Neil Giraldo

Neil Giraldo was born Neil Thomas Giraldo on December 29, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio to Sicilian parents, Anthony and Angela Giraldo. At the age of six, Giraldo received his first guitar as a gift from his parents. Giraldo notes his first live performances as playing Italian songs after church for family and friends, alongside his sister Priscilla, who played the accordion. He would later start playing in local bands at the age of fourteen, venturing into nightclubs with his uncle, who would sing while Giraldo played the guitar. He learned to play the piano at age 12, and afterwards the drums. Throughout his childhood, Giraldo credits being influenced by revolutionary bands of the 1960s and 1970s such as The Yardbirds, The Kinks, and The Who. Blue’s artists such as bandleader Count Basie, jazz pianist Jay McShann, and blues shouter Big Joe Turner provided inspiration and deepened Giraldo’s respect and admiration for the genre.