"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
- Hunter S. Thompson
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger"
- Mark Twain
Dean Madonia was born and raised Kalamazoo Michigan. Dean is both a musician, and a visual artist, and has been playing piano professionally since age 8 when he began to perform during his musician father's breaks at the local Ramada Inn piano bar. Picking up the guitar at age 13, Dean performed his originals in various coffeehouses and bars throughout high-school and while attending Central Michigan University. At Central, Dean starred for two seasons in a local PBS children's television show Acorns and Oak-trees , where he was required to write and perform a song live each week for an audience consisting mostly of faculty children.
Moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the eighties, Dean performed and recorded with over 40 original and cover bands and opened for such diverse acts as: New Grass Revival, Steve Vai, Dee Dee Ramone, Company B, Dottie West, The Romantics, and Ygnwie Malmsteen . In the 90's, Dean's original band, Third Wish/Wyscan released a three song self- titled EP as Third wish. After a name change they released a full length CD also titled Third Wish which was distributed through jazz/fusion guitarist Bon Lozaga's label, Lo Lo Records . On completion of that CD, Dean left Wyscan to record and release his first solo CD, Deep Sky which was released in 1998 to excellent reviews.
Dean began to concentrate more on writing while working in Jon Secada's production studio Heaven Studios with ProTools guru and producer Charles Dye and "Dove" award-winning songwriter Tom McWilliams. There he wrote, recorded and produced for different music projects, signing four songs with Tom under single song contracts with Emilio Estefan's company, Foreign Imported Publishing .
Dean has been making trips to Nashville to write and perform since 1999, and finally settled there in 2002 where he has made a living playing music, performing as a solo act, with his band, and with many Nashville stars including Julie Roberts, Gary Allan and Billy Currington.
Here are some videos:
Dean's Song, "(I Called Her) Tennessee," was released as a single for Tim Dugger on Curb Records, peaking at #40 on the Music Row Chart."
Dean's song "Honor Is Ours," co-written with Keith Ridenour and Scott Avery, is on the soundtrack for the movie "Foodfight!" now available on DVD.
Dean's solo country CD "Country and Midwestern," is available for sale at Cd Baby, Tower Records, Best Buy, iTunes, and many other places.
Dean's rock collaboration with childhood friend, Greg Curvey is called "Pretty Little Horses," and is available from all of the usual digital sources as well as CD Baby.
Dean's 26 track, concept CD, "Shadow To Shadow, Dean Madonia's Frankenstein," is being mastered and will be available in the fall of 2013.
Listen to and download individual tracks on iTunes!
DEAN MADONIA: The Light Of Reason @ Apple iTunes
DEAN MADONIA: Deep Sky @ Apple iTunes
DEAN MADONIA: Madness And Desire, One Night In America - Apple iTunes