Book a Band Listing

Harry “O”, as he is known, was born in New York City in 1950 and was raised in Harlem. At the age of 13, he taught himself how to play guitar. By the 1970's, Harry “O” was a regular at the East Village blues jams being held at Broadway Charlie’s and Dan Lynch’s; sitting in with some of New York’s better known blues guitarists such as, Jonathan Kalb and Jon Paris. In 1978, he joined The New York Sound Exchange, one of many show/dance bands in which he played over the years, working various hotel lounges 6 nights/week/48 weeks a year, all over the country. In 1994 after a 2 year stint with Sun recording artist Eddie Snow, he formed Oysters Rockefeller, a hard working Blues and R&B based Band. The year 2000 marked the beginning of a two year stay in Chicago, where Harry “O” had the opportunity to share the stage and play guitar with such blues notables as: Chico Banks, The Bel-Aires, Billy Branch, Phil Guy and the Machine, Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, Willie Kent and the Gents, Johnnie Marshall, John Primer, and Sonny Rhodes. Harry Has been an S.I.T. String endorsing Artist for over ten years! Influences: I have always been influenced by what I heard on the radio. As a young boy, growing up in Harlem (New York City), I was listening to the likes of Ray Charles, Frankie Limon and the teenagers, The Platters and The Drifters, as well as a variety of Doo-Whop singing groups and maistream acts such as Mel Torrme, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin and don't forget the current (at the time) Jazz based TV themes. Later on The Ventures and Beach Boys from California became popular along with the British Invasion. After the Beatles I guess I was most influenced by the Blues based bands such as The Yardbirds, (Clapton, Beck and Page) which led to my studying the blues and later on Jazz