All About Buddy

• I am a Chicago born Baby Boomer. My dad and his 2 brothers used to sing together quite often. I apparently caught the bug. My folks spent time at a local tavern where I would sing to the juke box. I must have driven them nuts with my constant crooning. When I was 5 years old, mom and dad figured out a way to get me on a Chicago television talent show. Guess what? I won 3rd prize for my rendition of "If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd A Baked A Cake". Man, it was so cool. It didn't even bother me that millions of people would be watching. I just loved to sing.
  In l959 I started playing professionally. The first group didn't get many gigs, but it was lots of fun. The group was called Herley and the Jive Jumpers. We played only Herley's songs. By the way, I was playing drums now. One of the kindest, most generous people in the whole world (Mrs. Roberta Basques) put the down payment on my first set of drums. Her son Jesse (who played rhythm guitar), later Bass, was also in the band. Jesse and I both could sing and grew tired of not being able to sing with Herley, so we formed our own band, "The Citations". For 15 years we performed the Tri-Sate area and worked with several Big name Recording artists, such as The Everly Bros, Ray Stevens, Shirelles and Del Shannon, to name a few.

• In late '68, I was offered a job singing and playing drums with a band called "The Big Thing" (they later became "Chicago Transit Authority, now known as "CHICAGO"). I said no. OOPS! You know the rest of that story. A year later, "The Citations" joined another group and we called ourselves "The Second Coming". We did one album with Mercury Records and some single releases Produced by Jack Richardson (Guess-Who fame) and then we split up. Did some memorable gigs though. We appeared with Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin and many others.

• In l975, I joined a band out of Denver CO, called Stallion. I can honestly say we came about as close to "making it" as anybody could, without doing so. We signed with Casablanca Records and had a #32 record on all the charts. American Top 40 with K Z Kasum played it every weekend for over 200 hundred countries. I've got to tell you it was really COOL. Toured with Elvin Bishop and "Styx". Did a big gig with "Heart" in Oregon. Met and partied with The Eagles, Electric Light Orchestra and KISS.. Well as luck would have it, the record company and our management didn't quite see eye to eye and we busted up in l979.

• Here is a photo of me back then. Wow I even had some hair.

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• I moved to Phoenix, where I did a very smart thing. I got a job as an opera singing bartender at a local Italian restaurant. Worked there for ten years and was able to purchase a pretty nice keyboard and some computer recording equipment.  While singing in this place I would do all the Italian aria's like Solo Mio and Santa Lucia, but change the words to fit the restaurant. That's how I got the idea for Your Tune Personalized.

• Since relocating to Las Vegas, I've developed my own business. In addition to creating personalized songs for your families and friends, I've produced 4 CD's  2 of these are original tunes. 2 are covers. These CD's can be purchased for $9.99 plus S & H. Here is a link where you can see and hear them. I also have gotten involved with a music Ministry in my church and it is awesome. God has blessed me with a voice and now I can use it to maybe create a light for those who are in need of an inspirational nudge toward Jesus Christ, Our Lord...