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HISTORY

Me performing one of the greatst songs of all time: Don McLean's "American Pie" (here is an excellent interpretation of the lyrics).

I played to about 500 of my high school classmates--older and younger--about one forth of the whole school! A very, very hard and unnerving thing to do--at 15 years of age! So while I was singing "American Pie" the "butterflies in my stomach" started to get serioud and because I was so nervous I literally started to choke! I was gagging and--for a split second--I stopped singing because I couldn't! I was just about to blow chunks--throw up--spew soup--all over the stage and maybe some of my classmates...

I had already written and recorded one of my very first songs called "Never Goin' Back". I sang, played piano, rhythm and lead guitar on "Never Goin' Back". We called our band "The Runaways" which--unbeknownst to us--was already the name of an all girl band with Joan Jett singing and playing guitar. "Never Goin' Back" was released in the states on a vinyl lp record called "Manasquan Rock on Record".

Anyway...back to the picture above...

I was about to choke and lose my cookies in front of and onto all of my peers! But I didn't!!! And that very moment irrevocably changed my whole life ...forever! A very close call because when I did finish the song I got a standing ovation and an encore--an extremely rare thing in the states!

After the concert, Mr. Lees--the principal in charge of discipline--told me that I reminded him of Woodstock and asked me where I was playing next because he wanted to come see me play again.

Later my English teacher found a joint in my jacket. I told Mr. Lees: "Someone had left the jacket at my party last Saturday night." (one of the many parties me and my brothers where notorious for thowing) "The only way to figure out whose jacket it was--was to actually wear this persons--kind of cheesy--jacket around school and see who claimed it. And then hope it didn't belong to some huge jerk who thinks that I tried to steal his jacket and try to beat me up for it!"

So because that half of my story was actually true (the joint might have been mine) and a lot of people could coraborate my "lost and found" jacket technique (which was also why I never actually got beaten up-like I said our parties were kind of notorious) and because Mr. Lees thought that my deed was a pretty ballsy and couragous thing to do (and because Mr. Less was a little notorious himself for being a "smoker") he let me go. Of course he "confiscated" the joint and told me that he could get in a lot of trouble for not reporting this to the police--in other words: he would have to burn the evidence himself!!

So, to make a long story a little shorter: after many "campaign" parties--we were basically running a highly profitable "speakeasy" bar, with live music, out of my basement--and becoming president of my class, I decided not to pursue politics or medicine (remember my weak stomach!)--in spite of being accepted to one of the most prestigious Ivy league universities in the world--I decided to drop out and, instead, make rock and roll my living and my lifestyle. All because I didn't throw up that night (imagine what would have happened to me if I did!!)

The rest is...

HISTORY:

Links to:

1. Old Promotional BIOGRAPHY/RESUME from around 1995

2. Old Promotional BIOGRAPHY/RESUMEfrom 1992

3. Old SONG REQUEST LIST from the 1990s and

4. Old EQUIPMENT LIST from the late 1990s for the U.S.A.

All from the 1990s!!

EXPERIENCE

JAMES GRAFF has:

PLAYED TO OVER 5000 PEOPLE AT:

MIAMI AMPHITHEATRE

THE DAVIE ARENA

THE WEST PALM BEACH AUDITORIUM

HURRICANE ANDREW RELIEF CONCERT

THE LYRIC THEATRE

LITTLE WOODSTOCK II

HOLIDAY ISLE TIKI BAR

BAR ANTICIPATION

THE BUTTON SOUTH, etc-----

PLAYED WITH:

-----MOTOR Voted Best Hard Rock Band and Nominated for Best Cover Band in Florida (Population 16 million) by XS Magazine Readers, CD “Screaming Bloody Motor” Sold thousands of copies, Videos for the singles “Reptile” and “Pedal to the Metal” are still being played on cable television all across Florida and received airplay in the US and Europe

-----Kirk Kelsy-producer/live sound engineer for

CREED: “Arms Wide Open”, “Higher”

-----Kenny-Drummer for

MARYLIN MANSON: “Sweet Dreams”, ”The Beautiful People”, “The Dope Show”

-----Mike Mangini-Drummer for

STEVE VAI

-----“Drum” Phil-Producer/live sound engineer for

THE STEVE MORSE BAND

-----Lead Saxophone Player for

FRANK SINATRA

(I don’t remember his name but he was the best horn player I have EVER heard!)

-----Dennis Yost-Singer/Songwriter for

THE CLASSICS IV: “Spooky”, “Stormy”, “Traces of Love”

-----BERTIE HIGGINS: World-wide Smash Hits “Sailing Away to Key Largo”, “Casablanca”: Key Largo blew a hole in the U.S. charts. When it reached number one in the nation, the world took notice and it went on to become an international hit. Other hit singles followed like Just Another Day in Paradise, Casablanca and Pirates and Poets. Casablanca became song of the year in all of the pacific rim and the album hit double platinum. Bertie Higgins became an international recording star literally overnight. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon.

-----THE HATTERS signed to Atlantic Records with Adam Hirsh and Adam Evans with special guest Blues Traveler's John Popper

-----Lori Miller-Singer/Dancer for

EXPOSÉ: Top 10 Hit “Seasons Change”

----Jamie “King” Colton-Singer/Song Writer, Saxophone/Keyboard/Guitar Player: Recorded and toured with DION and wrote the Top 40 Hit“Here Comes The Judge”

----Robbin Fox: “I See Stars”-----

----"Drum Man" Nat Barouch [http://www.drumman.com] multitalented songwriter/singer/drummer (and website designer) for Nobody's Fault, Mad Hatters, Signal Zero, Higher Ground, Rockstreet, etc.

----Gary Schutt [www.garyschutt.com]--songwriter/singer/guitar virtuoso--working with Jeff Scott Soto[www.jeffscottsoto.com] who was the real "voice" on the soundtrack of the movie "Rock Star" (My Brothers Nickname for me)

Animated: Longhaired Flying V Guitar Player

OPENED UP FOR:

THE BEACH BOYS: “Surfin’ USA”, “Kokomo”, Etc.

TED NUGENT:”Cat Scratch Fever”Etc.

THE ROMANTICS: “What I Like About You”, Etc.

THE GUESS WHO-“American Woman”, Etc.

JEFFERSON STARSHIP: “Jane”, Etc.

MARTY BALIN FROM JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: “Don’t You Need Somebody to Love”, Etc.

ACE FRHELY KISS: “(I Wanna) Rock ‘n’ Roll All Night”, Etc.

QUIET RIOT: “Cum On Feel the Noise”, Etc.

MODERN ENGLISH: “Melt With You”

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION: “Imaginary Lover”

MOLLY HATCHET: “Flirtin’ with Disaster”,

MOUNTAIN: “Mississippi Queen”, Etc.

STEINHARDT/MOON PROJECT KANSAS: “Dust in the Wind”

AT WOODSTOCK II in Florida:

JANIS JOPLIN`S BAND THE HOLDING COMPANY: “Me and Bobby Magee”, Etc.

and

RICHIE HAVENS: “Freedom”, Etc.

and

THE DIXIE ALLSTARS

including members from BLACKFOOT, MOUNTAIN, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, ALLMAN BROTHERS

At the HURICANE ANDREW RELIEF CONCERT

in the West Palm Beach Auditorium (We helped reaise millions of dollars and met Lawton Chiles the Governor of Florida and more importantly Mrs. Florida!!):

ARLO GUTHRIE: “This Land Is Your Land”, “Alice’s Restaurant”

MELANIE: “I’ve Got A Brand New Pair Of Roller Skates”

THE MONKIES: “I’m a Believer”, Etc.

Comedian KATHLEEN MADIGAN from Saturday Night Live

AND

World famous Comedian, columnist, and best-selling author and film screenplay writer-He wrote BIG TROUBE-DAVE BARRY, etc.------

PLAYED ALL OF THE FINEST HOTELS, COUNTRY CLUBS, BANQUET HALLS, ETC. IN FLORIDA: MIAMI`S FOUNTAIN BLUE HOTEL, CORAL GABLES HOTEL,THE DORAL, FOUR SEASONS, RADISON, BOCA RATON/CORAL SPRINGS COUNRTY CLUBS, ETC.,ETC.,ETC.,…

TOURED THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE (28 COUNTRIES)-----

Links to:

1. Old Promotional BIOGRAPHY/RESUME from around 1995

2. Old Promotional BIOGRAPHY/RESUMEfrom 1992

3. Old SONG REQUEST LIST from the 1990s and

4. Old EQUIPMENT LIST from the late 1990s for the U.S.A.

All from the 1990s!!

Cell Phone:
056 493 789 or 051 931 224--E-mail: graffjamie@hotmail.com----

Email me!!

James Graff (photos)

Songwriting
Singing
PLAYING:
Acoustic Guitar
Lead Guitar
Keyboards

Piano
All Woodwinds:
Saxophones
Clarinet
Flute
etc.
Harmonica/Blues Harp
Drums/Percussion
All plucked string instruments:

Banjo
Mandolin,
Pedal Steel,
COMPOSING
PRODUCING
ARRANGING
(ALL Self-taught)
EDUCATING etc. etc.-
(WEBMASTERING: Self-taught too! Obviously!!))

History
Experience
Biography
Equipment

E-mail: graffjamie@hotmail.com-Cell Phone 056 493 789 or 051 931 224------

Email me!!

HISTORY

Me performing one of the greatst songs of all time: Don McLean's "American Pie" (here is an excellent interpretation of the lyrics).

Anyway...back to the picture above...

I was about to choke and lose my cookies in front of and onto all of my peers! But I didn't!!! And that very moment irrevocably changed my whole life ...forever! A very close call because when I did finish the song I got a standing ovation and an encore--an extremely rare thing in the states!

After the concert, Mr. Lees--the principal in charge of discipline--told me that I reminded him of Woodstock and asked me where I was playing next because he wanted to come see me play again.

The rest is...

HISTORY:

History
Experience
Biography
Equipment

For possibly more up to date info-look at our page on the Estonian Band Database Site:

Link to The Graff Brothers Band Page

on the Estonian Band Database Website:

http://www.dcc.ttu.ee/Bands/get.asp?ident=1598

Link to Estonian Band Database Site in English

(which doesn't give you access to the Live Calendar)

Link to Estonian Band Database Site in Estonian

(which has the Live Calendar of who is playing and where)

HISTORY

Me performing one of the greatst songs of all time: Don McLean's "American Pie" (here is an excellent interpretation of the lyrics).

Anyway...back to the picture above...

I was about to choke and lose my cookies in front of and onto all of my peers! But I didn't!!! And that very moment irrevocably changed my whole life ...forever! A very close call because when I did finish the song I got a standing ovation and an encore--an extremely rare thing in the states!

After the concert, Mr. Lees--the principal in charge of discipline--told me that I reminded him of Woodstock and asked me where I was playing next because he wanted to come see me play again.

The rest is...

HISTORY:

History Experience Biography Equipment

For possibly more up to date info-look at our page on the Estonian Band Database Site:

Link to The Graff Brothers Band Page

on the Estonian Band Database Website:

http://www.dcc.ttu.ee/Bands/get.asp?ident=1598

Link to Estonian Band Database Site in English

(which doesn't give you access to the Live Calendar)

Link to Estonian Band Database Site in Estonian

(which has the Live Calendar of who is playing and where)

History
Experience
Biography
Equipment