Joe was born in Toronto, Canada. He learned to play the accordion at age 9, followed by his main instruments: piano and guitar. He’s been a professional musician for over 20 years and a tribute artist since l996. He is also a singer, songwriter, actor, arranger, engineer and producer. Opening for acts such as The Who, Procol Harum, The Band, Johnny Winter, Poco, Bonnie Tyler, he’s also recorded and published his original songs for established record labels and publishers -- covering everything from rock, metal, rockabilly, pop and new age styles of music.
Back in the mid-‘90's, Joe was working as the musical director/bandleader at Rock & Roll Heaven, a well-known and very popular Toronto dinner theatre which featured “legends-type” acts. As he says, this was his “first steady gig in a career of one-nighters.” Joe was playing boogie piano for the Elvis impersonator and was hamming it up. The band was off to the side and he was in front, so the audience could see what they were doing. People would come up at the end of the night and say, “You play just like Jerry Lee Lewis. Why don’t you do him in the show?”
So, Joe approached the show’s producer about doing Jerry Lee Lewis. At that time, the cast consisted of Elvis, (The Fabulous) Ricky Nelson, Ritchie Valens, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and Big Bopper. As Joe tells it, the producer looked at him and said, “Joe …Jerry Lee is still alive! This show is called Rock & Roll HEAVEN!!!“ But the flame was lit and Joe continued on with his idea (in fact, as a youngster, the very first rock and roll songs he ever learned on the piano were Jerry Lee’s “Whole Lotta Shaking” and “Great Balls of Fire”).
Undaunted by the producer’s reaction, Joe designed and built, with some help, a prop piano which his electric grand piano would fit into. And, because Jerry Lee was known for kicking the stool and destroying pianos, the front leg of the prop piano was designed so it would collapse as the finale to his act. Then he took his invention to a local pyro-tech company and had the piano fitted for fire. As he says, “ITS GOTTA BURN!”
Thus began Joe’s new career as a Legends tribute entertainer!
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Gary Shortall (951) 940-1300
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