Joseph Anthony Vitale is an American singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. In a career spanning more than 55 years, Vitale has played with many of the top names in music during a career dating back to the 1970s. Vitale pursued a solo career and released his debut album Roller Coaster Weekend in 1974. Since then, he has released two studio albums. His only single to chart is "Lady on the Rock".
Early life
Joseph Anthony Vitale was born on April 2, 1949, in Canton, Ohio. He started playing the drums at an early age, as his father was a barber, and would trade haircuts for drum lessons. The Vitales moved to Florida for a short time, where Joe played in a youth orchestra, but they soon moved back to Ohio. In high school Vitale played for a while with a band called the Knights. He formed a polka band with his brother and father called the Tony Vitale Trio, with his father on accordion and his brother on bass, but the band was short-lived and didn't make any studio or live recordings. In 1965 the polka band and a rock band called the Echoes were both playing at the Magnolia Homecoming. The Echoes' drummer didn't attend the gig, so Vitale played drums for them. As a result, he joined the Echoes as their regular drummer.
Musical career
Beginnings
Vitale started his professional music career with the Echoes, who signed with Warner and became the Chylds. He gained valuable experience with the band and sang vocals on their single "I Want More." He eventually enrolled at Kent State University and was attending during the May 4, 1970 shootings. Vitale also played with Mable Cake, a band out of Kent Ohio, from 1968-1970. His first national break came when Ted Nugent hired him to play drums in the Amboy Dukes in 1971.
That fall Vitale was invited by his former Kent State classmate Joe Walsh to join Barnstorm, a new band being formed by Walsh in Colorado. The band recorded two albums together and Vitale and Walsh began a longtime partnership, although Barnstorm broke up in 1974. After the breakup, Vitale was the original drummer for the Michael Stanley Band, and he recorded his first solo album, 1974's Roller Coaster Weekend, produced by Ron & Howard Albert, with guitar solos contributed by Walsh, Rick Derringer and Phil Keaggy. He then joined the Stills-Young Band for the Long May You Run sessions. Later, Vitale became part of the Crosby, Stills & Nash touring and recording band, beginning with the CSN album and continuing until 2009. He has also co-produced and contributed songs to Crosby, Stills & Nash as well as to solo efforts by Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.
In 1975 Vitale's partner Walsh joined the Eagles and Vitale became part of the Eagles' touring band playing drums, keyboards, and singing backing vocals. The Walsh/Vitale song "Pretty Maids All in a Row" appears on the Eagles' album Hotel California. He is also credited on The Long Run and the bands concert recording Eagles Live. For Vitale's second solo album, Plantation Harbor, produced by Bill Szymczyk and also recorded in 1981, Don Felder appeared along with Walsh on guitars, and Stephen Stills co-wrote one of the songs. He continued to appear on Walsh solo albums in the early 1990s. Among the artists with whom Vitale has appeared are Outlaws, Dan Fogelberg, Peter Frampton, John Entwistle and Zakk Wylde. In 2008 Vitale released Speaking in Drums. The album is a collection of eleven songs written and performed by Joe, his wife Susie and his son Joe Jr., among other guests. In 2008 he also released Backstage Pass, an autobiography written by his wife. In 2012, Joe Vitale appeared on the album The Healing Song with self help singer/songwriter Joseph Vitale. Included on the recording are fellow musicians Glenn Fukunaga on bass, Daniel Barrett on guitar and Grammy-winning artist David Darling performing on cello. Vitale also wrote or co-wrote many songs with Joe Walsh.
Personal life
Vitale married his wife Susie in 1974. She is a graduate of Kent State University and conducted post graduate studies at Malone University and the University of Akron. She has served as president of the Community Television Consortium in Canton and as host of the TV program What's Happening in Stark County. They have a son, Joe Vitale, Jr.
