Dellaposta describes his stage presence as “like
the armpit of a runner just crossing the finish line…hairy,
sweaty and does not go unnoticed.” |
BOB DELLAPOSTA
LIVE AT TAFFY'S
by Chris A.
I first saw Bob Dellaposta playing at Canal Street Tavern when he opened up for the great guitarist Johnny A. Dellaposta's a blues cat with a laid back style and an aura of authenticity that's refreshing. Seems everyone wants to be a blues player but Dellaposta has the soul and groove that screams reality. With a great selection of original numbers coupled with great covers, Bob covers all the bases. From an entertainment standpoint he's great. With lively banter, humorous story's and a penchant for roaming the venue while jamming, Bob Dellaposta was a perfect fit for Taffy's the most famous coffee shop on the planet. You can learn more about Bob Dellaposta by visiting his website at: http://www.bobdellaposta.com You can see photos of Bob's Taffy's gig by clicking here.
Used by Permission from Chris A
BABY
I’M
A RICH MAN
By: Vicki Wilson
The title of Bob Dellaposta’s first CD, Baby
I’m a Rich Man, could also describe how he views his musical
career. Known to area club goers as Bobby D, Dellaposta has a
wealth of memories that go back to his first paying gig at 15. “My
cousins, friends and I put together a band call WISH (because we wished
we were good performers) and played at the Bellevue Canteen in Bellevue,
Kentucky. We got paid $7.00 each and about half of our income
was spent at Pasquale’s Pizza.”
At 19, Dellaposta and a friend formed the Doug and Tom Band, quit their
jobs and college and headed to New York City to make their mark on the
music industry. Their dreams of hitting the big time quickly faded
and they came away from the Big Apple with lots of bittersweet memories. “Musicians,
really good ones, are a dime a dozen in New York,” says Dellaposta. “We
did land a job, though, at Kenny’s Castaways on Bleeker Street
in Greenwich Village, but most of our money came from being street performers. One
day, somebody tossed a subway token into my guitar case and I’ve
kept it all these years. You’ll see a picture of that New
York subway token inside the case of my new CD.”
Dellaposta has come a long way since his days of playing the Bellevue
Canteen and the streets of New York. For many years, he has been
a familiar entertainer in local clubs and Nashville nightspots singing
what he calls blues based music with some rock-n-roll influenced
by his favorite artists, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Grand Funk
Railroad and Deep Purple.
Dellaposta describes his stage presence as “like the armpit of
a runner just crossing the finish line…hairy, sweaty and does
not go unnoticed.” Audiences who come to see him perform
would agree. This cigar-puffing man with shaggy eyebrows, a full
beard and a bowler hat is hard to miss and impossible to ignore. He
can be seen at the Canal Street Tavern in Dayton, Grand Exchange in Middletown,
Branzenhead Irish Pub in Mason, Dark Horse Tavern in Centerville, Trolley
Stop and Nite Owl in the Oregon District and Walnut Hills in Dayton. For
a complete schedule of his appearances, visit his website at www.bobdellaposta.com. “We
do a lot of performances at the Canal Street Tavern,” says Dellaposta. “I’ve
been working for its owner, Mick Montgomery, since the early days of
the Doug and Tom Band.” Each performance is filled with the
acoustic blues and classic rock he loves most because, he says, “It’s
alive with the same spirit and energy as rock-n-roll. Ain’t nothin’ but
a good man feelin’ bad.”
Since 2005, Dellaposta has hosted the Acoustic Blues Showcase in March. He
has also performed at the annual Hootenanny several times since 1983,
entertained at outdoor shows on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton
and at the City Centre Plaza in downtown Middletown. In the 1980s,
Dellaposta, then with the Doug and Tom Band, was featured on a Sunday
evening show sponsored by WYSO Radio in Yellow Springs, Ohio. “It
was live music crawling out of your radio,” he says, “and
a great experience.” He also made some music videos with
Shupe Jar Productions/ARTV that were aired on public access television
stations.
Today, Dellaposta is taking his music as far as possible and doing everything
he can to make sure that everyone who comes to hear him enjoys the experience. “I
love what I do,” he says, “but I don’t look at it as
any big deal. To me, it’s just my art; something inside of
me that has to come out.”
You’ll know what he means when you listen to Dellaposta’s
new CD, Baby I’m a Rich Man that was released on August
18th. You’ll find it at all of his shows, Roadhouse Karaoke
and DJ at 3810 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek and through the singer’s
website, www.bobdellaposta.com. “It’s a truly professional
product, not a basement CD” says Dellaposta, “and it’s
filled with many of the old songs I love most as well as some original
ones. About half the tracks were recorded with a band. There
are also a couple of duos and a couple of solo tracks.” His
son, plays guitar on the CD and did all of the artwork for it.
With his rich musical history, you would think Dellaposta’s hero
would be an industry icon but the person he most admires is a lot closer
to home. “My paternal grandfather, Joseph, is my hero,” says
Dellaposta. “He went through so much during his life. The
deaths of his brother, sister, mother and son; survived the 1929
stock market crash and served in World War II. With all the tragedies
that touched his life, you would think he would become an embittered
old man, but it was just the opposite. I remember my grandfather
as one of the happiest and most generous people I’ve ever known.”
Used by Permission from Tunes & Trends
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Mansion Hill Tavern Interview Video
Blues Had A Baby (Live) Video
Baby I’m A Rich Man (Live) Video
Filmed for Northern Kentucky Magazine in honor of Mansion Hill Tavern’s
20th anniversary. All videos require that you have Adobe Flash Player version
8 or higher installed to view. |