It was wonderful to sit down at last with multi-BMI Award-winning composer, conductor, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, Bennett Salvay. Scheduled to join me on March 11th, 2020, I chickened as he and wingman, Pete George, had very recently flown (and boy were their arms tired), and the COVID threat was ever-growing. Two days later we were in lockdown. Here, 19 months later we be. Some things, and people, are worth waiting for.

Bennett was working on the Linda Ronstadt doc, Linda and The Mockingbirds, with Jackson Browne, a follow-up doc to Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice, which Bennett scored, which won the Critics Choice award for Best Music Documentary of 2019, when the crazy hit. We talked about the projects Bennett's completed during the pandemic, including a new feature, Bonded as well as various and sundry other projects. What makes it all so stunning is that he's doing all this, as well as playing, keys and golf, fishing, all after a nearly fatal accident which affected... well, no spoilers. Please watch. Bennett's resilience, courage, and gratitude saved the man, the music, the links, but has cost some fish their lives. And, is an inspiration almost beyond compare.

Playing keys, sax, and flute, Bennett began playing in his teens. His first professional gig was with Long John Baldry. Bennett had a hit with Bang Bang, but it was working for Garry Marshall that turned out to be the game-changer. At 21, Bennett was hired as a PA (translation:: gofer) for Garry Marshall's shows. Within months he was the music coordinator for Mork And Mindy, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, where he segued to composer. He jammed with Robin Williams, arranged a singing Anson Williams, and Lenny and the Squidtones, where as fate would have it he would meet guitarist, one day to become a close friend, and an Emmy-Winning composer himself, Snuffy Walden, who, after a string of smash hit sitcoms, including Full House, and Perfect Strangers, moved Bennett into hour-long drama with their collaborations on Friday Night Lights, Providence, and Early Edition, to name but three.

There were films to score, the Jeepers Creepers series, #1 at the box office, The Wolf of Wall Street, five James Keach docs to date, as well working with The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Rob Zombie, Motley Crue, and continues to work extensively with Cheap Trick.

Bennett Salvay has stories to spare, perseverance to admire, and talent out the wazoo. I'll be thinking twice about complaining and wimping out on anything, any time soon.

Bennett Salvay Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson

Wed, 10/20/21/, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET

Streamed Live on my Facebook

Replay here

https://bit.ly/3nceg9u

All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on

iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3

Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fla

tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj

Also on iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Voox, OwlTail, Backtracks, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Podchaser, and Listen Notes

Thanks to Rick Smolke of Quik Impressions, the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. quikimpressions.com

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