David Ippolito
Encyclopedia
David Ippolito is an American
singer/songwriter
/playwright
who lives in New York City
. He has self-released eight albums and is best known for his weekly summer performances in Central Park
, which are attended by thousands of people. He styles himself as "That Guitar Man from Central Park."
in front of a few people who gathered. Among those present was editor Jack Rosenthal from the New York Times, who the next day published an editorial about the performance. The next week, Ippolito played again, and began to gather a following. For the last 20 years, he has performed on a hill near a picturesque rowboat lake almost every summer weekend to large crowds of passers-by and regulars, including visitors from around the globe, and has become a beloved New York icon, creating an intimate "It's Just Us" feeling no matter how big his audience.
Ippolito sings covers by James Taylor, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, and more.
Yet it is his own original music that impresses fans from all over the world, who check in on his website's daily blog: www.thatguitarman.com. There are songs about lost love ("Wedding in Danville," "Another 15 Years," "Did You Fall in Love Again," "Some Wounds Never Heal"); romance ("I Can't Wait," "The Perfect Girl for Me," "Oak Beach Inn," "You Might be Her"); sex ("Internet Angel"); trust ("Just Hafta Trust Me," "Tired of Being Lied To"); religion ("The Religion Song"); passing of a loved one ("Here Today"); self-improvement ("Next Time Around"); self-belief ("Don't Let It Hold You Back," "When Mary Learns to Fly"); friendship and support ("I Love the Company," "Crazy on the Same Day"); and self-direction ("Any Other Way," "Wherever I Might Land," "Don't Lose Sight of the Dream"), as well as topics of social conscience ("Where's the Voice?", "Common Ground," "The Last Protest Song," "Can't You See?" "Hey American"). Ippolito also writes clever, satirical songs about celebrities ("Tom Cruise Scares Me," "Free Paris (Hilton)"); politicians ("Don't Know Palin"); pundits ("Bill O'Reilly: The Big Talking Head"); white-collar criminals ("Where'dat Money Go?"); TV personalities ("A Special Kind of Friendship" about Stephen Colbert, and "Glenn Beck Scares Me"); and obnoxious people ("The Cell Phone Guy: Talk Louder"). "Hermione Got Hot!" is an ode to grown-up Emma Watson and the latest Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows film and "Facebook Is a Stupid Idiot" (subtitled "What the F*#k is Farmville?!") is a hilarious personal spin on the social media force. His newest song, "Can't You See?" addresses the growing political divide in the United States.
His latest and 8th CD, "Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way," released in autumn 2009, includes the song "Resolution," which seeks investigation of U.S. government officials who approved water-boarding and other torture. This song's powerful music video, which was posted pre-release of the album on YouTube, inspired a series of prime-time TV ads urging Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor.
The album also features "Keep Hope Alive," which was co-written with Sid Bernstein
, the legendary music promoter who brought the Beatles to America.
Ippolito, known for his storytelling skills and sense of humor, has funny conversations with audience members during his shows and sometimes tosses granola candy bars into the crowd. On special holiday weekends, he also gives away hundreds of free hot dogs and slices of pizza. Just-married couples often stop by after their wedding to share their first dance, as Ippolito serenades them with a romantic song and the crowd sings along.
Ippolito also performs at venues throughout New York City, including an annual December performance at Merkin Concert Hall
, as well as year-round shows at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia, Symphony Space
, The Red Lion on Bleecker Street
, and Jim Caruso's Cast Party, held at the famous Birdland
Music Club.
, The Daily News
, Parade Magazine, PBS
, CBS-TV, ABC-TV, and WB-11 news. He is also prominently profiled in Following Dreams, a one-hour documentary filmed five years ago and released in 2009 from Iron Zeal Films. It is currently airing nationally on American Public Television. Director Susan Polis Schutz and her crew traveled across the United States and South America to explore the lives of ordinary Americans with extraordinary dreams.
ordered him (and all other musicians in the park) to unplug his small speaker, which led to public outcry and letters to the New York Times by supportive audience members. The current arrangement is that he has to select a month in advance which dates he wants to play, as well as pay for each permit, rain or shine. On the Sunday after the September 11 attacks, approximately 1,000 of his fans filled his guitar case in Central Park with more than $7,000, which Ippolito, the son of a retired New York City firefighter, delivered to Ladder Company 25 and the 9/11 Fund.
. The 365+ podcasts featured new works by Ippolito and music by singers and songwriters around the world, which was joined by an "I Love the Video" videocast.
Ippolito's song, "City Song," was used to close NBC
's television coverage of the 2001 New York City Marathon
.
He has appeared on ABC
's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", winning $64,000.
A playwright and storyteller, his work has been performed at The Soho Playhouse and The Actors Studio
. Ippolito is currently workshopping his new musical project for the stage, "Possibility Junkie."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer/songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
/playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
who lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He has self-released eight albums and is best known for his weekly summer performances in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, which are attended by thousands of people. He styles himself as "That Guitar Man from Central Park."
Career
In 1992, intending only to make a little lunch money, Ippolito unknowingly began a fascinating journey and an unusual career by performing an impromptu concert on a hill in Central ParkCentral Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in front of a few people who gathered. Among those present was editor Jack Rosenthal from the New York Times, who the next day published an editorial about the performance. The next week, Ippolito played again, and began to gather a following. For the last 20 years, he has performed on a hill near a picturesque rowboat lake almost every summer weekend to large crowds of passers-by and regulars, including visitors from around the globe, and has become a beloved New York icon, creating an intimate "It's Just Us" feeling no matter how big his audience.
Ippolito sings covers by James Taylor, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, and more.
Yet it is his own original music that impresses fans from all over the world, who check in on his website's daily blog: www.thatguitarman.com. There are songs about lost love ("Wedding in Danville," "Another 15 Years," "Did You Fall in Love Again," "Some Wounds Never Heal"); romance ("I Can't Wait," "The Perfect Girl for Me," "Oak Beach Inn," "You Might be Her"); sex ("Internet Angel"); trust ("Just Hafta Trust Me," "Tired of Being Lied To"); religion ("The Religion Song"); passing of a loved one ("Here Today"); self-improvement ("Next Time Around"); self-belief ("Don't Let It Hold You Back," "When Mary Learns to Fly"); friendship and support ("I Love the Company," "Crazy on the Same Day"); and self-direction ("Any Other Way," "Wherever I Might Land," "Don't Lose Sight of the Dream"), as well as topics of social conscience ("Where's the Voice?", "Common Ground," "The Last Protest Song," "Can't You See?" "Hey American"). Ippolito also writes clever, satirical songs about celebrities ("Tom Cruise Scares Me," "Free Paris (Hilton)"); politicians ("Don't Know Palin"); pundits ("Bill O'Reilly: The Big Talking Head"); white-collar criminals ("Where'dat Money Go?"); TV personalities ("A Special Kind of Friendship" about Stephen Colbert, and "Glenn Beck Scares Me"); and obnoxious people ("The Cell Phone Guy: Talk Louder"). "Hermione Got Hot!" is an ode to grown-up Emma Watson and the latest Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows film and "Facebook Is a Stupid Idiot" (subtitled "What the F*#k is Farmville?!") is a hilarious personal spin on the social media force. His newest song, "Can't You See?" addresses the growing political divide in the United States.
His latest and 8th CD, "Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way," released in autumn 2009, includes the song "Resolution," which seeks investigation of U.S. government officials who approved water-boarding and other torture. This song's powerful music video, which was posted pre-release of the album on YouTube, inspired a series of prime-time TV ads urging Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor.
The album also features "Keep Hope Alive," which was co-written with Sid Bernstein
Sid Bernstein
Sid Bernstein is an American music producer and promoter. Bernstein changed the American music scene in the 1960s by bringing The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues, The Kinks and The Beatles to America. He was the first impresario to organize rock concerts at sports stadiums.-...
, the legendary music promoter who brought the Beatles to America.
Ippolito, known for his storytelling skills and sense of humor, has funny conversations with audience members during his shows and sometimes tosses granola candy bars into the crowd. On special holiday weekends, he also gives away hundreds of free hot dogs and slices of pizza. Just-married couples often stop by after their wedding to share their first dance, as Ippolito serenades them with a romantic song and the crowd sings along.
Ippolito also performs at venues throughout New York City, including an annual December performance at Merkin Concert Hall
Merkin Concert Hall
Merkin Concert Hall is a 449-seat concert hall in Manhattan, New York City. The hall, named in honor of Hermann and Ursula Merkin, is part of the Kaufman Center, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School, a community arts school, and the Special Music School , a New York City public school for...
, as well as year-round shows at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia, Symphony Space
Symphony Space
Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre or the 160-seat Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater. Programs include music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings...
, The Red Lion on Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is a street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street is a spine that connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was once a major center for American bohemia.Bleecker...
, and Jim Caruso's Cast Party, held at the famous Birdland
Birdland (jazz club)
Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...
Music Club.
Press coverage
Ippolito's performances have been covered many times by the New York Times, the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, The Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, Parade Magazine, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, CBS-TV, ABC-TV, and WB-11 news. He is also prominently profiled in Following Dreams, a one-hour documentary filmed five years ago and released in 2009 from Iron Zeal Films. It is currently airing nationally on American Public Television. Director Susan Polis Schutz and her crew traveled across the United States and South America to explore the lives of ordinary Americans with extraordinary dreams.
Central Park
Ippolito's concerts are a well-known draw in Central Park. However, in 2000, the Parks DepartmentNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
ordered him (and all other musicians in the park) to unplug his small speaker, which led to public outcry and letters to the New York Times by supportive audience members. The current arrangement is that he has to select a month in advance which dates he wants to play, as well as pay for each permit, rain or shine. On the Sunday after the September 11 attacks, approximately 1,000 of his fans filled his guitar case in Central Park with more than $7,000, which Ippolito, the son of a retired New York City firefighter, delivered to Ladder Company 25 and the 9/11 Fund.
I Love the Company
During 2006, Ippolito hosted a daily podcast called "I Love the Company," which was broadcast globally via Podshow.comMevio
Mevio Inc., is an American internet entertainment network, whose properties include PodShow+, PodShow Podcast Network, PodShowPDN, Podcast Alley, CastBlaster, the Podsafe Music Network and, BT PodShow...
. The 365+ podcasts featured new works by Ippolito and music by singers and songwriters around the world, which was joined by an "I Love the Video" videocast.
Playwriting and other work
As an actor, Ippolito has had roles in national TV commercials and musical theater productions.Ippolito's song, "City Song," was used to close NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's television coverage of the 2001 New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
.
He has appeared on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", winning $64,000.
A playwright and storyteller, his work has been performed at The Soho Playhouse and The Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
. Ippolito is currently workshopping his new musical project for the stage, "Possibility Junkie."
Discography
- The People on the Hill (1997)
- That Guitar Man from Central Park...In Person (1998)
- Just a Thought for Christmas (1999)
- It's Just Us (2000)
- Crazy on the Same Day (2002)
- Talk Louder (the Cell Phone Song) (2003)
- Common Ground (2004)
- I Love the Company (2007)
- Crazy on the Same Day (re-mastered in 2008)
- Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way (2009)