TEMPE, Ariz. – Internationally-known musician and bandleader Billy Cioffi will join Tempe’s Songwriters’ Showcase as Musical Director, the city announced today.
Cioffi will lead local musicians in backing up a regional headliner and selected performers from the Tempe Center for the Arts’ Walk-in Wednesdays series for three nights of original music on Dec. 2, March 3 and June 2 (www.tempe.gov/TCA/wiw.htm).
“I asked Billy to be the musical director of the Songwriters’ Showcase because of his extensive experience fulfilling the very same role for the last 20 years in Los Angeles with a long list of very well-known legends and icons in the music industry,” Walk-in Wednesdays host Walt Richardson said. “In addition, he shares a passion of guiding and inspiring young emerging songwriters, teaching them and helping them to hit their mark in their singing, in their performing and in their songwriting.”
Cioffi broke into the music business touring the East Coast corridor with The Grey Things, the opening act of many 60s and 70s musical icons such as The Allman Brothers, The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, the Lovin Spoonful and The Rascals.
Cioffi later formed the Monte Carlos, who, with Cioffi as its guitarist/leader, toured and recorded with the greatest of Rock’s legends, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Ben E. King, Lesly Gore and the late Del Shannon, performing on some of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s last recordings. Cioffi played guitar, helped out on production and sang backgrounds with the likes of Tom Petty, George Harrison, Jeff Lynn and The Smithereens; performed as a guitarist for various Turtles gigs; and played guitar in concerts for Mitch Ryder, side by side with guitar legend Steve Hunter.
“I am excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to my art form by helping those who are young, talented and just beginning their careers,” Cioffi said. “If my musicians and I can help make the sounds in the singer/songwriters’ heads come alive on the stage as they imagined, it will be our joyful contribution to the Valley of the Sun’s once and future artists.”
As a writer, Cioffi has placed compositions in a number of films and TV shows, including: Poltergeist 3, The Skate Board Kid and Blood Fist, as well as a dozen other films. His music has been heard in the TV series Boogies Diner and, more recently, the Emmy award-winning, The Shield.
For information on Cioffi, visit www.billycioffi.com.
Walk-in Wednesdays is a unique open mic event taking place on Wednesdays through Nov. 25 at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. Host Walt Richardson welcomes audiences for a relaxing evening of original music by some of the Valley’s hottest emerging songwriters.
Walk-in Wednesdays and the Songwriters’ Showcase are sponsored by the city of Tempe, Total Wine and the Friends of Tempe Center for the Arts.