Jimi Bertucci
Encyclopedia
Jimi Bertucci is an Italian Canadian singer, songwriter
, musician
and composer
. He is best known as the founding member, bassist
and singer-songwriter
for the 1970s pop-rock band Abraham's Children.
, Calabria
, Italy
and immigrated to Canada
at the age of 5.
Still in his teens, he teamed up with a friend, guitarist
Ron Bartley, to form a group called Just Us. Soon percussionist Brian Cotterill and keyboardist
Bob McPherson were added to fill out the lineup. After a couple of name changes and a record deal, Just Us became known as Abraham's Children. As the band’s principal songwriter
, Bertucci penned their first national hit song called "Goodbye Farewell". Other hits followed including "Gypsy", "Thank You" and "Goddess Of Nature". Shawn O'Shea was later added to the group as a second guitaristhttp://www.canadianbands.com/Abraham's%20Children.html. The band toured heavily and extensively throughout the United States
and Canada to large enthusiastic crowds.
Bertucci later went on to become in-house writer
and producer
for United Artists Records
, forming and working with bands like Angel and Space Patrol.
In 1982, he went solo
and signed with the prestigious label A&M Records
, releasing his self-titled album
Jimi B., which received rave reviews and established him as one of Canada's best exports.
Although Bertucci was born in Italy he spent most of his childhood in Toronto
, Canada and has recorded in both English
and Italian
. He now divides his time between Los Angeles
and Toronto. As a prolific songwriter and solo artist
he continues to write and release new material.
On October 20, 2005 he was presented with the Certosa Award for his exceptional contribution to the Arts
by the Serra San Bruno Association, an association representing his home town in Italy http://www.corriere.com/viewstory.php?storyid=44709.
He is the brother-in-law of American
actor
Gary Graham
, best known for his starring role as Detective Matt Sikes in the television series Alien Nation
(1989-1990).
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is best known as the founding member, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
for the 1970s pop-rock band Abraham's Children.
Biography
Jimi Bertucci was born in Serra San BrunoSerra San Bruno
Serra San Bruno is a comune in the Province of Vibo Valentia in the Italian region Calabria, located about 40 km southwest of Catanzaro and about 25 km southeast of Vibo Valentia...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the age of 5.
Still in his teens, he teamed up with a friend, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ron Bartley, to form a group called Just Us. Soon percussionist Brian Cotterill and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Bob McPherson were added to fill out the lineup. After a couple of name changes and a record deal, Just Us became known as Abraham's Children. As the band’s principal songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, Bertucci penned their first national hit song called "Goodbye Farewell". Other hits followed including "Gypsy", "Thank You" and "Goddess Of Nature". Shawn O'Shea was later added to the group as a second guitaristhttp://www.canadianbands.com/Abraham's%20Children.html. The band toured heavily and extensively throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada to large enthusiastic crowds.
Bertucci later went on to become in-house writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
, forming and working with bands like Angel and Space Patrol.
In 1982, he went solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
and signed with the prestigious label A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, releasing his self-titled album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Jimi B., which received rave reviews and established him as one of Canada's best exports.
Although Bertucci was born in Italy he spent most of his childhood in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada and has recorded in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. He now divides his time between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Toronto. As a prolific songwriter and solo artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
he continues to write and release new material.
On October 20, 2005 he was presented with the Certosa Award for his exceptional contribution to the Arts
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
by the Serra San Bruno Association, an association representing his home town in Italy http://www.corriere.com/viewstory.php?storyid=44709.
He is the brother-in-law of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Gary Graham
Gary Graham
Gary Graham is an American actor. He is probably best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series Alien Nation , which was followed by the TV movies Alien Nation: Dark Horizon , Alien Nation: Body and Soul , Alien Nation: Millennium , Alien Nation: The...
, best known for his starring role as Detective Matt Sikes in the television series Alien Nation
Alien Nation (TV series)
Alien Nation is a science fiction television series, loosely based on the movie of the same name. Gary Graham starred as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles police officer reluctantly working with "Newcomer" alien George Francisco , played by Eric Pierpoint...
(1989-1990).