Eliot Lewis

Eliot Lewis
Eliot Lewis in January 2012.
Background information
Born	(1962-03-10) March 10, 1962 (age 55)
Origin	Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
Genres	Soul, R&B, pop rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1989–present
Associated acts	Average White Band, Hall & Oates, Live From Daryl's House
Website	www.eliotlewis.com

Eliot Lewis (born March 10, 1962) is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work with Average White Band (1989-2002) and Hall & Oates (2003-present). Lewis is also an integral part of Live From Daryl's House, a monthly Internet-based show hosted by Daryl Hall that is now carried by several television and cable networks across the United States. In addition, Lewis maintains his own work and solo career as a multi-instrumentalist and singer.

Lewis grew up in Norwalk, CT, the youngest of three children, in what he describes as a very musical environment. Although his mother was a classical pianist, Lewis’ first instrument was the drums, which he discovered at age 10. When he was 12 years old, he formed his first band, Take Off, with three childhood friends. Richard Totoian, the father of Take Off’s bass player Kevin Totoian, worked for several major record labels and was instrumental in exposing young Eliot to many of the artists of the day, including The Who, Elton John, and Alice Cooper. He even arranged a jam session for the boys at his house with Peter Frampton.

At age 16, Lewis picked up the guitar and began writing his own songs. A few years later, recognizing technology’s potential impact on music, he taught himself keyboards and bass, and learned to program synthesizers. Today, Lewis plays five instruments, and is a completely self-contained songwriter and musician.

In his early 20s, Lewis was introduced to Dan Hartman, a singer, songwriter, and record producer responsible for hits such as "Free Ride," "Relight My Fire," and "I Can Dream About You." Lewis began working with Hartman, collaborating on music for some of the day’s top stars and working on albums like Joe Cocker’s Unchain My Heart and Tina Turner’s Simply the Best.