Connecticut Rock 'n' Roll: A History

Long neglected in the annals of American music, the Nutmeg State's influence on the history of rock'n'roll deserves recognition.

Connecticut's musical highlights include the beautiful harmonies of New Haven's Five Satins, Gene Pitney's rise to fame, Stamford's the Fifth Estate and notable rockers such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Saturday Night Live Band's Christine Ohlman. Rock Hall of Famers include Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads and Dennis Dunaway of the Alice Cooper Band. Some events became legend, like Jimi Hendrix's spellbinding performance at Yale's Woolsey Hall, Jim Morrison's onstage arrest at the New Haven Arena and teenage Bob Dylan's appearance at Branford's Indian Neck Folk Festival.

With in-depth interviews as well as rare, never-before-seen photos, author Tony Renzoni leads a sonic trip that captures the spirit and zenith of the local scene.

Tony Renzoni is the author of the well-received books "Connecticut Rock 'n' Roll: A History", "Connecticut Softball Legend Joan Joyce", "Connecticut Bootlegger Queen Nellie Green", and "Historic Connecticut Music Venues: From the Coliseum to the Shaboo". 

His new book Connecticut Music Venues: From the Coliseum to Shaboo is the second in his series on rock 'n' roll in Connecticut.

Tony is a rock 'n' roll enthusiast. He was an avid collector of rock memorabilia for many years, amassing a record collection of over ten thousand vinyl records. One of his hobbies has been researching the rock 'n' roll music scene in Connecticut, as well as nationally.

Tony had a thirty-eight-year career with the federal government. As district manager in Connecticut's Fairfield County, he oversaw the operations of four field offices, serving over 100,000 beneficiaries. He wrote over one thousand weekly columns that were published in the Connecticut Post newspaper and on the paper's website. Tony was a recipient of more than forty awards, including his agency's highest honor award.

Tony Renzoni is a graduate of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield and is a lifelong resident of Connecticut.