Gene Cornish (born May 14, 1944)[1] is a Canadian-American guitarist and harmonica player. He is an original member of the popular 1960s blue-eyed soul band The Young Rascals. From 1965 to 1970, the band recorded eight albums and had thirteen singles that reached Billboard's Top 40 chart. In 1997, as a founding member of The Rascals, Cornish was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Early in his life, Cornish and his mother moved from Ontario to Rochester, New York. He became a talented guitar and harmonica player at a young age. In his later teen years (early 1960s) he made the rounds of the local clubs and bars in his area and worked with a number of bands (even performing as a single artist on occasion).
Career in music
The Rascals' Gene Cornish at B.B. King's Club for Gary U.S. Bonds' 70th birthday party
In 1962, Gene Cornish with The Gene Cornish Nobles released "Winner Take All" backed with "Since I Lost You" on Vassar 319. As the composers of the latter, "R. Cornish – G. Cornish" is printed on B side label. It was well-made in the manner of white doo-wop (arranged by Lew Douglas).
Cornish became a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters in 1964. During that period, he met vocalist Eddie Brigati and keyboardist Felix Cavaliere (also members of the Starliters). Gene fronted his own group (The Unbeatables) during this period and they had a sound that was tied to the influence of early 1960s pop/rock. The group's name was a play on The Beatles' and made a small bit of noise in 1964 with their release of the single "I Wanna Be a Beatle".
By late 1964, Brigati, Cavaliere, and Cornish had teamed with drummer Dino Danelli to form a group that became known as The Young Rascals. They officially began performing in February 1965 and before the year was out, released their first chart single. They rapidly became one of rock-n-roll's top groups. Brigati left the band in 1970 and Cornish followed in 1971. He went on to form the band Bulldog and when that group disbanded, he joined with Rascals' drummer Danelli to form the group Fotomaker. After the group disbanded, Cornish joined the group G.C. Dangerous. Cornish also delved into production when he (along with Danelli) produced the group April Wine's first live album in 1974,[2] and "Stand Back" album in 1975.[3]
In 1988, he reunited with Danelli and Cavaliere on a reunion tour of The Rascals (Brigati did not participate). The tour was cancelled after a short, four-month run. Cornish then joined Danelli to form 'The New Rascals' featuring Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli and in 2005 with Bill Pascali of the Vanilla Fudge and Charlie Souza formerly with Tom Petty's Mudcrutch.
In 1997, the members of the Rascals were inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. Later that year, Cornish released an album entitled "Live at Palisades Amusement Park". It presented his pre-Rascals recordings, including "I Wanna Be a Beatle," "Rockin' Robin," "Peanuts," "What'd I Say," "You're Gonna Cry Someday," and even Cole Porter's "I Love Paris." Cornish (along with Danelli) continue to tour with "The New Rascals."
On April 24, 2010, all four members of The Rascals reunited for the Kristen Ann Carr benefit, which was held at New York's Tribeca Grill. They played a set that ran over one hour and featured several of their top hits from the 1960s.
He reunited with his band-mates when The Rascals appeared at the Capital Theater in Port Chester, New York, for six shows in December 2012 and for fifteen dates at the Richard Rogers Theatre on Broadway (April 15 – May 5, 2013). Their production, entitled 'Once Upon A Dream', toured North America (Toronto, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Detroit, Rochester, and New York City). It was produced by long-time Rascals' fans, Steven Van Zandt and his wife Maureen.[4]
Currently Cornish is touring in a group called Felix Cavaliere & Gene Cornish's Rascals, which also features drummer Carmine Appice.
On September 7, 2018, Cornish collapsed onstage at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Montana, as the band began performing their first song of the evening.[5]
The Rascals are an American rock band, formed in Garfield, New Jersey, United States, in 1965.
Edward Brigati Jr. is an American singer-songwriter. He was the co-lead vocalist, along with Felix Cavaliere, and percussionist in the rock group The Young Rascals from 1964 to 1970.
Felix Cavaliere is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known for being the co-lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Young Rascals.
Joey Dee and the Starliters is an American popular music group. The group is best known for their million-selling recording "Peppermint Twist" (1961). The group's most notable lineup is considered to be Joey Dee, David Brigati, Larry Vernieri (vocals), Carlton Lattimore (organ), Sam Taylor (guitar) and Willie Davis (drums). Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pesci played guitar with the group at different times in the 1960s.
Fotomaker was a power pop group from Long Island, New York who released three albums between 1978 and 1979.
Freedom Suite is the fifth studio album by rock band The Rascals, released on March 17, 1969. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and also reached number 40 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, the last Rascals album to appear there.
Peaceful World is the eighth studio album by rock band The Rascals, released on May 5, 1971. It peaked at number 122 on the Billboard 200 chart. In Canada, the album reached number 50. The single "Love Me" reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"How Can I Be Sure" is a popular song written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, and originally recorded by the Young Rascals for their 1967 album Groovin' with a single release in August 1967 affording the group their fourth Top 10 hit peaking at #4.
"Groovin'" is a song written by the American singer songwriters Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, initially recorded by their group the Young Rascals in 1967. Cavaliere was inspired to compose the song by his girlfriend Adrienne Buccheri, whom he only got to meet every Sunday amidst heavy touring and recording. Musically, the song differs from most of band's previous output, leaving the garage rock genre for Latin American influences, such as baião. Lyrically, "Groovin'" tells the tale of a narrator spending time with his partner on a Sunday afternoon. The song was arranged and recorded at the Talentmasters Studios, New York City in March of 1967.
Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album from the Rascals, released on June 24, 1968. It reached number one on the Billboard Pop Albums chart by September 1968. It also topped the Cash Box albums chart with a run in the Top 10 for 20 consecutive weeks
Once Upon a Dream is the fourth studio album by the rock band the Rascals, released February 19, 1968. The album rose to number 9 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 7 on the R&B chart.
David Brigati is an American singer. He is sometimes known as "the fifth Rascal".
Collections is the second album by the rock band the Young Rascals. The album was released on January 9, 1967 and rose to #15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, and #8 in Canada.
Groovin' is the third album by the rock band the Young Rascals. The album was released on July 31, 1967 and rose to #5 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, number 7 on the R&B chart, and number 2 in Canada. Eight of the songs were released on singles with the title track reaching number 1 on the Pop chart in the U.S.
See is the sixth studio album by rock band The Rascals, released on December 15, 1969. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200. In Canada, it reached number 11. Three singles were released from the album, although the third one was "I Believe" b/w "Hold On".
Search and Nearness is the seventh studio album by rock band the Rascals, released on March 1, 1971. It was the last album featuring Eddie Brigati and Gene Cornish as well as the group's last album released on Atlantic Records.
Dino Danelli was an American drummer. Danelli was best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group The Young Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in history". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with The (Young) Rascals.
The New Rascals are an American musical group featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Dino Danelli and Gene Cornish from the original band The Rascals, with Bill Pascali of Vanilla Fudge 2001 and Charlie Souza formerly with Mudcrutch and White Witch.
The Very Best of The Rascals is a compilation album from the Rascals released on July 20, 1993 by Rhino/Atlantic. This compilation contains nearly all of their Atlantic singles, in chronological order, released from 1965 through 1970. The first nine singles are performed by the Young Rascals, while the last seven tracks are credited to the Rascals.
Charlie Souza is an American bass player, vocalist, musician, writer and producer. He is best known for playing bass in Mudcrutch. He is married to Barbara Benischek Souza.
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