Born in the North Country of New York State, just minutes from Eastern Ontario Canada, Joe was touched by music at a very early age. His piano playing mom loved the great American song book as much as Joe adored The Beatles, Stones & Sly and The Family Stone and more.
Thier home near Thompson Park was filled day and night with music from Ray Charles, Count Basie, Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan, mostly on free formatted Canadian radio stations or on their always occupied turntables in the house.
Joe’s first band The Baskerville Hounds were a huge hit in the summer of ’69 on the Gatsby-ish Thousand Islands, Catholic school dance and US Army and Air Force base circuits. Heady stuff for a 14-year-old soul music loving lead singer.
Joe started booking bands after in high school and later became the youngest professional booking agent in NYS at age 20 in Ithaca New York, home of Cornell University, Ithaca & Wells colleges. Booking frats and shows all over the Northeast.
Later stints in artist management, one stop and retail record sales followed which led him to San Francisco CA to finish school at San Francisco State University and later at the legendary Tower Records at Columbus and Bay in the city, eventually landing him a top exec job at Tower’s Corporate Offices in West Sacramento, with stops in LA, The East Bay and NYC along the way.
All the time writing, performing and working for various prestigious record labels like Warner Bros, Vanguard and Rykodisc Records in their respective Creative Services and A&R departments and enthusiastically promoting friends records like Levon Helm, Little Feat, Albert Lee and Lonnie Mack and many more.
Joe’s debut album MEMPHIS TO MONTREAL was released to rave reviews in 2017 and features RRHOF legend Garth Hudson from The Band, guitarist Lee and members of Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal’s bands and more.
His follow up album ALL MY FRIENDS released in 2023 features long time Lucinda Williams Band guitar man Doug Pettibone and members of The Levon Helm Horns and The Savoy Family Band, legends of South Louisiana Cajun music..
His massive love for his friends Rick, Garth and esp Levon Helm from The Band and for all of his friends in Little Feat (now and then), is unmeasurable and still drives his soul today here in the new live music capital of the world music loving hometown, Asheville NC.
