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Drummer Liberty DeVitto performs with The Lords of 52nd Street at Suffolk Theater on August 12. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
Sax player Richie Cannata performs with The Lords of 52nd Street at Suffolk Theater on August 12. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
Rhythm guitarist Russell Javors performs with The Lords of 52nd Street at Suffolk Theater on August 12. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
The Suffolk welcomes back The Lords of 52nd Street for the ultimate night of Billy Joel classics on Saturday, August 12, at 8 p.m. Made up of three legendary musicians who recorded on Billy Joel’s classic albums — Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors and Richie Cannata — The Lords of 52nd Street is the most authentic Billy Joel show around.
Beginning with the album “Turnstiles,” DeVitto, Javors and Cannata were hand-picked to help Billy Joel create a new sound. With the success of this album, the band went from playing local colleges and universities across the nation to performing at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
When looking for a music producer for the next album, Billy Joel was offered a record deal with legendary Beatles record producer George Martin, but turned it down after learning Martin was interested in using studio musicians. Billy Joel said, “Love me. Love my band,” and moved on to work with producer Phil Ramone instead. It was then that Ramone and Joel coined DeVitto, Cannata, Javors and Doug Stegmeyer (bassist at the time) as The Lords of 52nd Street and went on to record “The Stranger.” The album was a commercial success with a RIAA diamond certification (10x platinum) and several #1 singles including “Only the Good Die Young” and “Just the Way You Are.”
The Lords of 52nd Street, alongside the Piano Man, led an international tour and performed at famous arenas including Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Budokan, the LA Forum and countless others. The band also performed on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and on the BBC’s “The Old Grey Whistle Test” television program back in 1978. Joel and The Lords of 52nd Street returned to the studio, and recorded Grammy award-winning albums including “52nd Street,” “Glass Houses” and “The Nylon Curtain.”
The band recorded and toured with Joel for over a decade, and it wasn’t until their induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame where they decided to reunite after a 30-year separation. After their 2014 hall of fame induction, The Lords of 52nd Street picked up their instruments yet again, and began performing in front of live audiences together. Still today, they continue to perform the legendary hits that helped establish Billy Joel’s formidable sound exactly as they were recorded.
Tickets for the show are $49 to $59 at thesuffolk.org. Suffolk Theater is at 118 East Main Street, Riverhead.
Staff Writer on Jul 31, 2023