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As an aficionado of affability, Phil “Philly Cuzz” Battaglia believes nothing can match music’s ability to enliven and enlighten. The 63-year-old entertainer will note the majesty of melodies and heartiness of harmonies as the promoter of and performer at Saturday’s Rock, Hop & Doo-wop celebration at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St.
“This sort of music is really relevant to the people of South Philly,” the resident of the 1300 block of South 10th Street said of the evening’s emphasis on timeless tunes. “They will absolutely have a great time, and I can’t wait to experience that with them.”
The Passyunk Square dweller has aligned himself with numerous luminaries for the East Passyunk Crossing-situated extravaganza, calling on friendships with disc jockeys Dennis Marcucci and King Arthur and performers The Dovells, Frankie & The Fashions, Lights Out and Charlie Gracie, a legendary South Philly product and member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, to tout levity and longevity. Having orchestrated the tribute to Philadelphia Bandstand with Marcucci, Battaglia is hitting an excitement crescendo in preparing to mesh his doo-wop and beach music sensitivities.
“Any kind of music can appeal to me, but those are the main comfort inducers,” he said of the genres that have bred the most influence on his creative curiosity. “Doo-wop, especially. I look back and I was an orphan. Doo-wop adopted me.”
Thoroughly thrilled to be an admirer and a practitioner of the disciplines, Battaglia, long a lover of having music center on happiness and ease, contends that no matter the circumstances or the setting, he will arrive with his customary abundance of camaraderie and sincerity. Once a South Philly staple, the performer figures this rare appearance in his stomping grounds will prove equally compelling.
“I often tell people I’m from North Wildwood and have a winter home in South Philly,” he joked. “Seriously, though, this is going to be a blast. Hopefully, this could be the start of something good. I’d love to pull this off again and again.”
The gregarious native honed his infatuation with music through mother Vicki Battaglia, a highly respected piano teacher, and uncle Vincent LaSpada, who, as “Jimmy Saunders,” crafted a renowned big band career that included co-writing “Peach Tree Street” with Frank Sinatra. Songs came to dominate his days when he attended Bishop Neumann High School, with his ambition leading to the creation of dances for school-based gatherings.
“I was always interested in being a singer/songwriter,” Battaglia, who had his first tune published and produced at age 16, said of his early comprehension of his career’s possibilities. “It’s been an interesting journey, and I never grow tired of putting out what I feel is the best that I have to give.”
Powerless against the lure of vocal discovery and instrumental expression, he began playing in clubs down the Jersey Shore at 17 and made most of the next three decades an exploration of music as an emollient for even the worst case of the doldrums.
“I feel very fortunate I had so many positive experiences in my youth,” Battaglia, who also attended Settlement Music School’s Mary Louise Curtis Branch, 416 Queen St., and Temple University, the latter connecting him with blue-eyed soul icons Daryl Hall and John Oates, said. “When you’re lucky enough as a kid to know what you really wish to do, you’ll usually stop at nothing to make it happen.”
Supplementing his finances with weekend music gigs, he eventually wandered into the realm of real estate, but that universe fostered frequent frustration, even prompting him to say he will not need to spend time in purgatory because St. Peter will know he suffered enough. While many people apprehensively approached the turn of the century because of expected computer glitches, he turned the feared year into a transformative one, with 2000 spawning his identity as “Philly Cuzz.” That moniker became official with the release of his first album, “On the Way to Cape May,” which consisted of a Bobby Darin-type arrangement of the title track. Four years later, the success of his single “One Summer Night” launched him into the national spotlight, with Sirius XM playing his South Jersey beach music offerings and doo-wop pieces.
“I’m so thankful for the exposure, particularly because what I create considers what people listen to in order to feel good,” Battaglia, whose acclaim took him to Las Vegas, where he fraternized with fellow crooner and South Philly native Tony Sacca, said. “Personally, it’s great to have my name out there. It’s greater, though, to make friends and put out good work.”
With additional milestones including emcee duties for the North Wildwood-situated Italian Festival and singing engagements at the Red Bank, N.J.-based Count Basie Theater, he has constantly married the notions of acquiring name recognition and promoting his field’s history as a nurturer of heartfelt emotion and future as a source of tranquillity and civility. Never one to pigeonhole himself, though, Battaglia has willingly courted placement in other branches of music, notably penning children’s songs, a jingle for Geno’s Steaks, 1219 S. Ninth St., and “Jersey Devil,” a musical that he is looking to adapt for the stage.
“The best vehicle for me in the future would be to write musicals,” he said. “I’m always thinking about how to convey all these ideas, and I’m liking the results. With ‘Jersey Devil,’ it’s like having a child and wanting to send him or her out into the world.”
With only two days remaining until the Neumann-Goretti show, Battaglia, whose nickname reflects his identity as a friend to all, aims to make the presentation an affirmation of music’s abilities to render dilemmas as mere stumbling blocks on the way to figurative harmony and loves his chance to create the literal sort.
“I’ve learned I have to depend on myself to accomplish what I want,” he said. “The concert is proof I have great friends who believe in being proactive, too.” ■
For tickets, call 215-568-2400, or visit onthewaytocapemay.comonthewaytocapemay.com.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
Portrait Photo By Corey Carter Inset Photo Provided By Phil Battaglia
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