Gene Cornish, The Young Rascals and so much more .

Born in 1944, in Ottawa, Canada, Cornish came into the world with music in his blood. His mother, Ada, was a singer for Big Bands, including those led by Woody Herman and Ozzie Nelson. By 1959, he was 15 and had earned a reputation as a talented guitarist. By then, he was fronting his own band, Gene Cornish & The Satelites, with boyhood friend, Pat Proietti. While attending Ben Franklin High School, he started a vocal group called The Nobles, and eventually put out a few records under his own name. In 1964, he moved to New York City and was doing double duty in Joey Dee & The Starliters, and his own group, The Unbeatables. The Unbeatables had a novelty hit with a Cornish song called “I Wanna Be A Beatle.” but lasted only a year. It was in the Starliters that Cornish met singer and keyboard player Felix Cavaliere, and singer Eddie Brigati. All three left to form The Young Rascals with drummer Dino Danelli. After a short few months playing the NY club scene, the explosive R&B flavored rock band was signed by Atlantic Records.They soon became known as one of the best live bands in America. Before 1965 was over, the group would start releasing a string of hit songs that would continue for six years. Brigati left in 1970, and Cornish followed in 1971. The remaining Rascals went in a jazz rock direction, but Cornish stayed true to his love of rock and roll. He re-emerged in 1973, with Dino Danelli in a band called Bulldog, and the pair remained together through a second rock band, called Fotomaker.The Rascals reunited for one tour in 1988. In 1997, were inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Gene Cornish reunited with the other 3 Rascals in 2010 for a star-studded benefit show. In 2013, Cornish a full-blown Rascals reunion finally happened. Gene participated (with the original Rascals line up) in the acclaimed stage production: The Rascals- Once Upon A Dream, which toured North America after a sold out run on Broadway.