Bobby Bandiera - Biography

Biography

Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey. They debuted in 1970, and were the house band for years at Dodd's in Orange, New Jersey and D'Jais in Belmar, New Jersey, where Bandiera still makes occasional appearances.

In the early 1980s, Bandiera recorded a series of songs with Paul Czekaj, playing lead guitar and singing. His brother, Frank, accompanied them on drums. The style of guitar he played on these songs relates more toward a country western influence, said to have come from his mother. The songs were not released until 2009, on an album titled "The Saved Recordings" by Paul Czekaj. The listing of the tracks Bandiera was featured on is: "I Want You Back Again," "Rock and Roll Boy," "It Won't Happen Again," and "In The Middle of the Night."

A longtime fixture of the Jersey Shore sound, Bandiera's appearances with local legends Cats on a Smooth Surface date back to the early 1980s and clubs such as The Stone Pony, when Bruce Springsteen would jump onstage with them on Sunday nights. Bandiera was considered for the guitarist position in the E Street Band for the Born in the U.S.A. Tour in 1984 when Steve Van Zandt left the band, but this position went to Nils Lofgren. In 1985, Bandiera replaced Billy Rush as guitarist for Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, a position he holds to this day. Bandiera has released three solo albums, though they have not been successful, but this is only because of a lack of distribution sources. Bandiera also was a fixture of Springsteen's fabled Asbury Park holiday shows of the early 2000s.

He also does studio musician work and has appeared on albums by Cyndi Lauper, Patti Scalfa and others.

His most famous song is "C'mon Caroline" which he co-wrote with Bob Burger, another very talented Jersey shore musician.

In the mid-1990s, Bandiera and Southside Johnny made a number of acclaimed shows as a duo. He has also played with Dave Edmunds, and has his own band, the Bob Bandiera Band, which performs regularly in the New Jersey area when Bobby is not on tour.

From 2005, Bandiera has played rhythm guitar in Bon Jovi's live performances; according to Jon Bon Jovi he is on 'permanent loan' to the band from Southside Johnny. During the period where Richie Sambora was in a rehabilitation facility, Bon Jovi made appearances solely with Bandiera.

Bobby Bandiera's 2005 album "Is my Father There " has a track listing of:

1.Don't Stop (Lovin Me) 2.Over, Under ( Sideways, Down) 3.Rock N' Roll City 4.Another You 5.Love (Love Messing with my Mind) 6.Don't Bring me Down 7.Claudine 8.Young at Heart 9.Here comes the Sun (Beatles Cover) 10.You've got Trouble