Austin de Lone

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Austin de Lone
Bill Kirchen at PCDM 2009 3.JPG
Austin de Lone (left) with Bill Kirchen in 2009.
Background information
Born1946
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 6, 2025 (aged 78)
GenresRock music
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
Years active1969–present

Austin de Lone was an American keyboardist who recorded and toured with his own bands as well as with other artists, such as Bill Kirchen, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Nick Lowe, Commander Cody, and Loudon Wainwright. [1]

Contents

Biography

Early years

De Lone grew up in suburban Philadelphia, taking piano lessons at age 12. [2] His early influences included Ray Charles and George Shearing. After stints as a student at the New England Conservatory of Music, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley, he moved to Greenwich Village. [3] While at Harvard, de Lone composed the song "One for One," which was the first single released by Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys. [1]

Eggs over Easy

In 1969, de Lone formed the band Eggs over Easy with Jack O'Hara and Brien Hopkins. [4] In 1970, Chas Chandler persuaded the band to record in London, but those recordings were not released. [3]

A four-night-a-week residency at a pub called the Tally-Ho in Kentish Town lasted more than a year. Eggs over Easy played a blend of blues, country, and rock that became known as pub rock. [2] Regular attendees of their shows included members of Brinsley Schwarz and BBC disc jockey John Peel. In 1972, they returned to California and released their first album Good 'N' Cheap produced by Link Wray. [5]

The Moonlighters

De Lone moved to Marin, California in 1972, where he met Bill Kirchen, who had been performing with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. [6] In the late 70s, de Lone joined Kirchen's side-project band, the Moonlighters. [7] Their 1983 album Rush Hour was produced by Nick Lowe. Both de Lone and Kirchen later worked with Lowe and Elvis Costello. [8]

De Lone and Kirchen continued to record and perform together. In 2016, they released their duet album Transatlantica. [9]

The Christmas Jug Band

De Lone was a member of the Christmas Jug Band, a collection of musicians who have been touring locally each holiday season since 1976, and releasing albums since 1987. The band has included musicians such as Dan Hicks, Tim Eschliman, Jim Rothermel, Lance Dickerson, Brien Hopkins, and Norton Buffalo. [10]

Richard de Lone Special Housing Project

De Lone coordinated an annual fundraiser for eventual construction of the Richard de Lone Special Housing Project, a residential facility for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome, which de Lone's son Richard is afflicted with. [11] As part of the 2007 event, Elvis Costello reunited with Clover, the band who backed him on his first album My Aim is True. [12]

Personal life

De Lone and his wife Lesley [13] lived in Mill Valley, California. Their daughter Caroline de Lone is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist who has appeared with Buddy Miller and Bonnie Raitt. [14] [15]

Death

De Lone died of lung disease on January 6, 2025. He was 78 years old. [16]

Discography

Solo albums

As a member of Eggs over Easy

As a member of the Moonlighters

As a member of the Christmas Jug Band

As composer

As primary artist/song contributor

As producer

Also appears on


References

  1. 1 2 "Bill Kirchen & Austin de Lone". Freight & Salvage. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Selvin, Joe (November 7, 2007). "Costello, band regroup for good cause". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Korty, Jonathan (October 1, 2008). "Austin de Lone: The local music community rallies around their very own soul man". Marin Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ Paumgarten, Nick (August 8, 2016). "Eggs Over Easy's Old Haunts". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  5. ↑ Ed Ward (June 21, 2016). "How The Band Eggs Over Easy Kicked Off London's Pub-Rock Movement". NPR Music. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ Powell, Jennifer (August 26, 2016). "Q&A with Bill Kitchen and Austin de Lone". Alexandria Times. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (August 24, 2016). "Bill Kirchen & Austin de Lone: Transatlanticana". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  8. ↑ uncredited (March 23, 2017). "Bill Kirchen & Austin De Lone — Transatlanticana (Album Review)". Red Guitar Music. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  9. ↑ Cadgène, Suzanne (September 6, 2016). "Bill Kirchen & Austin de Lone: Joe's Pub, New York City, NY". Elmore Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  10. ↑ Liberatore, Paul (December 8, 2016). "Christmas Jug Band celebrates 40 years of holiday hijinks". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  11. ↑ Welte, Jim (October 2, 2012). "Elvis Costello, Hardly Strictly Pals Join de Lone for SF Benefit Show". Mill Valley Patch. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  12. ↑ Quillen, Shay (November 9, 2007). "Costello and Clover wow S.F. in two shows". The Mercury News. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Officers & Board of Directors". RDSHP. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Caroline de Lone". Do512. May 23, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  15. ↑ Liberatore, Paul (February 5, 2015). "Press Play: Caroline de Lone's debut album explores joys, longings of young love". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Friends, family pay tribute to beloved Marin musician Austin de Lone". Marin Independent Journal . January 16, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Yep Roc To Release 'Good 'N' Cheap: The Eggs Over Easy Story' 3 LP/2 CD Set". Yep Roc. April 28, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
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