Tony had been in the Army, and heard steel guitar music. Discover Johnny Farina's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. It was only my fathers insight. Robert. The dreamy tune evokes feelings of sweet romance that are rooted deep within all of us. So, how much is Johnny Farina worth at the age of 82 years old? That tune, in turn, then influenced the Beatles on their own "Sun King.". It was a painting and when the paintings painted, its painted. They even ended up with their own TV show in Italy and went on to earn another gold record for their version of the theme from the movie The Godfather. Sleep Walk brought them to Europe. actually, can you recommend any? He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name. Port Isabel Texas. Santo Anthony Farina and John Steven Farina were born in Brooklyn, New York, to Anthony and Josephine Farina: Santo on October 24, 1937, and Johnny on April 30, 1941. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Once this was discovered, many postings were retracted, citing the misunderstanding and emphasizing that the steel guitarist is indeed still alive although his whereabouts are currently unknown. Rick: The song came out in 59, right? His name was Eddie Bell. Johnny Farina: Its like anything else. He heard this beautiful-sounding instrument and thats what turned him on to the steel guitar. There was a dealer in New York on Broadway. "Sleep Walk" continues to be popular owing to consistent radio airplay as well as its usage for commercials, television programs, and movies. "I hope people start to get back into songs that have strong melodies, and great chord changes. [2] My Grandfather, Joe, used to talk to Santo all the time on the phone when he was still alive and I was young. We wrote and recorded so many songs. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had? He was drafted into the army. Country and Western stars and musicians of the South Pacific held their ground with the same instrument combination. By 1960 Id been playing guitar for about four years, and I learned Sleep Walkby ear from listening to the radio and I continued to perform it through my teenage years playing the club circuit.. It's sometimes reported that their mother or sister helped, but this is apparently false.) The early years when Sleep Walk became #1. Guitar International Magazine Theres not much more for me to learn, I want to be a rock star. I can fish. And Ill never stop playing it., Our site uses cookies. New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born October . Santo & Johnny were inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2002. I like to go boating, but the instrument, I always thought that was part of it. No secret, we played it from our heart, not from a book or music lessons. Playing the steel is like singing. 1, released on his Aniraf label. Santo & Johnny were an Italian-American rock and roll duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising brothers Santo and Johnny Farina. In celebration of the songs 60thanniversary, Johnny Farina is performing a special show at New York Citys the Cutting Room on April 20. I was 16 and my brother was 19. Here is Carlton playing with Johnny on steel guitar: I actually thought if they came out with a vocal version, who knows, maybe Lady Gaga might do it. They also had their own TV Show in Italy.Johnny has kept the magical steel guitar sound alive performing as a solo artist all over the country since the early 70's.Appearances include The Greek Theater in California, The Paramount Theater in NYC, They Hollywood Casino in Mississippi, Ruth Echard Hall in Florida, The Continental Arena/The Meadowlands in New Jersey, The Philharmonic Center in Naples, Florida, The Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Madison Square Garden in NYC, Harrahs in Las Vegas, etc.1999 was a great year for "Sleep Walk", it earned BMI's Millionaires Award symbolizing 2 million airplays on the radio. After hearing a steel guitar by radio, he wrote to his wife, "I'd like the boys to learn to play this instrument". Santo would play steel guitar with Johnny accompanying him on traditional six-string, and that tape deck enabled the brothers to keep track of their compositions. Johnny is also the president of Aniraf, Inc., an international record company based in New York City. They did their own thing on it. Their technique was so fast. I have no problem with that. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. The Beatles, especially George Harrison, were big fans of Sleep Walk. Harrison once released a song called Marwa Blues which was influenced by Sleep Walk. A John Lennon song, Free As A Bird, also bears resemblance to the soft, slide steel guitar sound of Farinas record. Johnny Farina: He used to have a program with the King Sisters or something on TV years ago. Johnny Farina plays Savannah Center Thursday with Rocky and the Rollers. Thats basically how we got introduced to a guitar. This trio appeared at local dances and parties, performing both original compositions and some Hawaiian standards. In time they would pull together a piece called Sleep Walk so named because when they couldnt sleep they would stay up playing and recording. You dont remember me from last night? [Both Laughing]. Sleep Walk, Im concerned that it was born instrumental and it will remain instrumental, unless something happens likeall of a sudden a movie deal comes in and I have to sign off on it, negotiate and so forth. Its easy to play. This allowed him to experiment even more, and he tried different tunings until he found ones that appealed to him. Dream Wife on Social Lubrication and why Rock n Roll is an extreme sport. Gary James' Interview With Johnny Farina Of Santo And Johnny Their song, an instrumental song called "Sleep Walk" spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard charts in September, 1959. Johnny Farina: He was. I think perhaps the most impact that it had for me was when it was used in La Bamba, when they had the funeral scene at the end. Johnny Farina Santo Farina Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll duo from Brooklyn, New York. The Farina brothers began to gather fans from Brooklyn to Long Island.As their popularity grew locally they recorded a couple of demo tapes. The guy would actually blow a smoke ring across Broadway. The best time of my career is when I heard Sleep Walk on the radio for the first time. I had a girl sing it and it was really good. Santo and Johnny split up the act during the mid-1970s. In 1973, Santo & Johnny recorded the theme to the movie The Godfather, which went to #1 in Italy and stayed at that spot for 21 weeks. The song is played at the start and also near the end of the film, during a funeral for Valens. I would have to say Larry Carlton is my favorite cover of Sleep Walk. The Farina brothers would garner a #1 hit and gold record in Italy for their recording of The Godfather theme, a #1 hit in Mexico with an instrumental of The Beatles now classic, And I Love Her, as well as be honored to see Brian Setzer gather up a Grammy Award for his version of Sleep Walk. People are more educated today. They know when to take a breath. But despite this lack of wider acclaim, Johnny Farina is still going strong to this day, and despite his brother retiring nearly 50 years ago, the 80-year-old still travelling around the world wowing fans (pandemic permitting) with the chops he and his brother first learned at his father's behest. Rick: Sometimes the silence between notes is as important as the notes. 11 guitarists who shaped Derek Trucks' sound, Joe Bonamassa plays AC/DCs Back in Black like youve never heard it before in this soulful rhythm n blues reimagining, How Jeff Beck passed the Telecaster torch to Jimmy Page and changed the course of rock history, Nuno Bettencourt says Prince once called him one of the top three guitar players in the world, Watch two bassists shred-off using Tosin Abasi's selective picking technique. Its so special to me, because Sleep Walk became my life, and to know it was never an oldie, or doo-wop, and can connect with any time. We never heard a steel guitar. That was good. I've written a movie script and a soundtrack for it, just shopping it around. 1 in 1959 and remains one of the most iconic songs of all-time. Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll music duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising brothers Santo and Johnny Farina.They are known best for their in. It was in a movie called All I Want for Christmas, with Cher, A Smile Like Yours, The Locust, Mermaids. Johnny Farina: Yeah, it was called Sleepwalkers. Rick: In trying to cover a classic, its really difficult to get the feel of the original, I think, in many cases. We have a different style of playing and phrasing developed through years of playing the steel guitar, an instrument that was primarily used for country and Hawaiian music, mostly in the background, until Santo and I brought it into Rock n' Roll in the 50s in our own style as the lead instrument. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. The two brothers wrote it one night, when they couldnt sleep after playing a gig, and started jamming. I never forgot the day that my brother and I were walking in front of our parents. Still touring and keeping Sleep Walk alive! "It's a song that won't die. The brothers eventually came to the attention of a music publishing company and signed a song writer's contract and eventually a contract with Canadian-American Records. We have estimated I was totally taken by so many steel guitar players, one after another, would just come up and just play. Youre right, the first part. Santo and Johnny are known best for. Report an Issue | Their father was drafted into the Army while they were children and was stationed for some time in Oklahoma. During that time he was stationed in Texas and Oklahoma. My first meeting, when I brought a demo of Sleep Walk around, and found someone to finally listen to it, and he really thought it was a great record and would be a big hit. This is the first time we start to talk and I actually met him. What has made you laugh lately and what touched (emotionally) you from the music circuits? But Carltons 1982 version, Sleepwalkis one of the most beloved. When I spoke with him last, we started talking about death a little bit. We were inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame about 10 years ago and I was down in St. Louis. I dont know if you ever heard of him. Somehow the future of music seems to be in a total different direction where the melody is very hard to find.". In a Letter to the Editor, a Villager says that restaurants should not allow smoking in outdoor areas. There on the radio he heard this beautiful music, it was the sound of the steel guitar. Rick, could you help me directing me on hot to go about obtaining permission to use sleepwalk (Santo and Johnny) for a TV ad? That scene always gets to me, because I loved Ritchies music, Farina said. It could be Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Do you know what Im saying? We looked at him and didnt understand it. It made me laugh a lot because he was a guitar player, and him walking around with the violin in his shorts was something to see. Rick: Very appropriate too. [12], For the band's self-titled debut album, see, Santo & Johnny, guests of the television program "Tutto pop", Turin, 1972, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Johnny Farina bringing musical talent to 'Original Lead Singers' show", "The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (list of inductees)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santo_%26_Johnny&oldid=1149134047, Produttori Associati/Canadian-American 7054, This page was last edited on 10 April 2023, at 11:29. Im not sure why we started talking about it. A regular guitar has frets, a steel guitar you must make the frets with a steel bar, and also has different tunings, and some steel guitars have more strings. Is Johnny Rodriguez country singer still alive? Sleep Walk has become such a classic, and was said to have inspired both Fleetwood Macs Albatross and, indirectly, the Beatles Sun King. Over the years did you ever hear from any of the artists who were inspired by your song? Thank you so very much. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, The boys were young when their Dad was drafted into the Army and stationed in Oklahoma. He was clever. Rick Landers: Yeah, he was wonderful. Its sort of like a scary movie because thats the trend today. Which was the best and worst moment of your career? They put the 45 on and its Betsy Brice singing Sleep Walk. Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by WayOutWardell, Jun 8, 2016. Johnny Farina was 16, when he and his brother, Santo, released the all-time classic instrumental, Sleep Walk. 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So he bought one for his sons, along with a tape recorder. Johnny made the rounds of the New York record companies. Our first record session, when we recorded Sleep Walk. But with Sleep Walk, it could be La Bamba or Eddie and the Cruisers. [6], Upon returning from World War II, the boys' father found a music teacher who gave the boys steel guitar lessons. Sleep Walkhas twice had an impact on my life, says Larry Carlton the session legend would go on to be heavily associated with the song, having recorded a hugely popular version of it himself in the 80s.