Piamenta was born in Jerusalem in 1951 to Yehuda and Genia Piamenta. In 1962, when he was 12 years old, Piamenta moved with his family to Tel Aviv. There, he received his first guitar from his uncle, Albert Piamenta, an Israeli saxophonist. Growing up, he practiced traditional Judaism. In his 20s, Piamenta moved to New York together with his brother, Avi Piamenta, with the intention of working on a joint album with American saxophone player Stan Getz. The album was a success, but Piamenta disapproved of the entertainment industry lifestyle and turned to religion, joining the Orthodox Jewish community. He married his 16-year-old cousin, Vivian, and they raised six children together; the couple separated in 2005. Piamenta lived in Flatbush, Brooklyn, for over 20 years before moving back to Israel to reside near his father. Piamenta said that he moved back to Israel permanently. He said, "My father, who is 80, called me in New York and said, 'Come back to Israel, be with me a little'. He never talked in that tone before, and I decided to come back. All my life I have played and made music and I won't stop. Now I will play in Israel and form a band and go abroad for gigs wherever I am invited. My base from today on is Tel Aviv". His father, Yehuda, has since died. In August 2014, Piamenta, together with Avi Piamenta and Naftali Kalfa, released a single, "Yaancha," calling it a "prayer for Piamenta's recovery". On 14 April 2015, Piamenta's Facebook page disclosed that "Yosi is not doing well" and asked fans to "Please pray your hearts out". On 17 April 2015 Piamenta fell into a coma; he woke up from the coma two days later. Piamenta underwent surgery for cancer at the Sheba Medical Center. He died in New York on 23 August 2015.
Musical career
In 1974, Piamenta formed a band with his brother Avi, a flutist. By 1976, the brothers had been discovered by Getz, who invited them to record with him in New York. Piamenta was 26 years old when he arrived in New York and embarked on a tour with Getz throughout the United States. After the tour, the Piamentas joined Getz on tour in Israel. After recording an album with Getz, Piamenta became a baal teshuva. Piamenta's fan base was bifurcated. A majority of Piamenta's large fan base appreciated him as an iconic Jewish musician and attended his live performances at religious events and Jewish concerts and weddings. Piamenta has also attracted a fan base subculture following of his music that particularly enjoyed his take on rock, blues and his lengthy guitar solos that he usually plays only at smaller concerts held in bars and clubs. In addition to his live performances, Piamenta released a series of widely received studio albums that can be found in many Jewish home in the US and Israel. The Piamenta Band was one of the most-requested groups of musicians for Jewish weddings over the last century. Most, but not all, of Piamenta's concerts and albums were performed or recorded in conjunction with his brother, Avi.
