Biography

He sang from when he was a child in his father's choir and for friends, but focused professional career actually began in 1980, when he recorded as a singer, keyboardist and even a drummer in a band formed by guitarist, Steve (Shmuel) Simenowitz, called Jewish Blues on a now-collectible album called "Out Of The Woods" Nova Records, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY

Ronkonkoma, New York

Ronkonkoma is a census-designated place on Long Island in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 20,029 at the 2000 census...

, MRS 111 (also starring the late blues legend, Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan was a sideman and solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career, and two later solo albums that made it on to the Billboard chart. Despite never having achieved stardom, he is still...

).

In 1981, he teamed up with composer/producer Yerachmiel Begun to form the group, Judaea. He became the lead singer, co-composing and co-arranging on the only album they made, "The World To Come" in 1981.

In 1982, Gershon recorded his first album, "Man To Man", (now out-of-print), on which he became the first Jewish artist to ever record an album doing all vocals and playing all keyboards, synthesizers, drums, percussion, bass and guitars.

Through the next two decades, while pursuing his solo career, he also served as a bandleader and featured performer with wedding bands including The Messengers, Neginah Orchestra, Ruach, Simcha Orchestra (NY), Steven Scott, Hank Lane, Robby Helprin's Simcha Orchestra (LA), Amiran Dvir (Israel), Nefesh (Chicago) and a continuing 18 year relationship with NY's Neshoma Orchestra.

To date, he now has been featured on over 50 albums, plus 12 solo albums of his own. Through the 90's, he became known for performing adaptations and parodies of mainstream pop songs

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

, re-written with Jewish themes, some in Hebrew, but mostly in English. The "Variations" album series, featured him as the main artist for its four-volume run between 1993 and 2004. Gershon produced his own adaptation album, "Impressions" in 2003 and produced an all-star

All-star

All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

 sequel, "Second Impressions: Don't Stop" in May, 2009. His return to original compositions culminated in the 2007 release, "Reach Out," which contained 7 English songs of his own that had strong messages of Jewish life and introspection rarely, if ever, attempted by Jewish music

Jewish music

Jewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish People which have evolved over time throughout the long course of Jewish History. In some instances Jewish Music is of a religious nature, spiritual songs and refrains are common in Jewish Services throughout the world, while other times, it is...

 previously. This included a song telling of a person's questioning G-d's silence, "Speechless," co-composed by his friend, Chassidic superstar Avraham Fried

Avraham Fried

Avraham Shabshi Hakohen Friedman better known by his stage name, Avraham Fried, is a popular musical entertainer in the Orthodox Jewish community.-Career:...

.

His unique role in the Jewish music business as a "bridge" between secular and Jewish music has become a source of admiration and controversy. Many fans and even hard line rabbis have praised his work as having the rare qualifications of valid fusion between delicate religious Jewish acceptance and the mainstream pop culture

Popular culture

Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...

 of the Diaspora. Others have criticized him, grouping him with those who encourage the dangerous influences of the non-Jewish

Gentile

The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....

 culture.

Thousands of fans and continued to support his music and his views, seeing him perform around the world, including Nassau Coliseum

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...

, Lincoln Center and Town Hall in NY, on the Chabad Telethons and receiving a resounding stamp of approval from scores of major performers who have seen him or performed with him, including the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Shlomo Carlebach

Shlomo Carlebach , known as Reb Shlomo to his followers, was a Jewish rabbi, religious teacher, composer, and singer who was known as "The Singing Rabbi" during his lifetime...

, zt"l, Mordechai Ben-David, Sam Glaser

Sam Glaser

Sam Glaser is a popular composer, performer and interpreter of Jewish music. Referred to as one of the top ten Jewish artists in the United States by Moment Magazine, he holds a global fifty-city music tour culminating in Israel every year....

, Safam, Mike Burstein, Gad Elbaz, Blue Fringe, Freddy Roman, Robert Klein

Robert Klein

Robert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...

, Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...

, Jon Voight

Jon Voight

Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....

, Steve Allen

Steve Allen

Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...

, Jackie Mason

Jackie Mason

Jackie Mason is an American stand-up comedian and movie actor.-Early life:Born Yacov Moshe Maza in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, he grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City....

and others.

Gershon has even spoken out against inappropriate influences in Jewish music and continues to defend his work as combining important human messages of Jewish life with great music and connecting the two only if they are truly compatible, whether original or borrowed. In the years he has remained in the spotlight, many younger Jewish musicians and performers claim Gershon to be a major influence on their work.