Jimi Bertucci (born October 22, 1951) is an
Italian Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and composer. He is best known as the founding member, bassist and singer-songwriter for the 1970s
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
band
Abraham's Children.
Biography
Jimi Bertucci was born in
Serra San Bruno
Serra San Bruno (Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Vibo Valentia in the Italy, Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Vibo Valentia. As of 31 ...
, Calabria, Italy and immigrated to Canada at the age of 5.
Still in his teens, he teamed up with a friend, guitarist
Ron Bartley, to form a group called Just Us. Soon percussionist
Brian Cotterill and keyboardist
Bob McPherson were added to fill out the lineup. After a couple of name changes and a record deal, Just Us became known as Abraham's Children. As the band's songwriter, Bertucci penned their first national
hit song
A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...
called "Goodbye Farewell". Other hits followed including "Gypsy", "Thank You" and "Goddess of Nature". Shawn O'Shea was later added to the group as a second guitarist.
The band toured heavily and extensively throughout the United States and Canada.
Bertucci later went on to become in-house writer and producer for
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
History Genres
In 1958 ...
, forming and working with bands like Angel and Space Patrol.
In 1982, he went solo and signed with
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
, releasing his self-titled album ''Jimi B.'', which received rave reviews and established him as one of Canada's best exports.
Although Bertucci was born in Italy he spent most of his childhood in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada and has recorded in both English and Italian. He now divides his time between Los Angeles and Toronto. As a prolific songwriter and solo artist he continues to write and release new material.
On October 20, 2005 he was presented with the Certosa Award for his contribution to
the Arts
The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...
by the Serra San Bruno Association, an association representing his home town in Italy.
He is the brother-in-law of American actor
Gary Graham, best known for his starring role as Detective Matt Sikes in the television series ''
Alien Nation
''Alien Nation'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Rockne S. O'Bannon (later known for ''Farscape''), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with ...
'' (1989–1990).
In 2009 Bertucci co-founded the
Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto.
Singles
*Hot Love 1972
*Goodbye Farewell 1972
*Gypsy 1973
*Thank You 1973
*Rockin in the City 1974
*Back Home 1974
*Goddess of Nature 1975
*Deni 1976
See also
*
Italians in Toronto
References
External links
Jimi Bertucci site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bertucci, Jimi
Living people
1951 births