Dennis Gilfoyle

Meet Dennis Gilfoyle from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Where do I begin...well, I just celebrated my 101st America show on October 19, 1999 at the AJ Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh...with my wife and oldest daughter age 14...her first America concert. My first? Fall, 1975 in Erie, PA at the Erie County Fieldhouse.

Introduced to music in the 2nd grade at age 8, my love of music grew with listening to the band. Trained to play the piano, I taught myself the guitar in high school so I could play "Horse" and "Tin Man". My brothers and I formed a band when I was a sophomore in H.S. and played several America tunes as part of our usual set. I'll never forget writing the band a letter after Dan Peek left to ask for an audition....never did hear from them.

Still keeping up with my music (although not professionally) I do manage to get an America song in every now and then when I play a wedding. I've always loved Gerry's ballads....a great way to serenade the women while in high school and in college.

Finally got to meet the band in 1979 when I was stage manager of our university's concert committee at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

When the band played here in 1998 (a free concert at Hartwood Acres), I got a chance to meet Willie Leacox early while the crew was setting up. What a down-to-earth guy.

My only complaint of late is the last 12 concerts seem to pretty much parallel the other in time and content. Last night's show was 75 minutes...opened with Riverside and closed with Horse. They did play two songs from Human Nature...Wednesday Morning and Wheels Are Turning.

My hope....is to see the band do an unplug CD or MTV show....they deserve it and so do we!

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Dennis.