Bobby Bandiera

Robert Bandiera
Bandiera performing with Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, Lake Como, New Jersey, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Robert Bandiera
Born	(1952-10-26) October 26, 1952 (age 64)
Genres	Rock, blues
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass guitar
Years active	1969–present
Associated acts	Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Website	bobbandiera.com
Notable instruments
Fender Telecasters PRS guitars Music Man guitars Yamaha guitars Gibson Les Paul various Takamine Guitars Gibson Firebird Gibson Flying V Duesenberg guitars Gretsch guitars Vox Brian Jones signature guitar

Bobby Bandiera (born October 26, 1952) is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter from New Jersey. Bandiera played rhythm guitar for Bon Jovi in live performances from 2005 until 2015 and was lead guitarist for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Bandiera and his band (The Bobby Bandiera Band) have backed Bruce Springsteen at benefit concerts.

Bandiera began playing in clubs over 45 years ago at the age of 16. He was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey. They debuted in 1970, and were the house band for years at Dodd's in Orange, New Jersey and D'Jais in Belmar, New Jersey, where Bandiera still makes occasional appearances.

In the early 1980s, Bandiera recorded a series of songs with Paul Czekaj and John "Otto" De Gennaro, With Bobby playing lead guitar and singing. His brother, Frank, accompanied them on drums on "Rock and Roll Boy" . The style of guitar he played on these songs relates more toward a country western influence, said to have come from his mother. The songs were not released until 2009, on an album titled "The Saved Recordings" by Paul Czekaj. The listing of the tracks Bandiera was featured on is: "I Want You Back Again," "Rock and Roll Boy," "It Won't Happen Again," and "In The Middle of the Night". "In The Middle of the Night" was written by John "Otto" De Gennaro and Paul Czekaj .

A local legend on the Jersey Shore associated with the Jersey Shore sound, Bandiera's appearances with other local legends Cats on a Smooth Surface date back to the early 1980s and clubs such as The Stone Pony, when Bruce Springsteen would jump onstage with them on Sunday nights. Bandiera was considered for the guitarist position in the E Street Band for the Born in the U.S.A. Tour in 1984 when Steve Van Zandt left the band, but this position went to Nils Lofgren. In 1985, Bandiera replaced Billy Rush as guitarist for Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, a position he holds to this day. In the mid-1990s, Bandiera and Southside Johnny made a number of shows as a duo. He has also played with Dave Edmunds, and has his own band, the Bob Bandiera Band, which performs regularly in the New Jersey area when Bobby is not on tour.