Bill Capozzi photo by David Guerrieri
Starting out as a large babe with very long hair, Bill Capozzi was chomped by the music monster very early on. The radio and records were constant on his parents’ stereo console. He auditioned for drummer in grade school and passed the audition in the Springtime. It was mentioned he attend Summer lessons. This was not to happen. Attend school in the Summer? Get real.
Upon returning to school he picked up the Sousaphone (aka the bass) because all his friends did, but he quickly became the lead player.
Playing music was his main focus starting at the age of 9. These were fantastic years of learning; marching band, concert band, solo competitions, you know, kid stuff. It was around this time he first laid his eyes upon a full rack of electric guitars, hearing hard rock music from his older brother’s stereo coming through the bedroom wall while also discovering that playing and listening to music created unbridled happiness.
At 13 he removed the dust covered guitar out of brother Nick’s room and started twisting the tuners and plucking the four remaining strings. He discovered that he had the “ear” and over the next five years taught himself to play the guitar playing along with his records, figuring out bass lines and melodies. Albums by The Beatles, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Yes, The Eagles, these were some of his earliest musical influences.
At 18 he started playing live music with friends in bands and has not looked back since. He is constantly learning old chords and new songs and now, in his mid-forties, feels incredibly privileged to have the ability to play bass, guitar, piano, drums, etc.
During his time with CA3 and the Rockin45s he has seen hundreds upon hundreds of smiling faces possibly experiencing some of their own unbridled happiness.