Phil Naro

Phillip Sampognaro (March 13, 1958 – May 3, 2021[1]), known professionally as Phil Naro, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist, known for his participation in the hard rock bands Talas, Chain Reaction, and Coney Hatch. He was the singer of the 2009 Daytime Emmy Award winning song for the television show 6teen.[2][3]

Biography

Musical career

Naro began his singing career in the 1970s in high school bands. In 1979, he moved to Toronto to join the Canadian group Chain Reaction, with which he recorded the albums X-Rated Dream 1 and X-Rated Dream 2. When he returned to the United States, he joined the hard rock band Talas, led by bassist Billy Sheehan. When David Lee Roth left the Van Halen line-up in the mid-1980s and became a solo act, he hired Sheehan as his bassist for his band, leading to Naro leaving Talas. Naro then returned to Canada, where he became the lead singer of the band Coney Hatch, replacing James LaBrie, a vocalist who became popular for his work with the progressive metal group Dream Theater.[4]

Producer Eddie Kramer contacted Naro in the early 1990s and invited him to become the lead singer of the new solo band of Peter Criss, the original drummer for Kiss. The songs "Blue Moon Over Brooklyn" and "Bad People" with Naro as singer were included on Criss Cat # 1 album. Since then, the musician has recorded a large number of collaborations and appearances with bands and artists such as Lee Aaron, John Rogers, DDrive, Druckfarben and King Friday, in addition to recording some albums as a soloist.[4]

In August 2020, Billy Sheehan reported that a new Talas studio album was in the works, and that it would feature Naro as the vocalist.[5]

Health problems and death

Naro had to undergo surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his neck, diagnosed in 2013. After the procedure, the musician managed to control his disease through various alternative therapies. In 2020, he stated in an interview with IHeartRadio that he was again dealing with tongue cancer and that he was receiving chemotherapy treatment.[3][6][7]

Naro died on May 3, 2021.[8]

References
  1. "Veteran Rocker PHIL NARO Loses Cancer Battle". BraveWords. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  2. "Berklee Emmy Award Winners". berklee.edu. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  3. "Veteran Rock Singer Phil Naro Battling Cancer". iHeart Radio. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  4. "Phil Naro Biography". DDRIVE Official. May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  5. "New TALAS Studio Album Is Almost Done, Says Billy Sheehan". Blabbermouth. August 20, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  6. "TALAS Singer Phil Naro is Battling Tongue Cancer". Blabbermouth.net. October 11, 2020.
  7. "TALAS Frontman Phil Naro Diagnosed With Cancer; GoFundMe Campaign Launched To Pay Medical Expenses". bravewords.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  8. "TALAS Singer Phil Naro Dies After Battle With Cancer". blabbermouth.net. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
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