Joe Grushecky (born

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

) is a

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...

ian in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

known for his work with the

Iron City Houserockers The Iron City Houserockers were an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led by the singer and guitarist Joe Grushecky, from 1976 to 1984. History Started in 1976 as the Brick Alley Band by Grushecky, a high school special education ...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s; and for his works since the late the 1980s with his act Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers; and for his solo career. After his days with the Iron City Houserockers he continued to have moderate success, mainly in the

area.

Biography

In 1976, Joe Grushecky, a high school special education teacher, started the Brick Alley Band. They signed to Cleveland International Records in 1977, who rechristened them the

. The band's first album was '' Love's So Tough'', released in 1979, and was a fair success. Their next album, '' Have a Good Time but Get out Alive!'' (released in 1980), was a bigger success. Two more albums followed, '' Blood on the Bricks'' in 1981 and ''

Cracking Under Pressure ''Cracking Under Pressure'' is a 1983 studio album by the Iron City Houserockers. ''Cracking Under Pressure'' was the Iron City Houserockers' fourth and final album under the moniker (changed slightly) and also their final album released under MC ...

'' (1983 as The Houserockers). By 1984, the band wasn't selling many records anymore and they were dropped by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. They broke up shortly thereafter. After the breakup of the Iron City Houserockers, Grushecky returned home to Pittsburgh where he retook his teaching job (which he still holds). He also began to sharpen his songwriting. He released a single entitled "Good Bye Steeltown". Finally, in 1989, he fully re-emerged with his new act, Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers. Grushecky's first new album since the Iron City Houserockers days was ''Rock & Real'', released in 1989. It would be followed by seven more albums, including 1995's ''

American Babylon ''American Babylon'' is an album by Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, released in 1995. Grushecky supported the album by playing some East Coast and Midwest shows with Bruce Springsteen, his producer. Production The album was produced by Springst ...

'', which was produced by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

. Grushecky's more recent albums include ''Fingerprints'' (2002), ''A Good Life'' (2006), and ''East Carson Street'' (2009).

Discography

Albums

Iron City Houserockers

* 1979: '' Love's So Tough'' * 1980: '' Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive!'' * 1981: '' Blood on the Bricks'' * 1983: ''

'' (The Houserockers) * 1992: '' Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best of the Iron City Houserockers''

Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers

* 1989: ''Rock and Real'' * 1991: ''Swimming With the Sharks'' * 1994: ''End of the Century'' * 1995: ''

'' * 1997: ''Coming Home'' * 1999: ''Down the Road Apiece Live'' * 2004: ''True Companion'' * 2009: ''East Carson Street'' * 2012: ''We're Not Dead Yet: Live at the New Hazlett Theater'' * 2016: ''American Babylon: Live at the Stone Pony'' * 2017: ''More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows''

Joe Grushecky

* 2002: ''Fingerprints'' * 2006: ''Outtakes and Demos 1975-2003'' * 2006: ''A Good Life'' * 2013: ''Somewhere East of Eden'' * 2015: ''It's in My Song''

Singles

Iron City Houserockers

* 1979: "Hideaway" * 1980: "Hypnotized" * 1980: "Junior's Bar" * 1980: "We're Not Dead Yet" * 1981: "Friday Night"

Joey G.

* 1984: "Radio Ears"/"Goodbye Steeltown" * 1985: "Stand Up"/"Victory!"

Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers

* 1989: "How Long" * 1995: "Chain Smoking" * 1995: "Labor of Love" * 1997: "Coming Home" * 2017: "That's What Makes Us Great" (With

) * 2018: "More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grushecky, Joe Living people American rock singers Musicians from Pittsburgh Singers from Pennsylvania Year of birth missing (living people)