing down my secret dream. I wanted, more than anything, to write the same kinda songs that had inspired me, that shook me, that got me to this very mile marker on the road.
It was around 1980-81 that I hooked up with Manny Caiati. He was a bass player looking for something more. I played him some of my tunes and the Del-Lords were born. It was the summer of 1982 that Eric Ambel and Frank Funaro auditioned together, and I mean together; like, at the same time together!! Well, very long story very short, we had a good 8 year run. We made four albums for EMI , received 3 times the press that label mate David Bowie was getting. Videos for the singles Poor Man, Heaven, and our biggest selling single Judas Kiss splattered MTV during its 80s heydey. We headlined the very first CMJ and SXSW conventions. I also participated in the Lester Bangs and various songwriting panels. It was during the Del Lords that I established my loyal, what they now call No Depression, I mean Americana, following.
In 1992, I released a solo album called TENEMENT ANGELS on the then-fledgling Razor & Tie label. Its even got the awesome Skeletons of Springfield, Mo. as the backing band. Other members of the Del Lords went on to-----fill in the blanks with Eric and Frank.
Then one day in 1995, out of the clear blue, I get a phone call from Dion. Yeah, that Dion, ya know DiMucci, of the Belmonts. A hero to all of us who grew up in the Bronx. He had heard TENEMENT ANGELS and the final Del-Lords album, LOVERS WHO WANDER (the title of a Dion classic wouldntcha know ) and wanted to know why his records dont sound like that. This led to his relocation,,a return to NYC and six months of getting to know each and writing songs. We called my pals Mike Mesaros and Frank Funaro and now we four were LITTLE KINGS. We got one warts-and-all 8-track live recording from the Mercury Lounge in NYC out of it. (Its available on ACE in the UK.) Then, I gratefully and graciously played with D for a coupla years doing, what he calls the Dion Thing. A dream come true for this little Bronx boy.
Now, here I am, living in Los Angeles, got a new band with Neil Giraldo (weve only been talking about this since he produced the 2nd Del-Lords album, JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME. Cut to present, Neil and I are the PARADISE BROTHERS with one song released on a record of all Springsteen covers called LIGHT OF DAY. The records proceeds go to the Kristin Carr Fund for cancer research, so go buy it. We cut SOULS OF THE DEPARTED. We're currently working on an album, as well as some movie related stuff
All of which brings me to SAVING GRACE, a new solo record, the first thing Ive ever done that I feel completely 100% about. It is who I am, for better or worse. It features no other guitar players, but it does feature several of my pals on all the other stuff. What can I say; its a rocknroll album; actually its a ROCKNROLL album, if that means anything to anyone anymore. It sure as shit means something to me. Hopefully, the ghosts of all my heroes will come dancing right in your living room; and hopefully it has a place right here in 08, as well. American guitar music. RocknRoll. Dont Tread On Me!!
STEVE WYNN & the MIRACLE 3 perform MEDICINE SHOW 25th Anniversary of the seminal Dream Syndicate album “Medicine Show”. New York and Los Angeles shows only!
SAT. JUNE 27 - NEW YORK @ The Bell House (Park Slope, Brooklyn) Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 @ 9:30 Paramount Styles (feat. Scott McCloud of Girls Against Boys) @ 8:30 Doug Gillard (of Guided by Voices and Death of Samantha) @ 7:30 http://www.thebellhouseny.com
SAT. JULY 9 - LOS ANGELES @ The Echo (Echo Park) Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 @ 9:30pm The Urinals @ 8:30pm http://www.attheecho.com
Hi , thank you for the
friendship, it's a pleasure having you among my friends. My best compliments for
your music. I wish you great success in all your pursue. Greetings from Italy.
Federico Martello
Hey Scott, Thanx for the friendship!!! I've been a fan for years of the Dictators and the Del-Lords. I used to see you with The Dictators a million times in the past and hangin' with you guys backstage. the new tunes sound great. 16 Forever, Johnny
Hi Scott Kempner We wanna thank you for your very important support in those sad days.
This thanx are in our name, in the name of Enrico's wife Paola and in the name of his sons.
Enrico Micheletti's ashes are flyin' throughout the universe and we hope his soul is finally arrived at a beautiful destination.
What about his music and the music we had recorded toghether?
We finally decide to get it out. We wanna remeber Enrico in this way. In the first quarter of 2009 we will publish all our and Enrico Micheletti' s materials on Itunes and many other stores on the web.
We'll send you a message when it's all ready.
God bless you!!! Have a wonderful 2009!!!
KEEP THE BLUES ALIVEEEE!!!!!!!
Ciao Scott Kempner ti volevamo ringraziare per le tue parole e per il tuo sostegno in periodo così difficile per noi.
Questi ringraziamenti non sono formali, sono veramente sinceri a nome nostro, della moglie di Enrico Paola e a nome dei suoi figli.
Le ceneri di Enrico Micheletti sono disperse nel mar Tirreno e stanno viaggiando nell' universo. Noi speriamo che anche la sua anima abbia raggiunto finalmente il miglior approdo possibile.
Cosa fare del suo materiale in nostro possesso e del materiale che abbiamo registrato insieme?
Dopo aver pensato a lungo sul da farsi abbiamo deciso di pubblicarlo. Lo pubblicheremo su Itunes ed altri siti così tutti potranno trovarlo se lo cercano. Glielo dobbiamo. Glielo deve chi lo ha conosciuto.
Cercheremo di pubblicare tutto ciò che è in nostro possesso nei primi mesi del 2009.
Appena sarà tutto pronto ti faremo sapere.
Felice Anno Nuovo. Dio ti benedica ancora, grazie. Suonate il blues più c
Online!