Fly Solo

Born: Essex, MA Residence: Gloucester, MA Instruments: Guitar/Vocals Performed with: Wilson Pickett; Leslie West; Jim Kweskin; Maria Mauldair; Orleans; Buddy Guy; Percy Sledge; Tracy Nelson; Al Kooper; Mickey Thomas; Matt 'Guitar' Murphy; Livingston Taylor; Susan Tedeschi; Jimi Jamison; James Montgomery; Bill Staines; Mighty Sam McClain; Jim Messina; John Cafferty; Tom Rush... and many more. Recordings: TWISTED CHRISTMAS (Atlantic Records) I AM SANTA CLAUS (Atlantic Records) MORE TWISTED CHRISTMAS (Atlantic Records) ORLEANS: ONE OF A KIND (Radio Records) ORLEANS: WE'RE STILL HAVIN' FUN (CD, Friday Music) ORLEANS: WE'RE STILL HAVIN' FUN (DVD, Friday Music) ERIC TROYER: STRING OF PEARLS (Chrysalis) LES SAMPOU: FALL FROM GRACE (Rounder Records) BOB FRANKE: THE HEART OF THE FLOWER (Daring Records) Film score performed: CITY OF HOPE ~ John Sayles In general: Left-handed, upside-down guitarist/singer/journeyman Dennis 'Fly' Amero finds his musical roots deep within the vast genres of the '60's pop revolution. Influences range from Bob Dylan to James Brown to Roy Orbison to Aretha Franklin... and just about everything in between. As a young teenager, Fly was already capturing public attention, performing on the hallowed stages of 1967's Newport Folk Festival with Buddy Guy & Jr. Wells and, from the completely opposite end of the musical spectrum, the notorious Jim Kweskin Jug Band, then featuring Maria and Geoff Mauldair. Growing up, Amero honed his stage skills with his brother's local, hard-working '70's soul band, J.B. & Water. Later, he moved to New York City, joining in on musical projects with members of the pop/rock bands, Foreigner and Meatloaf. In the early 1980's, Fly struck upon the start of what would become a lifelong friendship with classic pop singer, Larry Hoppen of Orleans. He joined, toured and recorded with the band for the better part of 3 years before returning home to focus on his own writing. His remarkable versatility led to the writing and producing of Atlantic's holiday comedy album classic, 'Twisted Christmas', which took but 26 weeks to become certified gold in 1995. From the dust and depths of this long, diversified musical pilgrimage emerges now the more serious, inner-soul side of Fly Amero with his first solo effort... aptly entitled: 'Fly Solo'. Fourteen raw, live performances - just him and his acoustic guitar. No overdubs. 'I wanted to make it as real as possible.', says Amero. That he does! ''Fly Solo' is a solid and accurate musical document of the 'other' side - the acoustic side - of Fly Amero... clear, passionate and intense.' ~ Gage Cogswell - Merrimac Valley Current 'Amero's voice is rich and bluesy with rushes of pain it it. ... his songs are straightforward and gutsy.' ~ Mort Kaplan - Gloucester Daily Times.