Tony Visconti
| Tony Visconti | |
|---|---|
Tony Visconti, 2007
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| Background information | |
| Born | April 24, 1944 |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, arranger, musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, piano, flute, recorder, mandolin |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Associated acts | David Bowie, T. Rex, The Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, Strawbs, Ralph McTell, Hazel O'Connor, Sparks, Kristeen Young, Morrissey, Richard Barone, Thin Lizzy, Afraid of Mice, Alejandro Escovedo, Kaiser Chiefs, Prefab Sprout, Holy Holy |
| Website | Official website |
Anthony Edward "Tony" Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's second album in 1969 to the 2016 release Blackstar, Visconti produced and occasionally performed on many of Bowie's albums.
Visconti was born in Brooklyn, New York. He started to play the ukulele when he was five years old, and then learned guitar. He attended New Utrecht High School. Throughout his teenage years Visconti was involved with both a classical brass band (playing tuba) and a traditional orchestra (playing double bass), as well as playing rock 'n' roll-oriented guitar, valuable experience which served him well in later years. By the age of 15 he focused his efforts playing in local Brooklyn bands.
After leaving school he played guitar in a band called Ricardo & the Latineers in the Catskills; the band also included Artie Butler, later a leading arranger. In 1960 he played his first recording session, and over the next few years became one of the leading guitarists in New York nightclubs. He played in lounge acts including the Ned Harvey band, and the Speedy Garfin Band, before joining a touring version of The Crew-Cuts, where he met his future wife. As Tony and Siegrid, the pair released two singles; the first, "Long Hair", was a regional hit in New York in 1966, but they could not maintain its success.
Visconti then became in-house producer for his publisher, the Richmond Organization. Through this, he met British producer Denny Cordell in 1968 while he was working as Richmond's in-house music producer. Cordell asked him to assist in recordings for successful jazz vocalist Georgie Fame. Visconti moved to London—in a move that would soon become career-defining.
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