Richie Castellano
| Richie Castellano | |
|---|---|
Richie Castellano, member of Blue Öyster Cult, in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Born |
February 7, 1980 Brooklyn, New York City, US |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, vocals |
| Years active | 2004 – present |
| Associated acts | Blue Öyster Cult |
| Website | richiecastellano |
Richie Castellano (born February 7, 1980) is an American musician and engineer, notable as a member of the band Blue Öyster Cult.
A fifth generation musician, Richie Castellano was born in Brooklyn, New York City on February 7, 1980. The Castellano family moved to Staten Island in 1985. He began to study guitar at the age of seven. Among his early musical influences were Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens. By the early 1990s, influenced by the Beatles, he began songwriting, as well as recording on a 16-track reel-to-reel studio he had assembled in the basement of his house. Later influences included Yes, Genesis, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He also cites the music of Queen as an important influence on the development of his musical style.
After spending his first semester of high school at Port Richmond, Staten Island, Castellano transferred to Curtis High School in Staten Island, where he joined the Curtis High School Guitar Ensemble. At that time, Castellano met Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, who became one of his most important mentors. In 1997, inspired in part by Thal's 1995 debut solo album The Adventures of Bumblefoot, Castellano recorded a 13-song solo concept album. This album, entitled Alone in My Basement, was surprisingly successful, selling out of its initial pressing within one month of its release. He won two songwriting awards for one of the songs from Alone in My Basement. The album was also acclaimed in EQ magazine for the unusual methods employed in its recording and production. He won a competition to write a song for his high school graduation. Castellano graduated from Curtis High School in 1998.
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