Tough Tony, age 11, with pompadour & white sport coat, for a concert performance of "All I Have To Do Is Dream"...in the church Strawberry Festival. Photo: coin-op booth
It started at home...
His mom, Edee, was ironing in the living room, singing to her
favorite songs on Bandstand or Your Hit Parade. Little Tony played
on the floor with his toy cars and trucks, singing along with mom.
They sang the songs of Harry Belafonte, Bill Haley and His Comets,
Johnny Ray, The McGuire Sisters and other artists of the day.
It was the early fifties.
Elvis wailed "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog". His sexuality
so threatened the older generation that The Ed Sullivan Show
cut him off at the waist. As Tony watched, he knew
he must get a guitar and do that too.
It was 1956.
Cool stuff happened in the fifth grade. Tony's music teacher,
Mrs. Kelton (who resembled Andy Taylor's Aunt Bea), actually let him
sing rock 'n roll songs in front of the class ... acappella. Then,
he and a friend put on white sportcoats and guitars they only held ...
and lip-synched "All I Have To Do Is Dream" for the Strawberry
Festival at church. In the school talent show, TJ donned top hat,
tails and cane, as he mimed & danced to "Me & My Shadow".
These performances went over big.
But the real milestone was his first paying gig, at a school canteen.
With Tony on drums, and two classmates on piano and guitar,
(for real) ... "The Magentas" rocked the house.
They named themselves after the color of their shirts.
It was 1958, and Tony Juliano was 11.
This website takes a look at what happened after that.