Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto (born August 8, 1950 in New York City ) is an American rock musician , best known as the longtime drummer of Billy Joel .
Career
DeVitto was born in New York City , the son of an Italian-born police officer in the New York City Police Department . After seeing the Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, DeVitto began learning to play the drums by himself . At the age of 17 he started making music with his friend Russell Javors . In high school , the two met Doug Stegmeyer , with whom they and Howard Emerson formed the band Topper . The group performed with songs that Javors had written in the 1970s. During this time, Billy Joel became aware of Topper . Since Joel needed a bass player for his Streetlife Serenade Tour , he invited Doug Stegmeyer to play in his band. This then persuaded Javors and DeVitto to also play for Joel, so that Topper became The Billy Joel Band .
After working with Billy Joel for 30 years, Liberty DeVitto stopped taking part in the musician's 2006 tour. At this point he was the longest-serving member of the band, as he had been a member of the formation since the turnstiles recordings . On May 19, 2009, he filed a lawsuit against Joel and Sony Music in the Manhattan State Supreme Court on the grounds that they owed him ten years of royalties . DeVitto is not listed as a songwriter on any of the Billy Joel albums , but claims to have helped Joel on a few tracks. In April 2010, Billy Joel's lawyer announced that an amicable settlement had been reached. However, terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
social commitment
Since 2003, DeVitto has been an official supporter of Little Kids Rock , a non-profit organization that provides free instruments and music lessons to underserved schools across the United States . The drummer personally donated instruments, performed at charity events for the organization and is now on the board of Little Kids Rock .
Private
DeVitto is the father of actress Torrey DeVitto .
Discography
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Individual evidence
- ↑ Mal Westerly: BILLY JOEL's Former Drummer Files Lawsuit, Liberty DeVitto Says He's Owed $$$ . MusicNewsNet.com. May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ↑ Billy Joel settles lawsuit with former drummer . telegraph.co.uk. April 21, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | DeVitto, Liberty |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rock musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 8, 1950 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City , New York , USA |