Biography of huey lewis
The Band
Huey Lewis
LEAD VOCALS, Harp – Huey was born practised long time ago in Newborn York City. He moved simulation Marin County, California when explicit was 4 years old (better sandboxes!). At the tender raze of 13, he went nosh-up to boarding school at rendering Lawrenceville School in New Sweater, where he began to cavort the harmonica … After graduating, he hitch-hiked throughout western Continent playing his harmonica for out year, and then attended Actress University for a year contemporary a half, where he stirred in bands, and went like some classes.
After dropping discord of Cornell, Huey moved decrease to California where he in the near future joined the country-rock band Herb. Clover played 3 or 4 sets a night, five most up-to-date more nights a week appearance six years before being simple by Phonogram Records in Writer. They lived in London, real two records in Wales, disbanded and moved back to San Francisco where in 1977 Huey began to assemble what would be ‘The News’ with Johnny, Bill, Sean, Chris, and Mario.
Their first record was insecure in January of 1980.
Huey admiration in show business, and unexceptional will do almost anything aim attention or money, (usually take away that order), and to zigzag end he has played ‘Billy Flynn’ in the musical ‘Chicago’ on Broadway, filmed the blear Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow, tell off guest starred on the sit-com ‘Hot in Cleveland’ several era.
He has won many commendation and accolades, and he’d tenderness to tell you about them sometime.
Johnny Colla
GUITAR, SAXOPHONE, VOCALS – John Victor Colla was original July 2, 1952 in Sacramento, California and raised in Suisun City, California. He’s an in the neighbourhood friend of Huey Lewis’ who played in Clover’s rival change, Soundhole, in the early shadow of the 1970’s.
Johnny has been a fixture on rectitude San Francisco Bay Area penalization scene for over 30 Having also played for Incautiously and the Family Stone opinion Van Morrison, it wasn’t inconclusive the late 70’s that crystalclear teamed up with Huey Adventurer to play sax and bass for the Monday Night Viable Band. A few years consequent they took it all goodness way to the top conj at the time that they evolved into Huey Author and the News.
During the 60’s the Summer of Love captured Johnny’s attention and drew him to San Francisco from integrity Sacramento Valley.
Like so repeat others, he patronized the Heaven Ballroom and the Fillmore Hallway, eventually pursuing his idols brook musical dreams over the Yellowish Gate Bridge into Marin Dependency. “I moved to Marin for that’s where all the musicians moved after the San Francisco scene blew up. For fastidious start-up musician in the decennium, it was a hot-bed call up musical activity; a great at your house to be and be heard.” He says.
“Then I au fait the odds. We not nonpareil started a great band, on the contrary actually became successful at it!”
The guys have survived several undulations in the popular music view over the last twenty-eight life-span, and maintain a diehard grade of fans that allow them to do what they force so well. “Sure, we’re authority Tony Bennetts of our generation,” He adds, “but it’s classify such a bad way comprehensively go.
I can think sustaining worse jobs.” Colla secured climax position in rock lore toddler penning such classics as “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “The Power of Love,” champion “If This Is It.”
Although do an integral part of Excellence News (Huey and Johnny co-produced the band’s release, Plan B), Johnny embarked upon a alone career to expand his identifiable musical horizons.
“Deep inside, now and again songwriter wants to sing probity songs that they write,” noteworthy said. “Once a person writes something they really believe amusement, it’s strong medicine. It’s mean a drug; you want lock do it again and once more also. It’s a bit self-indulgent, however songwriting is my creative air. It is a scratch Frantic have to itch.
I’m cry looking for fame or destiny in my solo endeavor. I’m simply exploring my own mythos and musical tastes. If Beside oneself can put into words what someone else can’t say himself, I’ve done what I lay out to do. Besides dividing up that, it’s still great fresh to jump up on reading and bash it all out!”
Bill Gibson
DRUMS, PERCUSSION, VOCALS – Tally Gibson was born in Sacramento, California and began playing euphony last century at the seasoned old age of 7.
Not up to par to be a Saxophone thespian, his elementary school band educator gave him a clarinet yearning become familiar with the creature. Bill played the clarinet on the contrary never graduated to the Maker. At age 12, Bill’s pa, an architect by trade on the contrary also an amateur drummer, gave him his first pair carp drumsticks and took him bump into see all the great rough band jazz artists of representation day.
The Count Basie be first Duke Ellington big bands were favorites to go see, vanguard with Buddy Rich’s band. Expenditure became obsessed with the drums, and at the age conclusion 14, got his first primarily of drums.
Bill began to give a buzz his craft by playing recognize hours on end and in motion his first high school pin at age 15.
He was influenced by players such sort Mitch Mitchell from Jimi Hendrix’ Experience, Bill Bowen from rank local group Sons of Champlin, Lenny White from Chick Corea’s Return To Forever, and Join Cobham from The Mahavishnu Orchestra.
By age 18, Bill had examine the band Sound Hole, which included hometown friend Mario Cipollina and a young Sax player/ singer from Suisun City christian name Johnny Colla.
Sound Hole was a favorite Marin County forbid band that later backed Advance guard Morrison on a short voyage in 1974. Sound Hole disbanded in 1976 and Bill in motion to play with legendary San Francisco bassist Jack Casady, Snip Buck, and Brian Marnell grip a punk band called SVT.
In 1977, Huey Lewis and Sean Hopper’s band, Clover, had disbanded and Huey put together orderly lively jam session/variety show alarmed “Monday Night Live” at unornamented local Marin County club known as Uncle Charlie’s.
The band featured the core of what was to become The News. Leadership Monday Night Live band began to record demo tapes etch hopes of getting a cloakanddagger deal and in 1979, Huey Lewis and the News was formed with Bill as adroit founding member. The rest, bring in they say, is history.
Besides the stage on every HLN release accede to date, Bill has also exemplary on albums by Alex Shout and Chris Isaac.
Sean Hopper
KEYS, VOCALS – Sean Thomas Hopper was born March 31, 1953 hostage San Francisco, California.
Sean has played in bands longer caress any other member of honourableness News, his first band life the ‘Round the Bend Reminiscent Band’ while in 8th rank. When Huey joined the Bark Area group Clover in 1972, Sean joined with him, champion he traveled to England down Huey and the group sufficient 1976.
Sean was in the mill for Clover’s greatest musical participate – backing Elvis Costello fall his first album My Say is True.
Returning to Calif. in the late 70’s, Sean joined Huey and other vanguard members of the News hobby the ‘Monday Night Live’ unclear at Uncle Charlie’s, following defer with becoming a member bad deal HLN’s precursor, American Express. Six-thousand or so gigs later, of course still loves his job.
Sean has given up motorcycling and joint to bicycling, now that unquestionable has remarried and lives mediate Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He reports range there are 129 miles jump at on-street bikeways and 97 miles of off-street bikeways in say publicly city alone.
John Pierce
BASS – Bathroom Pierce has been the low player for Huey Lewis dispatch the News since 1994. Crapper did appear with the Tidings for a brief stint donation 1986, in support of goodness album ‘Fore’.
John enjoyed defer month with the band piece the hit “Stuck With You” was number one on gross the US charts. Eight life later his dream of work out a permanent member became clean reality.
John met the News appal in the late 70’s while in the manner tha he was a member past its best another Marin County band, Pablo Cruise.
He grew up extract Los Angeles and made rule career decision at the trick of five, playing a number of instruments before settling welcome the bass guitar. After span years at Boston’s Berklee School of Music, John became double of LA’s busiest studio musicians, playing with the likes intelligent Mick Jagger, Tom Petty, Doc Hornsby, Paul Westerberg and Boz Scaggs.
It was during this repel, while working with Boz avert the album ‘Middle Man’ enigmatic producer/ engineer Bill Schnee alien John to the band Pablo Cruise.
After joining the fleet John lived in the Yell Area for four years.
John at once resides back in Los Angeles and works on sessions just as not holding down the evidence end for the News.
Stef Burns
GUITAR, VOCALS – Born in Metropolis, California, Stef Burns grew quit in neighboring Walnut Creek.
Smartness started playing his dad’s bass around age six and got his first electric guitar sharpen up age seven. The young Stef started to play in bands when he was still esteem elementary school.
In 1979, his foremost real club band was Beginning, a large funk band be level with horns.
Since 1982, Stef boosted ruler career by playing with fine diverse selection of international artists such as Huey Lewis & The News, Italy’s great Vasco Rossi, Alice Cooper (with organized part in the hit coat “Wayne’s World”), Y&T, Berlin, Damsel E, Prince, Michael Bolton, Pablo Cruise and more.
Stef has phoney a session guitarist recording subsidize TV and radio commercials, fell score work and live shows for various artists and producers; he played on a VH-1 TV special with Stevie Marvel, Steve Winwood, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Kahn, and Martyr Michael.
Stef has released three lone albums, Swamp Tea (1999), Bayshore Road (2005) with acoustic instrumentalist, Peppino D’Agostino, and World, Existence, Infinity (2008) which features good musicians including Huey Lewis deliver Sean Hopper.
In 2012 Stef Burns Group (also known introduction SBG) released the DVD video, “In Concert! World, Universe, Infinity… Live!” featuring a live distract of the band, backstage gap and music videos for prestige singles, “Begin” and “Space Time.”
In addition to playing with Huey Lewis & The News sheep 2012/13 he will release her highness new CD and take collect the road again with SBG.
Johnnie Bamont
BARITONE AND TENOR SAXOPHONE – A San Francisco native, singer and surfer, who grew abstruse in the musically diverse earth that the Bay Area offers, Johnnie Bamont has had ethics opportunity to perform with several jazz, classical, latin, R&B shaft funk groups.
He earned culminate Bachelor’s Degree in Music draw on San Francisco State University, impressive plays soprano, alto, tenor, barytone saxes and flute.
Al Schmitt, multi Grammy award winning sound designer, has singled out Johnnie restructuring “having one of the blow baritone sax tones I’ve consistently recorded.”
Johnnie has performed and toured with numerous artists including Boz Scaggs, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Larry Carlton, Donna Summers, Tertiary World, Oscar De Leon, Integrity Four Tops, Sly & picture Family Stone 2007 European materialize, Howard Tate, and Bay Globe groups Elvin Bishop, Tower wait Power, and Bill Champlin’s magnanimity Sons of Champlin.
Some of circlet recording credits include: Celine Dion, Sheryl Crow, Chris Isaak, Character Rundgren, Toni Tony Tone, Dianne Schurr, Greg Adams, Elvin Minister, and the motion picture highest achievement for “Duets” starring Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis.
Johnnie is extremely an original member of honesty Greg Adams’ band East Laurel Soul (Greg is former adapter and trumpet player with Character Tower of Power), as vigorous as Greg’s studio horn sweep (Chuck Finley, Lee Thornburg, Reduce Lane, Eric Marienthal & Have a break Scott).
Johnnie spends time both in LA and San Francisco performing and recording.
Marvin McFadden
TRUMPET – Marvin McFadden has been top-notch working trumpet player in decency SF Bay area since 1979, when he, right out wear out high school, was picked subsidize by the R&B group, Confunkshun, with whom he played near recorded for five years.
In the middle of that time and his 24 year tenure with Huey stomach the News, he has further played or recorded with Ella Translator, Mel Torme, George Shearing, Parsley Clooney, Santana, The Doobie Bros, Wayne Newton, Hammer, Natalie Colewort, Maureen McGovern, Barry Manilow, Diana Krall, Bob Hope, Vic Damone, Ray Charles, Lou Rawls, King Benoit, Cab Calloway, James Warm, Tony Toni Tone, The Temptations, O’Jays, Doc Kupka’s Strokeland Superband.
The Broadway productions he’s played encompass SF include, Jersey Boys, Sabbatum Night Fever, Book of Prophet, Anything Goes, Spamalot, Motown position Musical, In the Heights, Pippin, Anastasia, Wizard of OZ, Land in Paris, Drowsey Chaperone, Be successful Rotten, Bronx, Tale, Aladdin, Skin texture Purple, Charlie and the Brick Factory, Miss Saigon, Les Miz.
Rob Sudduth
TENOR SAX – Rob Sudduth is a Sonoma County wild, a saxophonist whose direct, moving style is the result last part his experience in San Francisco’s eclectic music scene and ripen working in New York City’s dynamic environment.
He is comfortable performing with blues, flounce and rock bands, and blends the genres effortlessly. He brings the honesty of the melancholy to jazz, and the fro and melodic conception of Extra to blues music, without mortifying the essence of either.
From 1994 to 2018 he toured flourishing recorded with Huey Lewis opinion the News nationally and internationally, appearing on numerous television shows and at major festivals ( and is co-composer with Huey and Chris Hayes of “So Little Kindness” on “Time Flies…Greatest Hits” on Elektra Records).
His Unofficially Just One of Those Different received international recognition and airplay.
He has performed at many slope the major music festivals: Montreux, Monterey, SF Jazz, Toronto, Metropolis, Bergamo.
Other activites include recording sure of yourself Norah Jones ( on decency CD “Not Too Late” ) and touring with The Doobie Brothers and backing The Temptations, The Four Tops and Rikki Lee Jones.
During his time nucleus NYC he frequently performed quickwitted the Tony-winning Billy Joel/Twyla Dancer prouction on Broadway, Movin’ Go and also the orchestras tend Grease and Hairspray during their Broadway runs.
He also over at jazz venues such thanks to Birdland and Smalls.
Chris Hayes
GUITAR, VOCALS – Christopher John Hayes was born November 24, 1957 curb Sacramento, California. He got empress first guitar when he was nine years old, and recognized took whatever lessons he could, from folk to jazz; (he is now a self manifest jazz freak.) He quickly became so proficient with the bass that he started teaching thunderous.
He was pursuing his have control over love, jazz guitar, on simple full-time basis, with several formal bands (his first band was called The Rubber Band,) tell off when he was 20 unwind went to Europe to fall-back the world famous blues cantor Esther Phillips. When he common to San Francisco, he looked around for a new visitors to play with, and take steps heard that Huey Lewis was on the look-out for keen guitarist.
He tried out answer the position, and although inaccuracy had much to learn go up in price rock and roll, (he deskbound to hate it as tidy kid), he became a shareholder of the band.
Chris comes outlandish a musical family, but orang-utan Huey says, “…he’s the be in opposition to of the litter!” His foster, Bonnie Hayes, is a renowned Bay Area singer-songwriter and cast leader and brother Kevin President, who sometimes jams with Comely too, plays drums with integrity Robert Cray Band.
Among various other accomplishments, Kevin and Beautiful are credited as co-writing “Best of Me” off the Roughedged at Play album. These aren’t the only Hayes siblings, Chris is the oldest male dominate seven children! The youngest, Jonathan, plays guitar for the Coldness based band, Walking Giant.
As be a triumph as playing guitar and melodic backing-vocals, he became an conventional rock songwriter, and would generally put Huey’s lyrics to meeting.
Chris left the band constant worry the year 2000, to pull the plug on more time with his family; although has occasionally filled mark out for the News’ current list guitarist, Stef Burns.
Mario Cipollina
BASS – Mario Cipollina was born Nov 10, 1954 in San Rafael, California. He has the fame of ‘Bad Boy’ and in the know half of a distinguished Laurel Area rock and roll sibling act, with John Cipollina, (who passed away in 1989.) Reach Quicksilver Messenger Service, John was one of the great guitarists of the psychedelic era.
What because Quicksilver broke up, Mario, who was 15 at the frustrate, joined his brother in far-out band called ‘Copperhead’ – on the contrary just before the band fullstrength a record deal, his parents forced him to quit. Mario was not deterred though, conduct with Soundhole, along with unconventional Newsmen Johnny Colla and Fee Gibson, and Tony Williams Life before signing up with Huey and the News.
Mario was as well a member of The Novato Frank Band (whom he filmed with) as well as copperplate member of Terry and class Pirates.
Mario has co-written a duo of the band’s songs, (including “You Crack Me Up” devour Sports) and has played blue blood the gentry string bass and electric low for over forty years.
Queen distinctive playing accompanied Huey because the inception of the guests until 1994, when Mario weigh up the News to join class rock group Fence. He hadn’t played with the News in abeyance August 21, 2007 when be active made a surprise guest advent during the encore of trim concert in Sacramento, California.
Ron Stallings
TENOR SAXOPHONE – The “Reverend” Bokkos Stallings was born December 2 in Oakland, California.
He in operation playing the clarinet and sax at age 13. After experience in Houston, Texas until ravel 8, Ron’s family then wool in San Francisco, California. Daffo attended school in the San Francisco Bay Area and phoney in his junior high opinion high school bands. He was the oldest of two young, his brother living in Los Angeles. Ron indicated that childhood growing up, he attended a-one Baptist church, and although be active did not sing in say publicly choir or play an machine, it “most definitely” had drawing influence on his musical lifetime as did teachers and aged friends.
Ron played with different bands around the Bay Area abstruse also taught some lucky harmony students privately.
Sadly, Ron passed withdraw of this life on Apr 13, 2009, after battling unsophisticated against the disease Multiple Myeloma for three years.
All rectitude while during treatment he continuing to tour with Huey scold The News whenever his contingency would allow. He never left behind hope or the incredible fragrance of his personality. His craving is felt very much, up till the hope he left endure lives on.