Elio Pace

Last updated

Elio Pace
Elio Pace Photo.jpg
Elio Pace
Background information
Born (1968-02-08) 8 February 1968 (age 55)
Woking, England
Genres Pop rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter,
musician, musical director
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active1987–present
LabelsRosa Records
Website www.eliopace.com

Elio Pace (born 8 February 1968) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, producer, and arranger.

Contents

Early life

Elio was born in Woking, Surrey, in 1968 of Italian parents. He showed early signs of natural musical talent when he started to sing and play the piano at the age of four. Throughout his childhood he developed his ear for music as well as his love of rock & roll. He had his first 'proper' piano lesson at the age of eleven achieving the highest qualification of Grade 8 by the time he was seventeen.

Elio went on to train at the Leeds College of Music, and in 1988, singing and playing his own songs, he reached the final of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks on BBC TV, [1] which led to numerous radio and television appearances including, Wogan, [2] Michael Barrymore's Saturday Night Out and The Les Dawson Show with Shirley Bassey and Randy Crawford. In 1989, he starred in his own 30-minute documentary about his life and music, as part of ITV's The Music Makers.

Career

Toured the UK in the original casts of Tutti Frutti, Great Balls of Fire and Dancing in the Street. He appeared in and was Musical Director for many shows including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (as the Pharaoh), West Side Story (as Tony); five DGM productions, Rave On, Summer in the City, Itchycoo Park, Hold Tight It's 60's Night and Hold Tight It's 70's Night, and Bill Kenwright's Thank You for the Music in which he appeared as Elton John and Billy Joel.

In 2000, he was asked to put together and direct a 15-piece band for an outdoor concert, to perform and to back other artists including Art Garfunkel, David Soul and Katrina Leskanich. Great Balls of Fire recorded live at this concert features on the album Come And Get It. In the same year he went to the USA twice – in June to Nashville to play piano and sing background vocals on a re-recording of his own song, Got The Bug Back, by a newly signed RCA recording artist and in August to act as Musical Director and co-star in a three-month run of the musical comedy Song of Singapore, playing the blind, jazz-pianist Freddy S. Lyme, at The New Theatre, Kansas City starring Loretta Swit from M*A*S*H. He appeared in Song of Singapore at The Minerva Theatre, Chichester in 1998 in its British Premiere and in July 2001 he again appeared as Freddy when Song of Singapore opened at The Mayfair Theatre in London's West End. [3]

The Elio Pace Band (which he formed in 1993) has headlined at many venues performing his own material and the band was twice featured on Gloria Hunniford's Upstaged (BBC Radio 2) sharing the bill with Neil Sedaka. The band has become a corporate event favourite and has provided musical entertainment for many companies including Warner Bros., Disney, Vodafone, Sotheby's, Manchester United Football Club, UNICEF and Hello and OK magazines. The band were also invited to play for Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock's 30th birthday party. February 2002 saw the release of The Elio Pace Band's Come And Get It, an album featuring his covers of classic songs originally recorded by some of his favourite artists and also including three of his own compositions. The album has a special guest appearance James Burton, guitarist for Elvis Presley. Pace's version of Two More Bottles of Wine, taken from the album, was featured by Sir Terry Wogan on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show Wake Up To Wogan. Tracks from the album were also featured on Desmond Carrington's All Time Greats, also on Radio 2.

In 2004 he was Musical Director for an eight-week tour of Dancing in the Streets, a Motown musical revue starring Martha Reeves.

In February 2004 he joined the Shakin' Stevens band as piano-player and backing vocalist. As well as a one-off performance at Frankfurt's Opera House that month, he travelled with Stevens to Denmark in July 2004 to play at the Langelands Festival.

In June 2004 he was invited by Suzi Quatro to become a regular member of her band and in February 2005 Pace completed a three-week, fifteen date tour of Australia with Quatro.

June 2005 – played piano on a new album by Katrina Leskanich and accompanied her on a string of live appearances around the UK.

September 2005 – appeared as Ronnie Corbett's special guest in his only live stand-up performance of the year as part of the Dublin Bulmers Comedy Festival. Also in September 2005, The Elio Pace Band was invited to perform at Bill Kenwright's 60th Birthday party in Mayfair, London during which Pace duetted with Kiki Dee on Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

In 2005, The Shakin' Stevens band (with Pace on piano) performed twice at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, won the final of ITV's Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, reached No.20 in the UK Singles chart and appeared on Top of the Pops, travelled to Denmark and the Faroe Islands and completed a four-week UK tour. In early 2006, Pace completed recording sessions on Now Listen, Shaky's first studio album for thirteen years.

In August 2006, Pace appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Severance singing a song written by Christian Henson and Caroline Lost called Summertimin' which features over the closing credits of the film. In May 2007 the soundtrack was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award.

From September 2006 to December 2009, Pace toured with Grammy Award winning, Albert Lee and his band, Hogan's Heroes, producing their critically acclaimed studio album Like This which features Can Your Grandpa Rock And Roll Like This written by Pace with Matt Daniel-Baker especially for Lee.

May 2009 – release of Pace's new album A Seat at My Table featuring 12 of his own songs. The album features special guest appearances by Albert Lee and Elvis Presley's bass player, Jerry Scheff.

In November 2009, at the request of Sir Terry Wogan, Pace featured on the Bandaged Together CD in aid of BBC Children in Need with his version of a long-forgotten Elvis Presley movie song, "Confidence".

December 2009 not only saw Pace's Christmas single, "What A Day", playlisted by BBC Radio 2 and the whole of the BBC Local Radio Network, it also brought the announcement that Pace is to be Musical Director and house band for Sir Terry Wogan's new live Radio 2 show, Weekend Wogan. [4] [5]

In January 2010, Pace completed an eleven date UK tour with his eleven-piece band to promote his new album.

As of June 2014, Elio Pace was touring the UK & Ireland with his 'Elio Pace Plays the Billy Joel Songbook' show. (www.eliopace.com) Pace, a longtime Joel fan, presents a 3-hour show featuring almost 40 Billy Joel songs, all played faithful to the original arrangements. In 2013 Pace was invited to New York to appear with members of Joel's original touring band. August 2014 saw him returning to the states for more concerts with Joel's original line-up. A live CD from this show, Long Long Time - The Sigma Reunion Live in New York City, was released in 2022.

For the 2015 Ashes series, Pace rewrote a rendition of Billy Joel's hit We Didn't Start the Fire that features the Sky Sports pundits. [6]

Pace's concert film, The Billy Joel Songbook Live, won a prestigious award at The 17th Annual Independent Music Awards for 'Best Overall Long Form Music Video' in New York City!

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis Presley</span> American singer and actor (1935–1977)

Elvis Aaron Presley, often referred to mononymously as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Known as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Joel</span> American singer, songwriter and pianist (born 1949)

William Martin Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his signature 1973 song of the same name, Joel has had a successful music career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released twelve studio albums that spanned the genres of pop and rock music, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical music compositions. Joel is one of the world’s best-selling music artists; and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Hardin</span> American piano player and arranger

Glen Dee Hardin is an American piano player and arranger. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, and Ricky Nelson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreak Hotel</span> Song recorded by Elvis Presley

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being given also to Presley. A newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the song. Axton presented the song to Presley in November 1955 at a country music convention in Nashville. Presley recorded it on January 10, 1956, in a session with his band, the Blue Moon Boys, the guitarist Chet Atkins and the pianist Floyd Cramer. "Heartbreak Hotel" comprises an eight-bar blues progression, with heavy reverberation throughout the track, to imitate the character of Presley's Sun recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockabilly</span> Early style of rock and roll music

Rockabilly is an early style of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly"; the latter is a reference to country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Fury</span> British rock and roll singer (1940–1983)

Ronald Wycherley, better known by his stage name Billy Fury, was an English singer. An early star of rock and roll, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart. His hit singles include "Wondrous Place", "Halfway to Paradise" and "Jealousy". Fury also maintained a film career, notably playing rock performers in Play It Cool in 1962 and That'll Be the Day in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Shook Up</span> Song by Elvis Presley

"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. Billboard Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for nine weeks. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to do so, and peaked at No. 1 on the country chart as well. It is certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Promised Land (Chuck Berry song)</span> Song lyric written by Chuck Berry to the melody of "Wabash Cannonball"

"Promised Land" is a song lyric written by Chuck Berry to the melody of "Wabash Cannonball", an American folk song. The song was first recorded in this version by Berry in 1964 for his album St. Louis to Liverpool. Released in December 1964, it was Berry's fourth single issued following his prison term for a Mann Act conviction. The record peaked at #41 in the Billboard charts on January 16, 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Be Cruel</span> 1956 single by Elvis Presley

"Don't Be Cruel" is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is currently ranked as the 173rd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1956, by Acclaimed Music.

<i>Elvis</i> (1968 TV program) 1968 American television special

Singer Presents ... Elvis, commonly referred to as the '68 Comeback Special, is an Elvis Presley concert special that aired on NBC on December 3, 1968. It marked Presley's return to live performance after a seven-year period during which he focused on his film appearances.

"I Got a Woman" is a song co-written and recorded by American R&B and soul musician Ray Charles. Atlantic Records released the song as a single in December 1954, with "Come Back Baby" as the B-side. Both songs later appeared on the 1957 album Ray Charles.

<i>How Great Thou Art</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1967 studio album by Elvis Presley

How Great Thou Art is the ninth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in February 1967. How Great Thou Art is a gospel album with slow numbers on one side, and fast-paced numbers on the flipside. The album earned Presley a Grammy Award for Best Sacred Performance, while it became a Billboard top 20 pop hit and it appeared on the Top Country Albums chart on the top 10.

<i>Elvis in Concert</i> 1977 film by Dwight Hemion

Elvis In Concert is a posthumous 1977 television special starring Elvis Presley. It was Elvis' third and final TV special, following Elvis and Aloha From Hawaii. It was filmed during Presley's final tour in the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 19, 1977, and Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 21, 1977. It was broadcast on CBS on October 3, 1977, two months after Presley's death. It was transmitted by the BBC in the United Kingdom on June 9, 1978. Unlike the majority of Elvis' programs, it is unlikely to be commercially released on home video and is only available in bootleg form. This is because it showed Elvis near the end of his life when he was overweight and addicted to prescription drugs, and much of his performance reflects his poor health. However, parts of the special were used in the video documentary Elvis: The Great Performances and the theatrical documentary This is Elvis, both of which were released on home video. Parts of the special were recreated for the movie Elvis, specifically Presley's performance of "Unchained Melody".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Night (Elvis Presley song)</span> 1958 single by Elvis Presley

"One Night" is a song written by Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King, and Anita Steinman. It originally was an R&B hit for Smiley Lewis in 1956, before being recorded with greater commercial success by Elvis Presley in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TCB Band</span> Elvis Presleys tour band from the 1970s

The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley’s band from August 1969 until his death in 1977.. The initials TCB stand for Taking Care of Business, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members were James Burton, Jerry Scheff (bass), John Wilkinson, Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) and Ron Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley’s first Las Vegas performance at what was then known as the International Hotel on July 31, 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(You're the) Devil in Disguise</span> 1963 song by Elvis Presley

"(You're the) Devil in Disguise" is a 1963 single by Elvis Presley. It was written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye and was published by Elvis Presley Music in June 1963. The song peaked at No. 3 in the US on the Billboard singles chart on August 10, 1963, and No. 9 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues singles chart, becoming his last top ten single on those charts. The single was certified "Gold" by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units in the US. The song also topped Japan's Utamatic record chart in the fall of 1963. In June 1963, when the song was debuted to a British audience on the BBC television show Juke Box Jury, celebrity guest John Lennon, leader of The Beatles, voted the song "a miss" stating on the new song that Elvis Presley was "like Bing Crosby now". The song went on to reach No. 1 in the UK for a single week.

"(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" is a 1957 song recorded by Elvis Presley and performed in the MGM film Jailhouse Rock. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the film. Presley plays electric bass on the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paralyzed (Elvis Presley song)</span> 1956 song by Elvis Presley

"Paralyzed" is a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley for his album Elvis. The song was recorded on September 1, 1956, and has been well received by music critics. The song was written by Otis Blackwell, with Elvis receiving partial song-writing credit.

<i>Weekend Wogan</i> Radio show

Weekend Wogan was the incarnation of the Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 14 February 2010 to 8 November 2015. The show was presented by Sir Terry Wogan, which marked his return to the airwaves following his departure as presenter of the weekday breakfast show, in December 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Tutt</span> American drummer (1938–2021)

Ronald Ellis Tutt was an American drummer who played concerts and recording sessions for Elvis Presley, the Carpenters, Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, and Jerry Garcia.

References

  1. ↑ "Elio Pace on Bob Says Opportunity Knocks". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "Elio Pace on Wogan". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. ↑ "Original London Cast of Song of Singapore". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "Elio Pace interviewed". Express.co.uk. 24 January 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "BBC Music artist listing". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Elio and Sky Sports pundits rework 'We Didn't Start the Fire' - ELIO PACE OFFICIAL WEBSITE". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Review of A Seat at My Table". Whisperinandhollerin.com. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  8. ↑ "Review of Take You Home from A Seat at My Table". Rhythm-and-booze.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Review of What A Day". Entertainment-focus.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  10. ↑ "Review of What A Day". Whisperinandhollerin.com. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.