Felix Cavaliere recalls ‘rascally’ days in R.I

Don Fowler
Posted 11/27/14

Legendary singer/songwriter Felix Cavaliere is enjoying a 50-year career, filled with fond memories of people and places. Some of his fondest memories are of Rhode Island.

“Did you know that …

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Felix Cavaliere recalls ‘rascally’ days in R.I

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Legendary singer/songwriter Felix Cavaliere is enjoying a 50-year career, filled with fond memories of people and places. Some of his fondest memories are of Rhode Island.

“Did you know that back in the ’60s you had to make it in Providence to get a hit record? The radio stations throughout New England played a crucial role in the music industry.”

“I always enjoyed coming to Rhode Island,” he said. “The people, especially the Italian families, always gave me a good reception. Being on the road, I always missed a good, home-cooked meal. Many Italian families would invite me to dinner, and that really meant something to me.”

Felix remembers the Warwick Musical Theatre and dining at Alfredo’s.

“I lived in Connecticut for 10 years and had many friends in Rhode Island. My life’s been one big tour. It’s a never-ending story, and here we go again. The road, then and now, is so important. I love when parents bring their children to my concerts. I’m playing music that I played before many of them were even born. They are curious about the early days of rock and roll. In the older days, there was no Internet or Facebook. Music was our connection.

“I’ll always remember The Young Rascals Number 1 hit of 1968, ‘People Got To Be Free.” It was written right after the assassination of Robert Kennedy,” Cavaliere recalled. “The song is as relevant today as it was when the Berlin Wall came down.”

Cavaliere remains one of the most accessible performers in the business, always wanting to connect with his audience. Ask him about his long career and just sit back and listen to the stories about his friendship with Billy Joel, his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his stint with Joey Dee and the Starlighters and his current writing of his memoirs, which should be quite a story.

“In the early days, there weren’t the nice places [like the Park Theatre] to perform,” he said. “We played basketball courts, we followed rodeos. I remember playing the old Boston Garden with the Dave Clark Five. The acoustics weren’t the best.”

Felix Cavaliere will be playing in a venue with excellent acoustics, doing Christmas music and many of his “oldies,” backed by the Cranston East Choir on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. It should be quite an evening.

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