VINNY STAGNITTA
» Location: BABYLON L.I. N.Y.
Original Date:10/24/2000 7:55:29pm
From:DEAR FRANK, IN MY OPINION, AND IM SURE, THERES MANY OTHERS, THAT THINK YOUR THE BEST GUITAR PLAYER THAT EVER LIVED ! BUT IN MY HEART, I FEEL THAT I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST, AND PROBABLY YOUR OLDEST FAN. ALL IT TOOK WAS A 5 SECOND CLIP OF "MAKIN' MY WAVE" IN THE RADIO AD FOR THE RELEASE OF "CHILD OF THE NOVELTY". AT THE RECORD STORE I FOUND "MAXOOM " . THAT WAS NEARLY 27 YEARS AGO... I TURNED ON ANY ROCK LOVER I COULD TO YOUR MUSIC, ALWAYS PLAYED IT LOUD. I HAD EVERY RECORD. THE STRANGE THING WAS, THE RADIO PLAY. MY LOCAL ROCK STATION, (102.3 WBAB, BABYLON L.I. N.Y.) ONLY PLAYED YOUR STUFF WHEN I REQUESTED IT. BY THE WAY, THATS THE STATION THAT PLAYED THE AD ! THEY WERE SMALL BACK THEN, WORKED OUT OF A SHACK . I WOULD CALL SO MUCH , THEY STARTED CALLING ME "MR. MAHOGANY". D.J. RALPH TORTORE WHO'S STILL WITH WBAB GAVE ME THE NAME. THERE WERE TIMES I'D CALL TO REQUEST A TRACK OFF A NEW RELEASE, THEY DIDIN'T HAVE A COPY. I WOULD GO TO THE STATION WITH MINE, AND THEY PLAYED MY FAVORITE TRACK, AND EVEN LET ME INTRODUCE IT LIVE ON THE RADIO ! WHAT A RUSH ! TO THIS DAY I STILL CALL FOR MY DOSE OF MARINO, ANY SONG. THEY PLAYED "THE ANSWER" LIVE. I HAD A DENIM JACKET THAT I DREW ALL THE ALBUM COVERS ON THE BACK. FROM "MAXOOM" TO "JUGGERNAUT". EVERY CONCERT I DREAMED OF MEETING YOU IN PERSON, THE MAN HIMSELF, THE ULTIMATE GUITAR WARRIOR ! THEN ONE NIGHT IT HAPPEND, MY DREAM COME TRUE ! I SHAKE THE HAND OF FRANK MARINO ! YEA, FOR ME THAT WAS A BIG DEAL BACK THEN ! MAN ! THE PROOF WAS ON MY JACKET, YOUR'S AND PAUL HARWOOD'S BASS GUITAR SHAPED SIGNATURE ! IF I CAN RECALL, I THINK IT WAS AT THE PALADIUM IN N.Y.C. SOME MONSTER METAL CONCERT. I REMEMBER MOTOR HEAD WAS ALSO IN THE HOUSE. I TOOK A CHANCE WAITING OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR, WAS IT THE RIGHT DOOR ? YES ! THE SHOW THAT REALLY BLEW ME AWAY WAS AT THE GARDEN (M.S.G.) N.Y.C. WITH KANSAS. THAT WAS THE BEST SHOW I EVER SAW IN MY LIFE ! BY ANYONE ! IF KANSAS DIDIN'T PLAY, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE BY ME. YOU KICKED SOME N.Y. ASS THAT NIGHT ! YES, I AM A DREAMER, AND THIS DREAM, WELL, THIS ONE WOULD NEVER COME TRUE. I CANT BE THAT LUCKY . I KEPT THE DREAM ALIVE, NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS OF THIS DREAM BECOMING THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE ! FOR YEARS I'VE BEEN ROCK'IN IN BANDS OF MY OWN. NO, AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE GUITAR, I DONT PLAY ONE. I'VE BEEN A LEAD SINGER. SURE I DREAM OF BEING A BIG ROCK STAR, DOESNT EVERY-ONE ? WELL, I GOT PRITTY DAM CLOSE ! ONE NIGHT I WAS A BIG ROCK STAR. THATS HOW I FELT ANYWAY. THAT WAS THE NIGHT OF NIGHTS FOR ME . THIS WAS THE NIGHT THAT MY BAND "CANNON", THE BAND THAT I WAS IN , WOULD BE THE SPECIAL GUESTS, OPENING THE SHOW FOR..... FRANK MARINO and MAHOGANY RUSH LIVE! at SUNDANCE - BAY SHORE, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK NOT MANY PEOPLE EVER GET TO KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE ! THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE ! TO GROW UP LISTENING TO YOUR FAVORITE BAND, GETTING TICKETS TO THEIR CONCERTS, BUY'IN THEIR RECORDS, READING THE REVIEWS, GETTING THEIR AUTOGRAPH, ETC.ETC. WOW ! I DIED AND WENT TO HEAVEN ! ITS THINGS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE YOU GLAD TO BE ALIVE!!! WELL FRANK, I NEVER MEANT TO WRITE YOU A SHORT STORY BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW YOU AND YOUR MUSIC REALLY EFFECTS PEOPLE. I JUST GOT ON LINE AND I CAME UPON YOUR WEB SITE. I GOT THE ADDRESS FROM FINGERS AND GAIL FLUGE OF , WELL GUESS WHERE ? FINGERS METAL SHOP 102.3 WBAB ! LOOKS LIKE WEVE COME FULL CIRCLE. IM GETTING "EYE OF THE STORM". CANT WAIT, FEELS LIKE OLD TIMES ! IM STILL KICKIN THE ROCK N ROLL IN A BAND CALLED COOL STUFF IN MY LOCAL AREA. STILL HAVIN FUN ! ITS A FUNNY THING, NEVER GETTING TO OLD TO ROCK. YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY MADE ME WRITE ALL THIS ? YOUR 24-7 RADIO STATION ! IM IN A TIME MACHINE ! THIS IS GREAT ! OH MAN, DO I FEEL GOOD ! AFTER ALL THIS TIME, IM GLAD I'VE HAD THIS CHANCE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR A LIFE TIME OF REALLY GREAT ROCK N ROLL ! HOPE WE MEET AGAIN SOMETIME..... I CAN DREAM, CANT I ? VINNY "THE VIN MAN " STAGNITTA