Redhead Piano Bar

Ray Betz

Ray has been playing the piano since the age of 7, when he picked up tunes he heard on the radio, and was able to play them after hearing them only once or twice. Though during grade school and high school he concentrated on biology and chemistry, he always played the piano every day. He went on to DePaul University in Chicago, where he majored in Music Theory and Composition and Piano Performance, which laid the classical foundation. He studied with Thaddeus Kozuch at DePaul (who studied with the great Rudolf Ganz, a student of Sergei Rachmaninoff). After leaving DePaul, Ray began to work in the IT field, making computer technology his chosen career, all the while playing the piano privately and publicly. In the '80s and '90s Ray was the leader of his own show band, PowerPlay, where he played weddings and corporate events.

Today, Ray plays piano and sings throughout Chicagoland in venues such as the Red Head Piano Bar, the Grille on Laurel in Lake Forest, Nick's Fishmarket, Fox Grill in Batavia, and Cafe Zalute in Rosemont, to name a few. His specialties are Elton John, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker and Bruce Springsteen, among others. His favorite place to play is, without a doubt, the Red Head, because of the lively, upbeat atmosphere and the great rock & roll crowd.

Ray is also working on a rock album project in Jim Peterik's studio with Larry Millas (of the Ides of March) engineering, featuring Lisa McClowry (vocals), Jim Peterik (guitar), Mark Ott (drums), and Geoffrey Lowe (bass), due for release in summer 2006!

Website: Pianomanrocks.com

E-mail: Pianoman1255@hotmail.com

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