Oseary - Jews Who Rock

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Jews Who Rock is dedicated to my mother, Gila, and to my father, Yossi. It is also dedicated to my best friend, partner in life, and the most rocking Jew of all, Madonna.

Thank you to everyone who helped me work on this book: Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Jakob Dylan, Perry Farrell, Anthony Kiedis, Lenny Kravitz, Mike Diamond, David Geffen, Dan Green, Ken Hertz, Harvey Hertz, Sophia Tsilidas, Scott Cooke, Bill Vuylsteke, Shelly Venemann, Elizabeth Beier, Michael Connor, and all of St. Martins Press. David Vigliano, Mike Shea, and the Alternative Press crew, and Scott Sandler, Jonathan Looghran, Ari Emanuel, Nick Stevens, and Josh Richman all provided invaluable assistance. A big thanks to Chris Rock for letting me use his last name in the title of this book.

Additional material and editing by Jason Pettigrew and Rob Cherry at Alternative Press magazine.

Additional research and material by Edwin Camacho.

Mike Shea would also like to thank Peter Grossman/Retna, Helen Ashford/Michael Ochs Archives, Jenny Barbee/Shooting Star, Karen Moss/Warner Brothers Records, Sheila Richman/Island Def Jam Records, and Edwin Camacho for the home-stretch run. And, especially, Guy Oseary, for the chance to work on such a great project.

In 1978, I was bar mitzvahed at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on West Sixty-eighth Street in Manhattan. It was a midsized event as those things go, no party at the nearby Tavern on the Green, which at the time was the place to celebrate after becoming a man. We had our party in the underground auditorium of the synagogue. It was much less ostentatious and much more homey, my mom said.

I invited most of my eighth-grade friends, and my parents invited most of their relatives. The only party crasher I recall was Warner Wolf, the local sportscaster, who was a frequent Saturday morning shul attendee. My haftorah never made his highlight reel, probably because, as I later learned from the cantor who tutored me for six months prior, I modulated three octaves during the singing part. It wasnt until years later that I understood the meaning of modulation. All I knew at the time was that I sang out of key.

I was not born a singer.

But I, like many kids my age, was a big rock and roll fan. At thirteen, I was in a band called Capital Punishment, anchoring the rhythm section of our guitar-based quartet, playing the white Slingerland drum kit my mother had shelled out for the previous Christmas (dont askmy parents sent mixed messages).

The Beatles, the Who, and Bruce Springsteen were my musical heroes of choice, with an occasional foray into Joe Jackson territory. For me, my bar mitzvah was not about coming of age; it was about Capital Punishments first gig.

We covered Hey Jude at the after party. Needless to say, my great-uncle Isidore was not rocking out. My father panicked, misunderstanding the lyrics and thinking that our lead singer was belting out Hey Jew to a roomful of Holocaust survivors and their progeny. I will never forget the perplexed expressions of those poor folks, who came all the way in from the far reaches of Brooklyn and North Miami to dance the hora and ended up having to sit through our under-rehearsed My Generation, featuring our bassist, Jonathan, gamely attempting to outdo John Entwistles masterful solos and failing miserably.

That is as close to being a Jew who rocks as I ever became; Capital Punishment disbanded when Jonathan transferred to a school across town for being caught with a bag of pot (which he had stolen from his dad) in his bass case, and when I realized that drummers should actually have a sense of rhythm.

I also think that one of the reasons we broke up was that I had always harbored an almost unconscious belief that because I was Jewish and from New York, and did not have an Iggy Pop rock-star physique, I was not really allowed to be a rock star. Rock and roll and Jew just never seemed to go together. Usually it was Jew and intellectual, or rock star and heroin addict. It wasnt till years later that I realized you could combine all those wonderful qualities into one incredibly self-destructive genius. There are quite a few of those inside, so read on!

At the very least, this book is here to show you that.

We as creative entities in the twenty-first century, must come to see that we need not be categorized by outdated ethnic stereotypes. Punk rockers can eat gefilte fish if they want to, African-American hip-hop artists can enjoy Woody Allen as much as Jews can rock, if thats what they choose.

One word of advice, however. Select your venue carefully. I wouldnt recommend the auditorium of the Stephen Weiss Synagogue for the next Beastie Boys show. The acoustics suck.

The original inspiration for this book came when my friend Josh Richman gave me a book called Jews in Sports as a Hanukah gift. I instantly thought about all of the Jewish artists who were in rock, and knew how outstanding a book about them could be.

I was born in Israel and moved to the United States when I was eight years old. I can still remember how excited I was when I learned that some of my favorite musicians were Jewishit made me feel proud of my Judaic background and where I came from.

There are a lot of kids out there who might feel alone because theyre the only Jewish person in their school or community. Discovering that a favorite musician is Jewish might give them a reason to feel positive about their culture, religion, and themselves.

I wrote this book to honor and celebrate these rockin Jews I give you Jews Who Rock.

Put on your yarmulke

Here comes Chanukah

So much funukah

To celebrate Chanukah

Chanukah is the festival of lights

Instead of the day of presents, we have eight crazy nights

When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree

Heres a list of people who are Jewish just like you and me

David Lee Roth lights the menorah

So do Kirk Douglas, James Caan, and the late Dinah Shore-ah

Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli

Bowser from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzerelli

Paul Newmans half Jewish, Goldie Hawns half too

Put them together, what a fine looking Jew

You dont need Deck the Halls or Jingle Bell Rock

Cause you can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk or Mr. Spockboth

Jewish

Put on your yarmulke

Its time for Chanukah

The owner of the Seattle Supersonics celebrates Chanukah

O.J. Simpson, not a Jew

But guess who is? Hall of Famer Rod Carewhe converted

We got Ann Landers and her sister Dear Abby

Harrison Fords a quarter Jewishnot too shabby

Some people think that Ebenezer Scrooge is

Well hes not, but guess who is

All three Stooges

So many Jews in showbiz

Tom Cruise isnt, but I heard his agent is

Tell your friend Veronica

Its time to celebrate Chanukah

I hope I get a harmonicah

On this lovely, lovely Chanukah

So drink your gin and tonicah

And smoke your marijuanicah

If you really, really wannakah

Have a happy, happy, happy, happy Chanukah