Shore Local Talent: The Billy Walton Band Masters of “Rock ‘n’ Soul” on European tour
By Ryan Gerace
What happens when you mix great songwriting with the thrill of rock n roll, the rich depth of soul music, and a passion for showmanship? The answer comes in the form of New Jersey’s own The Bill Walton Band. Comprised of five key members: Billy Walton himself on guitar & vocals, William Paris on the bass, Eric Safka on keyboard, John D’Angelo on drums and percussion, and Tom Petroccaro on the saxophone.
The band’s leader, Billy Walton, is a vastly experienced professional musician whose beginnings included playing in Asbury Park with local music legend Tony Amato. He built his musical resume by touring with Tony Amato’s band, Baccigalupe, in both Europe and the United States. He even had the chance to sit in with rock legends such as Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray for some of their performances. Since the beginning of his music career, Billy always loved the aspect of songwriting and wanted to share his own music with the world. That is when he decided to form The Billy Walton Band in 2007.
The best way to describe The Billy Walton Band’s sound is a unique hybrid of rock and soul. They give a lot of props to Chuck Barry, a musical legend who was known for bridging together rock and blues sounds. The band has been long influenced by other legends like Jimmy Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd when it comes to guitar techniques as well as Tom White and Van Morrison in regards to great songwriting. The one main aspect that makes the band exciting and garners them fans is their passion for showmanship. When you go to a Bill Walton Band show, you are most likely going to leave sweaty and exhausted from having the best time. This is due to their ability to connect with the audience and get them actively engaged with their music thru their high energy and charismatic performances.
“It’s all about building an atmosphere of a fun live show” explained Billy Walton, “our ‘Jersey’ comes out during our live performances.”
The Billy Walton Band are true Jersey boys at heart and they wear that title loud and proud at every gig they play. They are proud of where they come from and look up to notable New Jersey musical legends like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.
Currently the band has six studio records and two live albums out on iTunes and other streaming platforms. They have made a great name for themselves over in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. They are about to embark on a UK tour on April 4th where they will travel all over the country until April 20th. Previous tours saw them going to European countries such as Germany and Luxembourg. They will be back in the states afterwards and expressed their desire to tour other parts of the United States.
“We usually stay in the tri-state area, but are trying to do more touring in the states” said Billy Walton as he looks towards the near future.
In the upcoming summer of 2019, be sure to catch The Billy Walton Band in Brigantine where they will play once a week every Wednesday. Hear them sing their exciting original songs as well as some cover songs that are always crowd pleasers. To find out more about this electrifying and up and coming “rock n soul” band visit their Facebook page and visit their website www.billywaltonband.com. Also check out their performances on YouTube and listen tot heir music on Apple Music and Spotify.
Ryan Gerace is a recent graduate from La Salle University with a Master’s in Strategic Communication. Born and raised in Linwood, NJ. He enjoys cooking, baking, and community events.
