Some
people want it all. Competent and successful, they're
folks whose lives always seem to remain in focus. Just
plain luck? Perhaps. But then again, isn't luck the
design of diligence and hard work? It's really all in
the planning.
John
Buccheri is a case in point. For the recording artist
and composer, family values have always been a priority
-- though some would say his M.O. is somewhat unusual in
the wacky world they call "show business."
Buccheri?
He's an ordinary guy who is extraordinarily humble, and
who lets his impressive voice do the talking -- or --
make that the singing.
Fueled
by the desire to have his marriage remain intact and to
be there to watch his children grow into adults,
Buccheri opted to pursue a musical career on a local
level.
A
DAY JOB
At
the same time, he heeded the advice of his parents and
landed a daytime job to, as he says, "have
something to fall back on."
After
a time he gained employment in the brokerage field.
"It
was really the best of both worlds," explains the
crooner. "It was really like having it all."
Eventually
he climbed the corporate ladder and was promoted to
vice-president of Merrill Lynch, while maintaining the
position as co-owner of a musical organization.
Buccheri
launched his musical career as a vocalist and band
leader at age 15, when he established the six-piece band
Celestial Scene.
His
local parish priest gave the group permission to
rehearse in the school basement and sing at the church's
"rock masses."
He
utilized funds he amassed in the entertainment business
to support the cost of vocal lessons, in hopes of
further developing his God-given talent.
CELESTIAL
SCENE
Under
Buccheri's watchful eye, the band's popularity grew, and
with the passing of time it perfected a sound of its
own.
Celestial
Scene played gigs at banquets and supper clubs
throughout the metropolitan area.
Music
aficionados may recall Buccheri as co-owner and featured
vocalist of the Joe Pastor Orchestras, a wedding-music
company familiar to those on the club and wedding
circuit, during the 1970s and 1980s.
His
stint with the organization sustained him for more than
20 years in the business.
With
the progressive changes occurring in the music business,
Buccheri reinvented himself. In 1998 he created Passion
Music & Entertainment Inc., an organization offering
both live and disc-jockey entertainment.
It
features his longtime friend and colleague, pianist
Bobby Katz, and his son Michael Buccheri as deejay. It
affords a wide range of musical packages, from a
vocal-piano-deejay combination to a sophisticated
12-to-15 piece swing orchestra.
MUSICAL
CHANGES
With
the heavy demand for deejays alone these days,
Buccheri's concept is few and far between.
"Music
has changed so much. There's actually no place for
people to hear what we do. It's extraordinary,"
Buccheri says. "But the baby boomers out there
still enjoy live music. It's a treat."
Fast
forward to 2001 and the seasoned entertainer's daytime
job description translates into that of business analyst
for Bloomberg LP's Media TV and Radio Syndication Group.
Buccheri couldn't be happier.
With
a career that spans more than 30 years in the music
business, Buccheri still prefers to market his talent on
a local level -- and chooses to perform right here on
Staten Island.
"It
allows me to spend time with my wife and family. I can
still be a full-time husband and father. I've achieved a
lot in my personal life as well," he says.
So
impressive are his renditions by legendary song stylists
like Frank Sinatra, Englebert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis
and Tom Jones -- not to mention his own original
compositions -- folks often refuse to believe they're
listening to Buccheri's voice.
They
insist he's lip-synching, until they lend a closer ear.
Several
years ago, Buccheri built his own recording studio in
his Annadale home to serve as a means to record with his
son, Michael Buccheri, 17, whom he regards as his
recording engineer.
His
CDs include: "Just For You," "From the
Heart," "Buccheri, Live from Bocelli
Restaurant," and "Words of Faith."
Buccheri's
hooked.
"Who
needs Vegas? I have my own Island -- Staten
Island," the borough he has come to know and love
since 1974 when he made the trip over the Verrazano-Narrows
with his family.
STEADY
GIGS
When
not performing at celebratory banquets, Islanders can
here Buccheri at Bocelli restaurant, Grasmere on
Saturday evenings, and Waterfalls restaurant, Meiers
Corners on Fridays.
Buccheri
and his wife Sally, a registered nurse at Staten Island
University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, reside in Annadale
with their children, Stephanie, a staffer in the
technology operations division at Merrill Lynch, John,
owner of Wheelie Boyz X-treme Cycles, Grasmere, Michael,
who works as a deejay with his dad, and Salvatore who's
a staffer in his brother John's business.
For
more information about Buccheri, visit his website at
www.passionmusicent.com or www.johnbuccheri.com.
