Bob Conti
{{Short description|American percussionist (born 1947)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bob Conti
| image = Bob Conti Headshot.jpg
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Robert James Conti
| birth_date = December 27, 1947
| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
| alias =
| origin =
| genre = Jazz, pop, R&B, New Age
| years_active = 1967–present
| label =
| website = {{URL|www.bobconti.com}}
- {{YouTube|eXS9PKAcJGY|Bob Conti Burning It Up!}}*
| instrument = Percussion
}}
Bob Conti (born December 27, 1947) is an American percussionist known for his work with Donna Summer, Diana Ross, and his long-term collaboration with Jose Feliciano.
He composed and played percussion for Bad Girls, an album that went double platinum. He also produced The Genius of Jose Feliciano Vol 1 & Vol 2 on his own record label, Joyfull Productions.
Early life
Conti was born in Brooklyn and joined the American Legion's Drum and Bugle Corp at 12.https://bobconti.com/about-bob-conti/{{cite web |last=Mark |first=David St. |title=Daeida Magazine: Hollywood's People, Passions and Its Past |url=http://daeida.com/DAEIDA_00_2015_Digital_Edition_2013-04.html |website=daeida.com}} He later moved to Los Angeles and attended Venice High School, where he played Baritone Sax in the high school dance band, "The Crescendos," and had his own band, "The Circle of One."{{cite web |date=March 17, 2014 |title=SingularCity Member Bob Conti |url=http://singularcity.com/bob-conti-singularcity-member/ |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |publisher=}}{{cite web |date=January 16, 1971 |title=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8QgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Circle+of+One%22&pg=PA13 |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |via=Google Books}} After high school, Conti's music career took precedence over his college education at Santa Monica College.{{cite web |title=XERB Radio 1090 - Wolfman Jack - Southern California Giant - Los Angeles |url=http://xerbradio.com/ |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |publisher=}}
Career
Conti's career started when he won a radio contest with his band, leading to performances with well-known artists and eventually recording an album with Wilson Pickett.{{cite web |title=XERB Radio 1090 - Wolfman Jack - Southern California Giant - Los Angeles |url=http://xerbradio.com/ |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |publisher=}}{{cite web |title=Yusuf Rahman - Credits - AllMusic |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/yusuf-rahman-mn0001691890 |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |website=AllMusic |publisher=}} Later, he was signed by Jubilee Records as a songwriter and lead vocalist. Conti then joined The Platters as saxophonist and lead vocalist.
Throughout his career, Conti has performed with various artists in the studio and on tour, working on over 150 albums. He has also been a composer, publisher, musical director, television presenter, and bandleader.
Donna Summer years & Jose Feliciano
Conti performed with Donna Summer from 1977 to 2010, contributing to her double platinum Bad Girls album. On that album, he composed "Can't get to sleep at night".{{cite web |title=Letra de Can't Get To Sleep At Night - Donna Summer - Lyrics |date=1979 |url=http://letrasbd.com/donna-summer/cant-get-to-sleep-at-night/ |accessdate=23 March 2017 |publisher=}}{{cite book |last=Updike |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G030_fzwrTkC&pg=PP6 |title=Rabbit Is Rich |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-307-74409-8 |page=6}} He then collaborated with José Feliciano from 1982 to 2016, producing several albums and touring worldwide. In addition to writing songs for him, Bob produced several of his albums, including The Genius of José Feliciano, Volume 1{{cite web |title=TuneCore is the best way to sell your music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & more |url=http://web.tunecore.com/music/josefeliciano |access-date=March 23, 2017 |publisher=TuneCore}} and Volume 2[https://www.discogs.com/José-Feliciano-The-Genius-Of-JF-Vol-2/release/2718884 José Feliciano – The Genius Of JF - Vol. 2] Discogs and From the Heart.{{cite web |title="From the Heart" Edition / SOLD OUT |url=http://www.thegeniusofjosefeliciano.com/gpage2.html |access-date=March 23, 2017 |publisher=Genius of Jose Feliciano}}
Present day
Since 2016, Conti has focused on charitable projects and established a non-profit organization called "We Celebrate US." In March 2017, he was appointed by the Mayor of Thousand Oaks, California, to the position of Cultural Arts Commissioner of the Thousand Oaks, California Cultural Affairs Commission/Alliance for the Arts, a term that ended in November 2019. In 2017 Bob was one of the producers of the City of Thousand Oaks' live stage show, the 2017 Excellence In The Arts Awards, and also provided some of his original music for the production. {{Cite web |url=http://71.165.173.179/WebLinkPublic/0/edoc/1207127/07C%20CULTURAL%20AFFAIRS%20COMMISSION%20APPOINTMENTS.pdf |title=Cultural Affairs Commission. Appointments |access-date=2017-03-23 |archive-date=2017-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324084956/http://71.165.173.179/WebLinkPublic/0/edoc/1207127/07C%20CULTURAL%20AFFAIRS%20COMMISSION%20APPOINTMENTS.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Awards
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||
| Award | Album | Artist | Credits | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | The Sound of Vienna | José Feliciano | Percussion | 1988 |
| Gold | Escenas de Amor | José Feliciano | Writer, percussion | 1982 |
| Double Platinum | Bad Girls | Donna Summer | Composer, percussion | 1979 |
| Platinum{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hAI3DAAAQBAJ&q=%5B%5BLive+and+More%5D%5D+%7C%7C+%5B%5BDonna+Summer+award&pg=PA360|title=Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900-2000|first=Frank|last=Hoffmann|date=May 23, 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135868864|accessdate=March 23, 2017|via=Google Books}} | Live and More | Donna Summer | Composer, percussion | 1978 |
| Platinum | Once Upon a Time | Donna Summer | Percussion | 1977 |
Discography
= Soundtracks and theme songs =
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Movie/series | Composer | Song | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:15 - The Moment of Truth | Bob Conti, Joe "Bean" Esposito | "Out of Control" | 1986{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090564/soundtrack/|title=Out of Control|accessdate=March 23, 2017|via=IMDb}} |
| Road Stories | Bob Conti | Theme song | 1992 |
Endorsements
- Roland Electronics/Roland V-Drums{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/BobContiCongaMan/photos/a.1374562312809641.1073741827.1374558186143387/1745260649073137/?type=3&theater|title=Bob Conti|website=Facebook|publisher=|accessdate=March 23, 2017}}
- Toca Percussion{{cite web|url=http://www.drummerszone.com/news/article/brand-news-3-9652/toca-percussion-adds-bob-conti-to-artist-roster|title=Drummerszone news - Toca Percussion adds Bob Conti to artist roster|publisher=|accessdate=March 23, 2017}}
- Latin Percussion Instruments{{cite web|url=http://www.lpmusic.com/artists/artist-roster#Bob-Conti|title=Artist Roster|publisher=|accessdate=March 23, 2017}}
- Nike Footwear
- Peavey Electronics
- Machudo Cajons
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.bobconti.com/ Bob Conti official website]
- [https://www.facebook.com/BobContiCongaMan/ Bob Conti Fan Area website]
- {{YouTube|eXS9PKAcJGY|Bob Conti Burning It Up!}}*
- {{YouTube| C6jXXHZjoKQ |Bob Conti for Paiste Cymbals}}*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conti, Bob}}
Category:American percussionists
Category:American pop musicians
Category:American jazz musicians
Category:American rhythm and blues musicians
Category:American new-age musicians
Category:Record producers from New York (state)
Category:Songwriters from New York (state)
Category:American jazz composers
Category:American television hosts