1. John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli was an American jazz guitarist.
20 Facts About Bucky Pizzarelli
1. 2.
Bucky Pizzarelli was born on January 9,1926, in Paterson, New Jersey, United States.
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Bucky Pizzarelli learned to play guitar and banjo at a young age.
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Bucky Pizzarelli cited blind accordion player Joe Mooney as an inspiration.
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Bucky Pizzarelli began his professional career at 17 when he joined the Vaughn Monroe dance band in 1944.
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In 1952, Bucky Pizzarelli became a staff musician for NBC, playing with Skitch Henderson.
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From 1956 to 1957, Bucky Pizzarelli used the stage name "Johnny Buck" and performed with The Three Suns pop music trio.
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Bucky Pizzarelli toured several times with Benny Goodman until Goodman's death in 1986.
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Bucky Pizzarelli performed with Benny Goodman at the White House in Washington, DC, and he performed for presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and First Lady Pat Nixon.
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Bucky Pizzarelli continued to play into his 90s, making several appearances even after a stroke in 2016, officially retiring after a final brief appearance with Michael Feinstein in 2018.
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Bucky Pizzarelli died of COVID-19 on April 1,2020, in Saddle River, New Jersey.
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Bucky Pizzarelli had been battling several serious health problems in recent years.
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Bucky Pizzarelli's first guitar was an archtop Gibson, an expensive instrument at the time.
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In later years he owned and used a vast range of guitars but was mostly seen playing a Benedetto Bucky Pizzarelli Signature made by Robert Benedetto, who makes guitars for Howard Alden and Frank Vignola.
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The extra string on Bucky Pizzarelli's guitar provided him with a bass line during performances.
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Bucky Pizzarelli played a custom seven-string American archtop guitar made by luthier Dale Unger, who makes custom guitars for Bucky Pizzarelli's partner, Ed Laub.
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Bucky Pizzarelli's son John is a jazz guitarist and vocalist and his son Martin is a professional bassist who has recorded with his father and brother.
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Bucky Pizzarelli's daughter Mary is a classical guitarist who appeared on her father's third album as a leader, Green Guitar Blues, as well as on other recordings.
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Bucky Pizzarelli appeared on three albums of his daughter-in-law, Jessica Molaskey.
20.
Bucky Pizzarelli died on April 1,2020, from complications of COVID-19.